Dog walk on bucolic conservation land set for Jan. 26

Steve Parish of Milton enjoys a recent walk on Casey Road trail. (Virginia Long/MMRG photo)

MILTON - A Winter Dog Walk will take place on Town of Milton conservation land from 10 a.m. to noon on Jan. 26. The property being showcased lies at the end of Casey Road off of Governor's Road near Route 75. All are welcome at this community event, which will provide dogs and people an opportunity to enjoy the winter outdoors together as well as help raise funds for a conservation easement on the property.

The Casey Road Land Protection Committee, a town sub-committee of the Milton Conservation Commission, has been working to conserve this 79-acre town-owned property and make it more user-friendly for public recreation and educational activities. The committee is working with local land trust Moose Mountains Regional Greenways, which will hold the conservation easement to ensure the property never gets developed. The Town of Milton will continue to own the land.

After a brief introduction to the conservation project, dogs, their owners and other walking enthusiasts will take a guided walk to explore approximately a mile of wooded trails, up to 2 miles round trip. In one direction, the trail leads to a pleasant upland knoll; in the other, the trail heads downhill through forested wetlands, crosses two small tributaries, and stops at the icy edge of Lyman Brook.

The Dog Walk is the third public event organized to introduce the public to this piece of land. Milton Mills resident Jen Parks attended both the previous Trail Party in 2016 and the volunteer Cleanup Day in 2018. Now that she is acquainted with the parcel, it has become a favorite place for her to walk her dog. Says Jen, "I love taking my dog to the Casey Road property. It's clean, not crowded, all sorts of things for her to sniff and plenty of acreage to walk around for hours!"

Since the event is a fundraiser, there is a suggested donation of $10, "more if you can, or less if you can't." Proceeds will help pay the costs to accomplish the conservation easement. Milton Veterinary Hospital is the primary business sponsor of the event, with Super Groomer, Branch Hill Farm and Cynthia Wyatt as co-sponsors, and Index Packaging as supporter.

Dog owners should decide if this group activity is appropriate for their pet, and are asked to keep pets on leash and under their control at all times. Trail maps and complimentary snacks will be available. Cars may be parked along the right side of Casey Road. Attendees are asked to please respect the neighborhood by driving slowly and not blocking or turning into private drives. If the temperature falls below 25, veterinarians recommend keeping dogs safe at home. In that case, the Dog Walk will be postponed until spring and this event will be converted to a Snowshoe Walk.

Donations to support the Casey Road Easement Project should go to MMRG at www.mmrg.info/donate or mailed to MMRG, PO Box 1919, Union, NH 03887, with a note indicating the Casey Road project.