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Nature Outings Blossom in the Warmer Weather

Nature Outings Blossom in the Warmer Weather
Area land trusts will do presentations and walks in the coming weeks to showcase some of their hiking trails, such as this one on the Sharon Land Trust’s D’Alton Preserve, which is expected to open to the public on June 5. 
Photo by Jonathan Doster

Tristate region land trusts and nature conservancies are coming back to life, and offering outdoor experiences.

In Cornwall, Conn., the  Cornwall Conservation Trust is hosting a bike and hike on Sunday, April 25, beginning at  9:30 a.m. at the Cornwall Library, 30 Pine St.

The outing promises a “(relatively) easy 11-mile bicycle ride,” with stops to hike at the Trust’s Ballyhack Preserve, Welles Preserve and Cathedral Pines Preserve. 

Each hike is about a mile and will take about 40 minutes. Participants are asked to be sure their bicycle is in working order; everyone must wear a bicycle helmet, and a face mask for the hiking portions of the day.

The event will be limited to the first 15 riders who register, because of COVID-19 restrictions. Bicycles will be guarded during the walks. Weather updates will be posted on the Trust’s website. 

To reserve a spot, register with your name and phone number to event@cornwallconservationtrust.org. For more information, for the cycling route and for trail maps and details on the hikes, go to www.cornwallconservationtrust.org.

An indoor (on Zoom) event about getting outdoors will be hosted on Tuesday, April 27, at 7 p.m. by the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon, Conn., and will be a conversation about the trails of the Sharon Land Trust. 

Land Trust Executive Director Maria Grace will talk with Holly Nelson about the trails and preserves that are owned or managed by the Trust and are open to the public for hiking and other passive recreation.

The Trust owns more than 1,400 acres and holds conservation easements over an additional 1,800, much of which is still in agriculture. They have created nine preserves, with the express purpose of inviting the public to enjoy the landscape, with more than 15 miles of trails that have been blazed through fields, forests and along unique and sometimes rare habitats.  Some trails cross through several of the Trust’s holdings, showing the variety of lands within an easy walk. Grace will offer a guided tour to the Trust’s properties in the talk.

To register for the talk go to www.hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org/event/hike.

In Falls Village, Conn., environmental educator Shamu Sadeh from the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center will lead an in-person walk on Saturday, May 1, at 2 p.m. to explore the springtime forest.

Hosted by the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village, the walk will take place on the grounds of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, which has more than 400 acres of woods. Sadeh will point out and teach about wildflowers, edible plants and forest ecology. 

This program will be limited to 20 participants. Registration, masks and social distancing will be required. To register and receive the meet-up spot, call the library at 860-824-7424 or go to www.HuntLibrary.org or the library’s Facebook page.

To learn more about our area land trusts and the wealth of outdoor opportunities they provide, look for our Towns and Villages special focusing on land trusts, in our issue of May 20.

Lakeville Journal

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