Photo courtesy of J. Koteen Photography

 

Dorothy is Right

There’s no place like (our) home. Filled with beautiful rocks, trees, rivers, and streams.

(Even turtles watch classic movies!)

 

Written & edited by Woodrow W. Turtle, V.E.R. 

 


I love being able to say Connecticut forests are my home.
You too, I hope. And there’s nothing else quite like it. It’s also the homes of salamanders, flying squirrels, bats,… my friends and neighbors.

I cannot thank CFPA volunteers enough for their help. Connecticut could not–would not–have the lovely green forests we call home without volunteers. Every day volunteers advocate, teach, build trails, and protect our forests.

That’s why I’m so grateful when you support my friends at CFPA. Your support helps get more volunteers out there doing good!

One of CFPA’s dynamic trail volunteer wife and husband teams is Harry and Weezie Perrine. The Perrines’ efforts epitomize all that is good about our trail volunteers.

Can you believe they have been managing the northern Shenipsit Trail for 30 years?! That is six flying squirrel generations!

That’s why Sabrina Flyer, whose family of Northern Flying Squirrels has been admiring their work for generations, is the perfect animal to talk to about them. Here’s what she had to say:

“Harry and Weezie are some of the first trail managers my great-great-great grandmother discovered working. She passed down many stories about them she saw from her tree nest. Like the time Harry took a development director out into the woods to try trail work.

 

‘When I heard them talking about using rocks for water bars and working with local landowners and CT DEEP, I knew Harry would be a friend for life,’ she said. ‘I could tell he understood the importance of protecting my home.’”

“Harry and Weezie may not have met my family, but they established my family’s image
of the CFPA trail volunteers. From our tree nest, we saw how committed they are to
their trail and thoughtful about the work they do.

Sabrina Flyer, Northern Flying Squirrel

Harry and Weezie Perrine have been a part of the CFPA family since 1992. They both served as Trail Representatives, as well as co-trail managers. Weezie was the first woman Chairperson of CFPA’s Trails Committee. Thank you for all your time spent protecting Connecticut’s forests and trails.

 

 

This article was specially written for CFPA by Woodrow W. Turtle, V.E.R. (very educated reptile). Read more stories written by Woodrow in the December 2022 edition of Rock, Root & Trail.

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