Called a “hidden gem” among the collection of public parks and recreation spots in Springfield, Massachusetts, Venture Pond is getting some polish.
Surrounded by trees, Venture Pond is not visible from the nearby busy streets – Wilbraham Road and Plumtree Road – in Springfield’s Sixteen Acres neighborhood.
But some people have discovered the roughly 8-acre spring-fed tranquil body of water, said Colleen Moynihan, a neighborhood resident.
“It’s word-of-mouth,” said Moynihan.
One weekday afternoon over the summer, there were three kayakers on the pond and a couple of people standing on large rocks along the shoreline fishing for large-mouth bass, or blue gill.
Now an effort is taking place that could lift Venture Pond from relative obscurity and make it a more well-known destination for passive recreation.
A walking trail around the pond has been constructed using wood chips. Funded by the Community Preservation Act, the $107,000 project that was completed earlier this year included removal of nonnative invasive plants and installing a protective railing at points along the trail.
Next, there are plans to put in a platform for launching kayaks and a dock to fish from. Last month, the Springfield City Council appropriated $250,000 for that work. Again, the money will come from the CPA.
Campus Neighbors of Springfield along with the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation applied for the CPA money.
Moynihan, a member of Campus Neighbors, said the mission of the nonprofit is to improve the quality of life in Springfield neighborhoods and Venture Pond does that.
“Between just walking, just sitting, kayaking, fishing … they’re being embraced,” Moynihan said.
Springfield Community Preservation Committee Chair Bob McCarroll said one of the goals of CPA is to increase water-based recreation.
“This clearly is that,” McCarroll said as he set out with others to walk on the new trail around Venture Pond. He noted the CPA has funded at least three other projects intended to boost water-related recreation.
If not for the CPA funding, the improvements to Venture Pond would likely not be happening, said Springfield Parks Director Pat Sullivan.
“It’s a hidden gem,” Sullivan said about Venture Pond.
“We’re so grateful to the Campus Neighbors led by Colleen Moynihan who led the charge with the CPA application to do this work. If it wasn’t for CPA, we just won’t get to a project like this because there are just so many resources.”
Along with funding phase two of the Venture Pond work, the City Council approved 15 more projects across the city recommended by the CPA committee for a total of $2.7 million
