Well…it depends what you mean by ‘work!’
The orange T-shirted folks you see trekking around the Giant on a Sunday morning or leading hikes on a Sunday afternoon are not collecting wages from the State, as park personnel do. Our efforts are rewarded only by the knowledge that we help protect and preserve this random geologic feature, known for generations The Sleeping Giant.
Who’s who? What IS the difference between the Sleeping Giant Park Association and the State Park staff? Although we work together for the Park, we are not the same at all.
The park staff works for the State of Connecticut DEEP and is under their jurisdiction to:
- manage the Park as a whole
- maintain the parking and picnic areas, the Tower, and the Tower Path
- enforce State regulations and execute State initiatives
- ensure the safety of Park visitors
- support the State’s efforts towards conservation and protection of our natural resources
- integrate Sleeping Giant State Park into the statewide system of “lands and resources [acquired] … to meet the outdoor recreation needs of the public.” (DEEP website)
SGPA is an all-volunteer organization that was incorporated in 1924 in order to:
- receive, acquire, preserve, develop, and maintain land … on or in the vicinity of Mount Carmel (also known as Sleeping Giant) … for use as a park…
- cooperate with the State of Connecticut to bring the property under public ownership and control
- perpetuate the tradition of Mt. Carmel as an historic landmark, and to save it from destruction
- preserve/develop for the public an exceptional field for geological, botanical, and scientific study.
In fulfilling our mission, the SGPA volunteers
- maintain a Board of Directors who meet periodically throughout the year to plan
- meet annually with the membership to hold elections, report on activities, and solicit input
- publish The Giant News reporting on items of historical, scientific, and recreational interest
- update the maps and guides (Nature Trail and Geology) made available for all park visitors
- offer items related to the Sleeping Giant for sale in its Trading Post to help support projects
- organize and lead the Hiking Program (14 hikes annually), open to the public free of charge
- meet weekly to remove trash, clear blow-downs, remove trail hazards, and refresh trail blazes
- marshal groups of individuals to remove/eradicate invasive species
- provide support for visiting school groups
- mentor community service and Eagle Scout projects for trail improvement
- speak about the Giant’s history and activities to the local organizations and at local venues.
Together we create the best “Park experience” we can, for you, your friends, and your families.
Go! “Take a Giant Hike!” Enjoy!
