TRLC celebrated Arbor Day on April 27, 2025 with the grand opening of the Hawk Hill Farm Tree Trail attended by more than 75 people. Speakers included Bloomfield Mayor Danielle Wong, Windsor Mayor Nuchette Black-Burke, CLCC Director Amy Patterson, Poet Tom Nicotera, DEEP Urban Forester Danica Doroski, trail donor Diana Hughes, and TRLC Vice President, Paula Jones.
While thanks are owed to numerous volunteers for the creation of the trail, it wouldn’t be what it is today without the contributions of two 17-year-old high school students: Hayli Graham and Christopher Lloyd.
Hayli, a senior at Suffield High School and a self-taught artist, designed the graphics for the signs that identify each of the nine trees designated for the trail. For this project, she carefully crafted silhouettes of each tree along with their buds and leaves, creating a total of 19 images. “I’ve always been interested in the environment,” Hayli shared. “I loved how this project brought attention to the trees around us, caring for the environment, and making a difference. I never had the opportunity to be part of something like this. It was fun and educational.”
Christopher, a junior at East Granby High School who has been in scouting since grammar school, led the team responsible for building and installing the signs throughout the landscape. Now an aspiring Eagle Scout, he chose the tree trail sign installation for his Eagle project. With help from three fellow scouts, he built the trailhead kiosk and installed all the trail signage, including those with Hayli’s designs. “I helped create a trail a lot of people will enjoy, and I also learned a lot about the trees,” he said. “I didn’t realize we had all these notable trees all around us.”
