Past Events
CANCELLED-Tuesday Trek: Goodwin Trail Section
Time: 9:30 -11:30ish am
Place: Goodwin Trail parking lot, Gungy Rd, Lyme CT
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Presenter: Wendy Hill
CANCELLED–Goodwin Trail section from Gungy Rd through Darling Preserve, Salem, and back. We will visit a giant oak tree. About 2.5 miles. Meet at Goodwin Trail parking, ¾ mile above the main entrance to Hartman Park on the west side of Gungy Rd, Lyme.
Reserve a spot: openspace@townlyme.org
View the Tuesday Trek Schedule
Join us for a refreshing morning walk on a Lyme preserve led by a board or staff member of the Lyme Land Trust. The leaders will alternate each week between Sue Cope, Wendy Hill, and Kristina White with Brady, canine guide. The walks are moderately easy unless noted. Bring a water bottle and dress for the weather.
Reservations are required. Contact walk leader to reserve.
Inclement weather cancels.
New Year’s Day 2022 Hike with a Lyme Land Trust Board or Staff Member
Time: Various times
Place: 6 different locations
Contact Email: education@lymelandtrust.org
Start the New Year off with a refreshing hike in the Lyme woods. The Lyme Land Trust is offering several small group walks. Register with the walk leader for the time and location you prefer. Space limited. You may sign up for more than one walk if space and time permits.
- 10:00 am to 12:30ish: Pleasant Valley Preserve with Tony Irving. Notice glacial geology and its effect on colonial agricultural practices on a 3.5-mile walk with a long gentle incline to a spectacular overlook. Meet at pull-in parking lot, MacIntosh Rd., Lyme.
Register: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com - 11:00 am to 12:30ish: Selden Creek Preserve with Lynn Richmond. Hike to beautiful overlook vistas of Selden Creek and surrounding marshlands. White to orange to blue and back. 2 plus miles. Meet at Selden Preserve parking lot on Joshuatown Rd., Lyme.
Register: lrichmon121@icloud.com - 12:00 to 2:00ish pm: Walbridge/Young Preserves with Scott and Denise Gravatt and their dog, Toby. Hike about 3 miles on beautiful trails with dramatic rock outcrops. Friendly dogs are welcome. Meet at Hartman Park main entrance parking area, Gungy Rd., Lyme.
Register: s.gravatt@comcast.net - 1:00 to 3:30ish pm: Jewett/Johnston Preserves with Kristina White and dog, Brady. View the spectacular vistas from Jewett red trail to Johnston white trail to blue trail, and back via Jewett red trail. About 4 miles. Strenuous pace hike. Park at Jewett cemetery parking lot, Mt. Archer Road, Lyme.
Register: Kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org - POSTPONED to January 8–1:30 to 3:00ish pm: Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve with John Pritchard. White trail to orange to purple, yellow and back through various habitats and past an old abandoned quarry. About 2 miles. Meet at Brockway-Hawthorne parking lot, Brush Hill Rd., Lyme.
Register: johnfpritchard43@gmail.com - 1:30 to 3:30ish pm: Gillette Castle State Park with Wendy Hill. We will take the gentle climb along the walkway to the castle. At the top, we will follow the train trail with beautiful views of the Connecticut River, including a train tunnel. About 2 miles. Meet at the Hadlyme Ferry Parking lot, Ferry Rd., Lyme.
Register: education@lymelandtrust.org
For more information about the preserves and directions.
Walks are moderate to moderately easy unless noted. Everyone is welcome. Times are approximate. Allow extra time. Bring a bottle of water. Inclement weather cancels. Check for updates on the LLT website.
Ongoing–Three Family Walks with Magical Hunts
Time: DIY
Place: Honey Hill Preserve, Clark Rd. Pleasant Valley Preserve, MacIntosh Rd, and Hartman Park, Gungy Rd., Lyme CT
Contact Email: sue.cope@lymelandtrust.org
1.BABY ANIMAL SEARCH: Visit Honey Hill Preserve on your own for a baby wildlife figurine hunt. Follow the dots on the map to find the small approximately 2-inch figurines. Use a pen or pencil to connect the red dots to make an X. The owl will be found in the location indicated by the center of the X.
Download the Baby Animal Search Map with figurine locations and directions to the preserve. View photos in our gallery.
2. GNOME HUNT: Visit Pleasant Valley Preserve on your own. Follow the dots on the map to find the four gnomes. Use a pen or pencil to connect the dots to make an X. The sleepy bear will be found in the location indicated by the center of the X.
Download the Gnome Hunt Map with gnome locations, instructions, and directions to the preserve.
3. FAERY QUEST: Visit Hartman Park on your own. Follow the dots on the map to find the four Faeries. Use a pen or pencil to connect the dots to make an X. The sleepy bear will be found in the location indicated by the center of the X.
Download the Faery Quest Map with Faery locations, instructions and directions to the preserve.
Please don’t remove the objects. Take photos! We’d love to see them. Email them to: sue.cope@lymelandtrust.org. Everyone is welcome. The hunt will be available indefinitely. View photos in our gallery.
This was an offering for the Lyme Youth Service Bureau UNPLUGGED ! LYSB Screen-free Weekend in Lyme/Old Lyme March 6&7 2021. For more regional offerings.
Tuesday Trek: Pleasant Valley Preserve
Time: 9:30 am -11:30ish am
Place: Pleasant Valley Preserve, MacIntosh Rd, Lyme CT
Contact Email: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com
Presenter: Tony Irving
Pleasant Valley Preserve. Meet at McIntosh Rd. Parking area. Walk and talk as to the effects of glacial processes on historic land use.
