Vernon Greenways Volunteers
Maintaining trails in Vernon, Connecticut over 20 years!
Vernon Greenways Volunteers, Inc. (VGV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working in collaboration with the Vernon Parks and Recreation and the state of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to maintain the safety, cleanliness, and proper use of the 40+ trails within the town of Vernon.
VGV Founder Don Bellingham
In 2004, seeking a volunteer opportunity to support Vernon’s trail system, Don Bellingham became a member of the town of Vernon’s Hockanum River Linear Park (HLRP) committee. As a member of this committee Don suggested the establishment of an “Adopt-A-Trail” program soliciting donations from local businesses and individuals to raise funds to offset the cost of trail maintenance.
Under the stewardship of Don Bellingham, the ”Adopt-A-Trail” initiative gave birth to the establishment of the Vernon Greenways Volunteers operating independently of, yet in collaboration with, the town of Vernon’s Parks and Recreation department. What began as a small four member organization has grown to a current membership of over 140 individuals. The creation of VGV is solely due to Don Bellingham’s desire and vision to ensure the trails are taken care of for the enjoyment of Vernon’s citizens and out-of-town visitors.
In 2022 HLRP merged with VGV to officially become a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with the formation of a Board of Directors taking over Don’s responsibilities when he “retired” from his day-to-day oversight of VGV.