DEBORAH REICH COMMUNITY TRAIL

The Community Recreational & Educational Trail Network
The Deborah Reich Community Trail

The Deborah Reich Community Trail is in the center of Sheffield at the northeastern end of the Schenob Brook Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The 13,000-acre Schenob Brook Drainage Basin is unique for its water quality and 100+ rare and endangered plant and animal species. Two forested properties adjacent to the Southern Berkshire Regional School District campus near the town’s center contain trails through lovely uplands and wetlands that students have unofficially used for years. By conserving these properties and maintaining the trail, SLT gives students another way to walk safely to school and provides a lovely footpath for anyone looking for a leisurely walk in the woods. The properties will also be available as outdoor classrooms and we hope to eventually link these trails to each other and to the school’s interpretive nature trail. To start, we will be improving the footbridge across Schenob Brook on the former Cosgriff property, partnering with Greenagers and classes from the school. We plan to incorporate educational opportunities for students into the process - including evaluation, permitting, design, construction and stewardship - and enhance outdoor education resources and understanding of the importance of the Schenob Brook Area of Critical Environmental Concern. SLT is raising funds from the community and other sources to pay for the purchase of and improvements to one property and place a conservation restriction on the other to create a quality recreational opportunity.