Protecting, Maintaining & Expanding Vernon’s Trails
Vernon Greenways Volunteers, a subcommittee of the Vernon Parks & Recreation Commission, is a citizen-managed organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing more than 40 miles of trails throughout Vernon, Connecticut for over 20 years!
For more than 20 years, Vernon Greenways Volunteers, Inc. (VGV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has partnered with the Town of Vernon Parks and Recreation and the state of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to maintain safe, clean, and accessible trails for walkers, runners, cyclists, hikers, and families throughout the community.
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.