Group seeks Gratiot trail renovation
OBSERVER Photos by M.J. Stafford In this photo are two members of a group that wants to put in a nature trail at Point Gratiot, (left) Marybeth Muldowney and Laura Geraci. Both spoke about the plan at a Dunkirk Common Council Economic Development Committee meeting.
A group proposed a nature trail for Point Gratiot during last week’s meeting of the Dunkirk Common Council Economic Development Committee.
Marybeth Muldowney, joined by several supporters, told the committee they were inspired by a recent visit to Letchworth State Park’s Autism Nature Trail. The group wondered if they could do a similar trail for local residents “and we landed on the Point because there is already an existing trail,” she said.
The trail is in woodland on the park’s east side, near the Department of Environmental Conservation station that’s across Point Drive from the Dunkirk Lighthouse.
“You can still find the trail. It’s a little muddy,” Muldowney said. “We didn’t make it all the way through.”
She continued that renovating it into a nature trail would benefit many groups: students, families, and dog walkers, for example.
Pictured is a sign for the entrance to Point Gratiot’s trails that is often overlooked as people go by the Dunkirk Lighthouse across the street.
Muldowney’s group also includes SUNY Fredonia professor Laura Geraci, Helena Rankin from the Dunkirk City School District, and Tim Mutch. They are hoping for volunteers, such as students looking to do community service projects, to help them renovate the trail.
The Autism Nature Trail at Letchworth contains 10 interactive stations that are supposed to enhance nature enjoyment for people with sensory deprivation challenges. Muldowney said a similar trail in Dunkirk would “start small,” with only one or two stations when it is inaugurated, but with hopes to add more in the future.
The group already has a start on the trail surface. The city Department of Public Works has agreed to donate chips from the dead ash trees it took down recently in Point Gratiot Park.
Muldowney suggested putting in memorial benches, such as the ones that already exist throughout the Point.
DPW Director Randy Woodbury sounded supportive of the proposal and added that he thought the DEC would be willing to work with them to get trail done.
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- OBSERVER Photos by M.J. Stafford In this photo are two members of a group that wants to put in a nature trail at Point Gratiot, (left) Marybeth Muldowney and Laura Geraci. Both spoke about the plan at a Dunkirk Common Council Economic Development Committee meeting.
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- Pictured is a sign for the entrance to Point Gratiot’s trails that is often overlooked as people go by the Dunkirk Lighthouse across the street.
The group hopes to get grants and donations to pay for the trail work and is open to collaborating with other entities such as Revitalize Dunkirk and the city school district. Geraci said parents of local autistic children would likely be big donors.
“This trail’s a place that’s been neglected a couple decades,” Woodbury said. “It would be nice to revitalize it.”
