New Observation Tower

Anyone who visited the Belwin Conservancy for our fall event on October 8 probably noticed that the observation tower next to the Education Center was gone. As we began a small restoration project on it this spring, we were dismayed to find that it needed extensive repairs and for safety reasons, it simply had to be closed.

It was a hard decision to close the tower, particularly since it too was celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The same dedicated volunteers who constructed the Education Center building and all the surrounding trails also built the tower between April and October 1971. The tower has since been a part of every visit to Belwin Outdoor Science from that first busload of students through this year. Closing the tower was an unfortunate necessity and we knew at the time we had to replace it right away. We immediately began planning a new tower and late this summer we removed the old tower and began work on the new one.

As of this writing a large concrete foundation has been poured, and supplies are arriving so that construction can progress into the winter months. The new tower will be almost identical in height, but with a different, more substantial design. Once complete, we hope this new tower will serve the next 40 years of Belwin visitors.