Asnuntuck's Sheirer Honored by Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection


From May 17, 2005, to May 16, 2006, Asnuntuck Community College Professor John Sheirer hiked the two-mile Shady Brook Trail at the McCann Family Farm in Somers every day. While hiking, he monitored the trail, cleared downed trees and branches, removed litter, repaired damage from the October 2005 flood, and kept a detailed written and photographic record of his observations and experiences on the trail--all the while finding time to raise money for a local conservation group. In recognition of his efforts, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) presented him with a Green Circle Award at a ceremony held at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill on June 5.

The award was presented by Gina McCarthy, the Commissioner of the DEP. "The Green Circle Award makes one thing very clear," McCarthy said. "Everyone can make a real contribution to improving the quality of our environment." Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell released a statement that Green Circle Award recipients "have made an enduring commitment to Connecticut's environment. Through their efforts, they have contributed to improving the quality of life for all residents of this great state."

Sheirer began hiking at McCann's to rehabilitate after major knee surgery, and then conceived the idea of hiking every day and writing a book about the experience. "I've always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail or Climb Mount Everest, but that's hard to do when you have a job and personal commitments," Sheirer said. "So I wanted to design an environmental project that I could fit into my life. Along the way, I discovered that an obsession with hiking the same New England trail every day can be surprisingly adventurous--ranging from blistering heat, flooding rain, whiteout snowstorms, early mornings, dark nights, and everything in between." The book will be called Loop Year: A Memoir of a Year on the Trail, and should be published by the end of the year.

Sheirer's year-long trail project was made possible by the Northern Connecticut Land Trust, the nonprofit land-preservation organization that owns and manages the McCann Family Farm and more than a dozen other parcels of wooded and farm land in the north-central Connecticut area. In 2005, Sheirer was honored as one of the land trust's "volunteers of the year" for his work at McCann's. Sheirer also raised nearly $2,500 for the land trust through pledges to his trail project, and a portion of the proceeds from Loop Year will go to the land trust. He has also been honored for his writing and teaching with many awards, including recognition by Who's Who Among America's Teachers. He has taught at Asnuntuck since 1993, and is currently Professor of English and Communication and Chair of the Department of Arts, Theater, and Communication.

Sheirer is available to do photo presentations about his trail project at schools, libraries, bookstores, and civic organization. He can be contacted at jsheirer@acc.commnet.edu.

The Green Circle Award program has been highlighting environmental projects conducted by individuals, organizations, and business since its inception in 1998. Sheirer was one of 70 individuals and organizations honored for the years 2005 and 2006 at the June 5 ceremony. Other Green Circle Award recipients included ESPN, Greenwich Hospital, the Simsbury Land Trust, and the Highland Lake Watershed Association. For more information on the Green Circle Award program, visit the DEP website at www.dep.state.ct.us.