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11/23/2016 07:30 AMEver since Mike “Gamby” Gamberdella was young, he has loved the outdoors, especially hiking and camping. When his oldest son Michael was 8, he joined Boy Scouts and Mike immediately got involved.
“I always loved to hike and camp and that’s what Boy Scouts is all about,” says Mike. “I enjoy working with young kids and as a leader, hopefully you set good moral values, judgment, and demonstrate leadership skills to the youth.”
Mike’s oldest son is now 28 and Mike is still involved in Boy Scouts. Both of his sons, Michael and David, earned their Eagle Scout rank and Mike is very proud of that. Michael is now a leader alongside his father, working with Troop 401.
Troop 401 meets every Thursday at the Old Stone Church from September to June. The troop has about 35 boys ages 10 to 18. While there are no meetings in the summer, that is Mike’s favorite time as a Boy Scout leader as his troop hikes 50 miles of the Appalachian Trail each summer to earn the 50-miler badge. It also travels to Lake St. George in Maine for a week-long summer camp with scouts from that area.
“We meet boys from Liberty and Belfast, Maine, and the adult leaders work on various badges,” says Mike. “We learn from each other. We learn that not everything is done the way we do it in Connecticut and they have a different way of looking at things. It’s an interesting blend.”
While his son David doesn’t live close enough to participate in the troop activities, they still share a love for the outdoors. Every year for Father’s Day, his sons take him on a “surprise adventure” of kayaking, canoeing, or hiking. He is also helping David and his fiancé Kristin convert a school bus into a camper.
“They plan to take a year off from work to travel the U.S.,” says Mike. “We all share a love of the outdoors and that is very valuable and gives us a common bond.”
Mike, who is a New York Yankees and New York Giants fan, was not only involved in his sons’ Boy Scout troops. He also coached them in baseball through Foxon Recreation League and recalls them both playing for the same team in 2000 that went undefeated and won the championship.
In addition to sports and the outdoors, Mike also enjoys music, “everything from Jack Johnson to Led Zeppelin.” He and his girlfriend Lisa are “Parrot Heads” and enjoy tailgating with friends every year before seeing Jimmy Buffett in concert. This summer, David and Kristin will join them.
Much of Mike’s work with Troop 401 is with the older scouts, teaching the “Pioneering” badge, which involves learning knots, making rope out of twine, and completing a project. This year the group built a drawbridge out of tree branches, lashings, and pulleys.
He also has seen many Eagle Scout projects developed over the years. In 2006, Justin Richardson chose to do a project at the Shoreline Greenway Trail. Once Mike found out what that was, he immediately got involved.
“I thought it was a great endeavor,” says Mike, who is the head of trail development in East Haven. “We’ve had some setbacks, but we just finished the final trail through Farm River State Park.”
Over the years, there have been four Eagle Scout projects focused on Farm River State Park with Troop 401 blazing the original trail through the area. Once complete, about three miles of the 25-mile trail from Lighthouse Point Park to Hammonasset State Park will go through East Haven.
“Our troop made it passable for pedestrians,” says Mike. “About five years later, we got funding and hired a professional trail-builder that widened the trail, put down bridges, and put down final topping of Stony Creek granite.”
As head of trail development, Mike also often works with the Boy Scouts on trail upkeep, cleanup, and maintenance. He likes how two of his passions have blended together for the betterment of his hometown.
“It promotes a healthy lifestyle right in your hometown,” says Mike. “Our general lifestyle is too focused indoors, so this encourages families to get out, hike and bike, and enjoy nature.”
Mike has found that taking a break by hiking or running in the woods is especially important to him as he works in computer support for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. He makes a point to spend time running or hiking every day and as he lives on the East Haven-North Haven line, he often goes to Peter’s Rock.
For Christmas in 2014, he received a Fitbit. Because he spends so much of his time on the computer, he created a spreadsheet to track his steps and tallied 5.7 million steps in 2015. This year, he is on pace to reach six million steps by New Year’s.
“It makes me more aware of my desk job and the importance of getting outside and exercising,” says Mike. “I have a high-stress job, so getting out and taking a break helps relieve stress and I make it a priority to do that every day.”