The dedication recognizes Ms. Shaw’s decades of work preserving Fairfield’s natural beauty, protecting the river systems, and inspiring generations of children to respect and cherish the environment. In the open space adjacent to the Mill River, Joy Shaw created the first trail to take students on their educational journey through the local floodplain. More than fifty years later, she is being recognized by naming a trail after her in that area. 

The Joy Shaw Trail will run from the Perry’s Mill Ponds Open Space parallel to Sturges Road down to the Mill Hollow Open Space. 

“This dedication celebrates not only Joy Shaw’s lifelong work on behalf of river conservation, but her legacy of courage and advocacy that shaped the Fairfield we know and love today,” said First Selectman Christine Vitale. “Joy serves as an example to all of us to take a stand to protect what we love, and proves that a single individual can be a powerful force for good in the world.”