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Construction funded by all our donors and:

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Feb. 23, 2022 - Squannacook Greenways helps Townsend apply for a grant for the sidewalk in Townsend Harbor

Squannacook Greenways helped the Town of Townsend prepare a grant application to install a sidewalk between Harbor Church to South Street to connect the two rail trail sections. A public meeting was held to explain the project and get public feedback. Bill Rideout, treasurer of Squannacook Greenways, gave a short talk on why the sidewalk was needed.

A 16 minute video of the public meeting on the sidewalk grant application to the Shared Streets and Spaces program.
Video of ceremony to thank Senators Cronin and Kennedy and Representitive Harrington

Squannacook Greenways held a small ceremony on Feb. 5, 2022 on the rail trail behind Harbor Auto to thank Senators Cronin and Kennedy and Representitive Harrington for their help in getting $100,000 in ARPA funding. This money is being used at present to help build the section of the rail trail from Harbor Church to Old Meetinghouse Road. Thanks also to Dave Funiole and TCAM from providing the video of the event below, and to Harbor Auto for hosting the event.

Click to watch the 8 minute ceremony on youtube.
Squannacook Greenways presents a talk at Moving Together Conference on building a stone dust rail trail using a MassTrails grant

Squannacook Greenways gave a talk at the Massachusetts wide Moving Together Conference on working with a MassTrails grant to build the first section of the Squannacook River Rail Trail. The session was called "Mass Trails Team - Connecting the Commonwealth, and was chaired by Amanda Lewis of the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Click to watch the full session. The Squannacook Greenways talk begins at the 36 minute mark.
Watch a video of our Phase 1 opening ceremony!

Thanks to everyone who showed up for our rail trail opening ceremony Sep 25! It was a terrific turnout and a beautiful day! Squannacook Greenways was awarded certificates by Congresswoman Lori Trahan, State Senator John Cronin, and State Representative Sheila Harrington. See our events page for lots more photos of the many groups that made this rail trail possible.

Click the image to watch a YouTube video of the ceremony - thanks to TCAM
Get a bird's eye view of Shepherd's putting down the final stone dust layer on the rail trail

Not only are Shepherd's great at building rail trails, they are also talented when it comes to making videos about their work. Check out Andrew Shepherd's drone video showing laying down the final aggregate layer.

Video of laying down stonedust

Click on the image above to watch the video
Take a tour of the first section of the Squannacook River Rail Trail on a snowplow!

Think a little snow stops Shepherd's from working on the rail trail? Watch James Gates and his GoPro clear the trail (slightly faster than real time). Note that when the rail trail is complete, we will not be plowing in winter, so get your snowshoes and cross country skis ready!

Video of snowplowing the rail trail

Click on the image above to watch the video
Video walks along the entire footpath along the Squannacook River Rail Trail - June 2020

Join us for a two videos, each a 2 minute walk along one-half of the footpath along the Squannacook River Rail Trail.

A June 2020 walk along the Squannacook River Rail Trail

Bertozzi in Groton to Harbor Church in Townsend

A June 2020 walk along the Squannacook River Rail Trail

Harbor Church to Depot St in Townsend center
Thoreau and the Squannacook River Rail Trail

On Sep. 6,1852, two years after the railroad that will become our rail trail opened, Henry David Thoreau rode it on his way to Mount Monadnock. Watch a 5 minute video about what that trip was like for Thoreau based on his description in his journal.

Video of riding the rail trail

Click on the image above to watch the video
Riding the Squannacook River Rail Trail video

Quicktime version of Riding the Squannacook River Rail Trail

In the fall of 2015, some members of Squannacook Greenways board of directors take you on a 5 minute tour of the as-yet unbuilt Squannacook River Rail Trail. See how pretty and useful this rail trail will be for the towns of Groton and Townsend.

Thanks also to the Townsend Library, who's free lynda.com access for Townsend residents was key to creating this short video.

Video of riding the rail trail

Click on the image above to watch the video
Nov 21, 2018: Buy a brick sale reopened until March 2019

Because of permitting delays, the construction of the Squannacook River Rail Trail will now take place during the four month window beginning in Nov 2019. But the good news is that this allows us to re-open our buy-a-brick fundraiser. Over 170 supporters have already purchased a brick to support construction of this stone-dust rail trail in Townsend and Groton, helping us raise over $130,000 of the $150,000 we need. To join them, just go to sqgw.org

2018 Buy-a-brick fundraiser video

Watch a one minute video the 2018 Buy-a-brick fundraiser
Nov 12, 2017: Fall walk along the Squannacook River and Squannacook River Rail Trail

When: November 12th (rain or shine) at 1:00 P.M.
Where: Walk starts at the parking lot for the Peter E. Bertozzi Squannacook Wildlife Management Area (703 Townsend Rd, Groton, MA)

Join the Nashua River Wild and Scenic River Study committee and Squannacook Greenways for a guided tour of some of the beautiful sections of the Squannacook River connected by the rail trail. This will be an out-and-back walk of about three miles, starting at the southeastern end of the planned rail trail, although participants can turn back at any point or extend the walk. Along the way, we will explore side trails to the riverfront and learn about the Wild & Scenic River project and progress on the Squannacook River Rail Trail. Please note that some of the terrain we will walk is hilly and uneven.

