A new wildlife viewing area and sanctuary for Middletown at the heart of where the Coginchaug and the Mattabesset River meet.
(Drone image courtesy of Matt Stauble, Stauble Media, 7/10/26)
Join the Trail Blazers distribution list if you would like to spend some time outside with us, cutting, weeding, planting, and building this community space in Middletown’s North End.
If you aren’t ready to be a Trail Blazer but you’re curious, sign up for our newsletter to stay in touch with all of our work and volunteer opportunities. Thank you!
Project Details – Summary of goals and who’s involved.
Events – Check out pictures from our Earth and Art for All event and our next volunteer work party date below.
Learn More – Mugwort and more!
Short Videos – Sharing the history and hope for the future of this area.
Contact Us – To share questions or comments.
Project Details
Imagine yesterday’s trash turned into a treasure for our community.
At Middletown’s retired landfill, visitors are treated to stunning views of three rivers, a 1000-acre tidal marshland, the Arrigoni Bridge, and hills of neighboring towns. This quarter-mile path (rising almost 100 feet to the top) is next to the city’s transfer station and the Keating Building. It even has its own soundtrack…bird songs!
This is a transformation in progress that’s worth seeing for yourself.
In partnership with the City of Middletown, the Jonah Center for Earth and Art staff is leading this transformation with help from experts and volunteers.
Community involvement and support is welcome and truly needed.
Join the Trail Blazers distribution list to get involved. We’ll send updates and periodic calls for help to this group of Trail Blazers throughout the year. Join us for any work parties that fit your schedule.
This project is made possible with funding from community grants as well as individual donors. We’ll need continued support for this multi-year, complex project. See “Special Thanks” section below for the time, energy and financial support we are grateful to have received so far.
Events
Earth and Art for All – Our FIRST Community Event at the Midden
We had such a wonderful time on Saturday! Attendees got to see the transformation in progress and participate in the fun activities! Thanks to Mick Bolduc for event pictures!
Cover & Conquer Mugwort, Next Work Parties –
Monday, 11/9 from 1-3PM AND Tuesday, 11/10 from 11AM-1PM
Join us to WEED and SEED at the Midden! We’ll be hand pulling weakened mugwort in targeted areas and spreading seed for some nurse crop plants.
Sign up HERE if you can help us with this fun and fulfilling work. Thank you!
General Reminders – It’s best to bring your own work gloves. We recommend long pants and bug spray. Each event has a different focused task and any additional tools or prep needed will be announced with the sign-up.
Learn More – Mugwort
Our first big challenge on the Midden is to reclaim the area from an overgrowth of Mugwort.
Learning about Mugwort
What is Mugwort? Mugwort is a very common and prolific invasive weed that chokes out other native plants. It emerges in areas that have been disturbed where native plants are not intentionally planted or maintained. It creates a barrier for paths and critically limits the biodiversity of the area.
What’s the big deal? Can’t we just mow it down? Suppressing and eventually eliminating Mugwort will take years of dedicated tactics. We will be working with the Middletown Garden Club and invasive species experts to plan and support a more diverse ecosystem. This will help our bird population sing with joy and improve this habitat for all other creatures who call the Midden home.
This summer, Trail Blazer volunteers and field workers braved the heat, light rain and later chilly evenings to create a “moat” of cardboard around the top of the landfill. The cardboard is slowly getting covered with a foot of woodchips to create a break between the extensive mugwort on the hillside and our future park area.
Learn even more from our past articles that show our progress from our first public walks to when we got the blessing from Mayor Gene Nocera and the Common Council to move forward. (Click to expand this list.)
May-June 2025 Walking Parties in May and June
July 2025 July Work Party to Tackle Mugwort
August 2025 – Walk with Mayor
December 2025 – Common Council Resolution & Drone video
February 2026 – Spring 2026 work parties
What is a Midden?
Quite literally, A midden is a refuse heap.
This hill exists due to decades of town trash deposits.
We are reclaiming and restoring this area to heal from those old land use practices.
Photo Credits this page: Mick Bolduc, Kristen Colombo and Heather Kennedy
This project is made possible with support from Jonah Center volunteers and donors, The Middletown Garden Club, City of Middletown Departments of Land Use, Public Works and Economic Development, Wesleyan University - College of the Environment - Sustainability leaders and interns.
Other partners include: Kathy Connelly, Speaking of Landscapes, LLC, Plummer Landscaping and Brian Keereweer Landscaping LLC.
Special Thanks To:
Community Foundation of Middlesex County (CFMC), Mary Janvrin and Natalie Janvrin Wiggins Fund for Birds, Other Animals, and Nature.
Sustainable CT Matching Fund - Crowdfunding support from over 70 individual donors matched 1:1 for the Wildlife Viewing Shelter, Spring 2027 build.
The Robert F Schumann Foundation - dedicated to improving the quality of life of both humans and animals by supporting environmental, educational, arts and cultural organizations and agencies.
Snyder Civil Engineering, LLC, Portland for donating time and expertise, consulting and production of the site plan required for the DEEP application.
The City of Portland, Public Works
Matt Stauble, Stauble Media for the drone photography
Mick Bolduc for event and nature photography.
Fran Dwyer, Portland for initial clearing of loop trail.
