Lyman Dayton Trail gets boost

WAUPACA –The local group Dayton Community Connection, Inc. was awarded a grant to restore the Lyman Dayton Trail. The grant is from the Jim and Mary Grist Fund for Waupaca, a fund within the Waupaca Area Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.
The one-mile trail is located on the Dayton Town Hall property. Already the groups has hacked down invasive buckthorn, honeysuckle, oriental bittersweet and spotted knapweed to make the trail more walkable and allowing native plants to take root.
“We had such fun walking the Lyman Trail with Kelly from the Community Foundation and the industrious crew from the Dayton Community Connection near Waupaca,” said Julie Grist, one of Jim and Mary Grist’s five children. “They are transforming this once-ragged woods and meadowland into a thriving, beautiful native ecosystem, complete with a trail that encourages people to learn about conservation and the removal of invasive plant species. The property backs up to the Chain O’ Lakes, so improving this acreage helps keep the lake’s watershed clean and healthy for all to enjoy. We five siblings know that Mom and Dad would be very pleased to support this project through the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.”
Later this fall, goats will graze the area to naturally control and reduce the regrowth of the invasive species. Volunteers also play a significant role by manually removing smaller invasive plants and maintaining the surrounding prairie areas surrounding the trail.
“We’re excited to not only restore the trail but also create a welcoming community space where everyone can come together and enjoy a walk,” said Julie Mazzoleni, a member of the Dayton Community Connection. “We hope that visitors to the trail will enjoy the nature and see all kinds of native butterflies and bees.”
The trail is open and community members are invited to explore it.