Haunted HEEP is back on campus. Run by the University of Connecticut’s Office of Sustainability (OS), the annual Halloween trail walk will return on Oct. 23, running from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The trail will be taking place at the Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP) and will feature “terrifying scenes,” as described by the OS Instagram.
“Students can expect one of UConn’s spookiest and most fun traditions – walking into the dark woods at night, exploring the creepy scenes set up, and getting scared by our talented volunteer scare-ers!” said Amogh Chaubey, a seventh-semester student who is an intern at the OS and the event manager of the Haunted HEEP.
The Haunted HEEP event is designed to allow students to engage with nature in a creative way to increase sustainability on campus.
“The HEEP is closely tied to UConn’s sustainability history,” states the OS website. “It contains a remediated landfill and provides miles of trails for the community to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of nature.”
The HEEP relies on volunteers to scare attendees, and student organizations can sponsor different scare stations on the trail. This year, these organizations include the EcoHouse, the Outing Club and the UConn Department of Finance, according to the OS Instagram.
“While we are all set for volunteers this year, we encourage you or your club to come down and help scare people next year!” wrote Chaubey. “In the meantime, you should come attend and have a great time.”
Although the Haunted HEEP is both free and open to all—including non-UConn students—it does require a waiver, which can be found on the website for the Office of Sustainability. If an individual fills out the waiver prior to Oct. 21 and follows the OS Instagram account, they will be granted access to the VIP line, allowing them to skip the wait on the night of the Haunted HEEP.
“We want more students to experience and hike on [the HEEP trails], especially as the gorgeous fall colors are in full bloom,” said Chaubey. “The HEEP itself is living proof that we can create a more sustainable world.”
On its website, the Office of Sustainability describes itself as “building a sustainable campus and a greener future.” One of the ways it works towards this goal is by hosting educational engagement events, which include EcoMadness, Green Game Days and, of course, the Haunted HEEP trail walk.
“It’s a former landfill site that was remediated to preserve about 31 acres of wetlands and 33 acres of uplands,” explained Chaubey regarding the event location. “Not only do you get to experience the gorgeous hiking trails, but you’re also surrounded by the living history of what sustainability efforts can do. In terms of effects that have been seen, 98% of attendees from previous years said the event made them want to go hiking on the trails on their own!”
The OS website lists some of the benefits from hosting the yearly event, stating that it has “enhanced sustainability connections and community at UConn.” Beginning in 2020, the Haunted HEEP had over 700 attendees last year alone, 81% of whom “had never visited the HEEP before the event.”
The Haunted HEEP trail walk is about a mile long, located behind the Innovation Partnership Building. Check-in starts at 7 p.m. at the Trailhead Parking Lot, and the first 100 students to exit the HEEP will receive a free T-shirt. Further information can be found in a post made by the Office of Sustainability.