A Tribute to Carissa Decelles
by Elanah Sherman, Avalonia Board Member When I contacted Carissa Decelles in 2022 to ask if she would speak at the Cedar Wood Preserve dedication in Norwich on November 19 of that year, she did not hesitate to say…
Casting Beyond Limits: Accessibility and the Spirit of the ADA
By Elanah Sherman, Avalonia board member I remember some freelance accessibility work I did many years ago in partnership with an esteemed trainer on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). My partner (who has a mobility disability) was under…
Opening Spaces: Environmental Justice for (Almost) All
By Elanah Sherman, Avalonia board member According to the Sierra Club, the environmental justice movement was a response in the 1980s to the dumping of toxic waste in a Black North Carolina community. This event led to the publication…
Exciting Improvements to Infrastructure across Avalonia!
While the words "exciting" and "infrastructure" are not commonly used together, Avalonia's stewardship once again leans towards the uncommon in both word and deed. Over the last month and a half, we have been uncommonly busy, with the initiation of…
Opening Spaces: Multi-Sense* Strolls Make Sense for Everyone!
Story and photos by Elanah Sherman, Avalonia board member “Hey, what’s a gneiss vug?” Okay, let’s back up! Avalonia has begun using a multi-sense approach on all of our walks ever since an event held last year in collaboration…
Opening Spaces: An Opportunity at the Groton Public Library
By Elanah Sherman A workshop sponsored by our collaborative partner, South East Connecticut Community Center of the Blind, will enhance Avalonia’s capacity to improve accessibility for people who have, in the words of the announcement, hearing or/and vision loss.…
Last Week to Enjoy Preston Nature Preserve before We Turn it over to the Birds for Nesting Season
Our passive listening devices recorded several species of ground-nesting birds last spring in the Preston Nature Preserve. Since many of these are birds of conservation concern, we are trying something new and are closing the Preserve to visitors for this…
Accessible Parking on Avalonia Preserves
By Elanah Sherman Over the past three years, Avalonia has been incrementally installing accessible parking on preserve parking lots. These spaces look quite different from the accessible spaces we’re used to seeing throughout Connecticut. That’s because those spaces conform…
Opening Spaces: An Exciting Accessibility Effort Bookends 2024
By Elanah Sherman Featured Image: Chad Frost of Kent + Frost Landscape Architects presents the plan The year 2024, the third year of Avalonia’s ongoing accessibility initiative, was bookended by efforts to establish a highly accessible trail at Cedar…
Opening Spaces: A Hike for People with Visual Disabilities at Knox Preserve
Story and Photos by Elanah Sherman When people linger after a party, the event is considered a success. The same applies to a hike. Avalonia’s hike for people with visual disabilities and their friends, held on September 22, 2024 at…