A crisp December morning set the tone for a milestone moment in Pitman: a 2.5-mile community hike celebrating the installation of the Hollywood Dell Trail, a new multi-use connection linking neighborhood green spaces and bringing residents a little closer to nature.
Hosted by the Pitman Environmental Commission and Sustainable Pitman, the community — adults, children and four-legged friends — came out for the brisk hike from Hollywood Dell Trail to Ceres Park Nature Preserve and back again.
“This is our first ever community hike,” said Francesca Mundrick, community outreach commissioner for the Pitman Environmental Commission and vice chair for Sustainable Pitman.
“The mission for the hike is to create community and collaboration as we go on a great walk together and have great conversations.”
That’s also what members of the Pitman Environmental Commission and Sustainable Pitman envision will happen as protected areas become more and more accessible to residents.
The hike celebrated the new Hollywood Dell Trail that is installed on Hollywood Dell Green Acres property. The town received Local Recreation Improvements under the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Grant for $5,600.
The state grant is a competitive one that supports improvement and repair of public school recreational facilities, including local parks, municipal recreation centers, and local stadiums.
The funds were used to install the Hollywood Dell multi-use trail with help and input from Public Works manager Fred Rodi and Parks & Recreation director Andy Fox, turning a grass path to a more accessible gravel path.
The Hollywood Dell Trail “connects a couple of different resources at Betty Park and Ceres Park and then Memorial Elementary
School [sports] fields to make it more accessible to residents of Pitman,” said Jimmy Aspras, chair for Sustainable Pitman
The trail “connects a couple of different resources at Betty Park and Ceres Park and then Memorial Elementary School [sports] fields to make it more accessible to residents of Pitman,” said Jimmy Aspras, chair for Sustainable Pitman, noting he collaborated with former Councilman John Fitzpatrick on getting the funds.
According to Mundrick, it’s an exciting time in South Jersey with the increase in connectivity of multi-use trails in the Circuit Trails network, a diverse and growing network of trails for the Greater Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey region to connect, gather, commute, recreate and discover new destinations.
With more than 500 miles of completed, funded or planned trails, the network is still growing toward its ultimate goal of 850-plus miles across the nine-county region, according to the Circuit Trails network website.“We heard all the whispers of the Dinosaur Trail,” Mundrick said, speaking of one of those proposed connections within the network.
According to the Circuit Trails network, the Dinosaur Trail would link the Glassboro-Elk Trail, Chestnut Branch Trail, and the Glassboro-Williamstown Trail, also known as the Monroe Township Bike Path. The route would largely follow Route 55, connecting via bike lanes on Good Intent Road to the Gloucester Mt. Ephraim Trail. The Dinosaur Trail name nods to the nearby Rowan University Fossil Park, home to two dinosaur excavation sites close to the proposed trail. The trail would begin in Ceres Park, where, in 1866, the first dinosaur related to tyrannosaurus was discovered.
Mundrick emphasized the abundance of natural spaces already available in Pitman. “The Sustainable Pitman Committee and Environmental Commission want to encourage people to get out to use our protected areas,” she said. “We have Alcyon, Betty, Ballard, Hollydell and we are also connected to Ceres.”
During the inaugural community hike, participants walked together, shared stories, snapped photos, and later shared the experience through social media.
“It is important that we all act as stewards for our local environment,” Mundrick said. “Our protected areas are special –- containing our memories, biodiversity, and vital resources.” Just as important: These spaces are meant to be enjoyed, offering scenic views where residents can explore nature, walk the trails, and share the simple pleasure of hiking together.