Meet at the Bertozzi parking lot. From Rt. 119 (near North Middlesex High School), take Townsend Road for approximately one mile. The Peter E. Bertozzi Squannacook Wildlife Management Area is on the right, marked by a brown sign. Use caution when entering the dirt lot. (Those using a navigation app such as Google Maps can find the parking lot at 703 Townsend Road, Groton MA. GPS users can navigate to 42.63658, -71.64987.)

Wild and scenic video

Watch a one minute video about the Nov 12th walk.
June 15, 2017 : Squannacook Greenways wins $15,000 grant from Community Foundation of North Central Mass

Squannacook Greenways is pleased to announce that in June of 2017 we received a $15,000 grant from the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts. With this grant, the construction fundraising is now at $106 thousand dollars, well past the 2/3 of our $150,000 goal. Thanks to this generous grant, we are preparing to finally enter the construction phase of this project.

Community Foundation grant ceremony

Click the image above to watch a one minute video about this grant.

This is not the first time the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, which serves 33 communities in our area, has played a critical role in the success of the Squannacook River Rail Trail. In 2013, they gave Squannacook Greenways a grant that played a key role in convincing the MBTA to allow a non-profit to lease an unused MBTA rail bed for the first time ever. We at Squannacook Greenways want to express our deepest appreciation to this great organization that does so much to make all our lives better in north central Massachusetts.

Rail Trail Family Day, Sat June 3, 2017

Riding the trail video

Watch the above video to learn about the upcoming free Family Day on the Squannacook River Rail Trail on Saturday June 3, 2017 (rain date Sunday).

Three rail trail events planned for early 2017

Riding the trail video

Watch the above video to learn about three events we have planned for early 2017. On April 29th from 9-11:30 am we will be holding a clean-up day on the rail trail. Our buy a brick sale has been extended to May 6th. And finally, we have a day for families on the rail trail planned for June 3rd. Mark your calendars!

Use Amazon? Here's how to help pay for the rail trail without it costing you anything

Riding the trail video

If you use Amazon, please watch this 1 minute quicktime video of how to use smile.amazon.com to help pay for building the Squannacook River Rail without it costing you anything.

Donate a brick fundraiser ends Dec. 31, 2016

Thanks to everyone who has helped make 2016 a great year, and don't forget that our Donate a Brick fundraiser ends Dec. 31, 2016!

Trail walk Nov. 5, 2016

Thanks to the over 60 participants in the rail trail walk Nov. 5, 2016

Thanks to Freedoms Way and the Townsend Historical Society for helping to make this a great day!

Trail walk Nov. 5, 2016

Rail trail walk Saturday Nov. 5th at 2016, organized by Freedom's Way National Heritage Area

Explore history while walking the path of the future stone dust Squannacook River Rail Trail in Groton and Townsend. We will walk one way along the full length of the 3.7 mile rail bed, stopping at the halfway point for a tour of the Townsend Historical Society's Reed Homestead.

Trail walk Nov. 5, 2016

Watch a 2 minute quicktime video describing plans for the Nov. 5th walk.

Park at the town parking lot at the intersection of Riverbank Terrace and Jefts Street in Townsend near the trestle. From there we will arrange a shuttle to the other end of the rail trail for our one way walk. A volunteer will also be available to pick up anyone who does not wish to complete the full walk. This walk is part of the Freedom's Way National Heritage Area's Connecting Communities Along Our Trails series, and is jointly sponsored by Squannacook Greenways and the Townsend Historical Society.

Making the Case For RAILS TO TRAILS in Townsend

Video in support of the May 2006 rail trail ballot question in Townsend by Sebring/Wotkowicz (www.sebringdesign.com) - 18 minutes

Windows version (wmv) - 43 MB

Quicktime version (mp4) - 81 MB (May take a few minutes to load, depending on your bandwidth)

Also the short promo video as Windows wmv or Quicktime mp4.

Credits

Camera - Sylvia Morrison

Edit - Ellen Sebring

Music - Richard Sebring

Special thanks to:

Steve Meehan, Paul Sebring, Joan Wotkowicz, Ryan Andrews, Sue Gerken, Ken Gerken, Bob Plamondon, Peter Cunningham, and Rebecca, Ben, Emily, Rachel and Daniel King

Rail Trail vote image

FST open meeting presentation

Video of Fay Spofford & Thorndike's presentation at the June 12, 2008 public meeting - 38 minutes

Windows version (wmv) - 97 MB

Quicktime version (mp4) - 99 MB (May take a few minutes to load, depending on your bandwidth)

 

FST public meeting

Thanks to Hartley Pleshaw of Townsend public access television for taking the video.