To reserve a space: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com
View the Tuesday Trek Schedule
Join us for a refreshing morning walk on a Lyme preserve led by a board or staff member of the Lyme Land Trust. The leaders will alternate each week between Sue Cope, Wendy Hill, Tony Irving, and Kristina White with Brady, canine guide. The walks are moderately easy unless noted. Bring a water bottle and dress for the weather.
Reservations are required. Contact walk leader to reserve.
Inclement weather cancels.
WINTER SOLSTICE LUMINARY WALK – Sold out
Time: 4:00-5:30 pm
Place: Banningwood Preserve. 19 Town St., Lyme CT
Contact Email: regan@reganstacey.com
Sold out
Renew your connection with yourself and the Earth as we tap into nature’s rhythms and the four elements of earth, fire, water, and air on a guided meditative walk. A small closing ceremony will take place at the water’s edge as we then prepare for our return walk along the illuminated path.
A restorative time of year, the winter solstice marks a solar turning point, where the darkest day turns the corner to renewed light and we welcome the season of winter—a rebirth of the sun.
The walk is less than one mile over easy to moderate terrain.
To register click here. Donations welcome.
Regan Stacey is an artist and environmentalist whose passion is to reconnect humans to nature for the betterment of themselves, their communities, and our beautiful planet, Earth. Through her private practice, she offers forest bathing walks, spiritual life coaching, and mindfulness training. She is also co-founder of The Forest Therapy School, training forest therapy guides to share this work around the world. Find out more about her work at reganstacey.com
Tuesday Trek: Thach Preserve
Time: 9:30 am -11:30ish am
Place: Thach Preserve, 131 Brush Hill Rd. Lyme Ct
Contact Email: sue.cope@lymelandtrust.org
Presenter: Sue Cope
Thach Preserve. Meet at the parking lot, 131 Brush Hill Rd. Easy 1-mile walk. Highlights include an active beaver pond, fascinating glacial erratics and a freshwater creek.
To reserve a space: sue.cope@lymelandtrust.org
View the Tuesday Trek Schedule
Join us for a refreshing morning walk on a Lyme preserve led by a board or staff member of the Lyme Land Trust. The leaders will alternate each week between Sue Cope, Wendy Hill, Tony Irving, and Kristina White with Brady, canine guide. The walks are moderately easy unless noted. Bring a water bottle and dress for the weather.
Reservations are required. Contact walk leader to reserve.
Inclement weather cancels.
Hiking Club for Middle Schoolers
Time: 1:30-3:00 pm
Place: Mt. Archer Woods, Mt. Archer Rd., Lyme CT
Contact Email: reganstacey@gmail.com
You are welcome to join our group for middle school-aged children. Come hike the trails! Every month the hike will be an adventure to explore the natural world. It meets the second Saturday of each month in a different preserve.
The club is organized by volunteer Regan Stacey, who has children in the LOL school district.
Environmentalist/artist Regan Stacey currently runs the Tree Collective, a Lyme Land Trust program for teens. She owns Awaken the Forest Within, a mindfulness-based practice that helps [re]connect people to nature for the betterment of themselves and the earth.
POSTPONED to December 17–Work Party to Create a Stone Walkway at Johnston Preserve
Time: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Place: Meet at Johnston Preserve parking lot, Rte. 82, Lyme, CT
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Please join us to help build a raised trail at Johnston Preserve. We are looking for strong people with good backs. Please join us to create a stepping-stone walkway in a seasonally wet area of Johnston Preserve. Work will be directed by stonemason Ben Kegley.
If there is enough interest, we may also tackle a few less strenuous jobs– a reroute of a small section of trail, and invasives removal.
Please bring good work gloves, good boots, and your own water. We will provide a snack.
For the trail reroute and invasive tackling, we need one light weight chain saw, clippers, and small hand-saws. shovels.
Rain cancels.
Please email openspace@townlyme.org if you are planning to come.
Tuesday Trek: Walbridge Woodland and Young Preserve
Time: 9:30 am -11:30ish am
Place: Walbridge Woodland and Young Preserve, Gungy Rd., Lyme CT
Contact Email: Kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org
Presenter: Kristina White
Walbridge Woodland and Young Preserve–Park at Young Preserve entrance on Gungy Rd ( 1/2 mile north of the intersection with Beaver Brook Rd). A longer hike of over 3 miles that will take you on ridges, through laurel groves, old wood roads, and past stone outcroppings.
Contact: Kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org
View the Tuesday Trek Schedule
Join us for a refreshing morning walk on a Lyme preserve led by a board or staff member of the Lyme Land Trust. The leaders will alternate each week between Sue Cope, Wendy Hill, Tony Irving, and Kristina White with Brady, canine guide. The walks are moderately easy unless noted. Bring a water bottle and dress for the weather.
Reservations are required. Contact walk leader to reserve.
Inclement weather cancels.
Approaching Winter Astronomy Observing Session
Time: 6:00-7:30 pm
Place: Register to learn location
Contact Email: scott.mallory@gmail.com
Come join us at our Lyme dark sky site for an evening of observing the approaching winter night sky. Park in the designated area by 5:30 and walk to the observing field with its amazing panoramic views of the heavens. Dress for temperatures 10-20 degrees lower than forecast for your comfort. No white lights at the field site, please.
Reservations required. scott.mallory@gmail.com. Directions to the site and special guidance for those with heavy astronomy equipment will be provided upon registration.
For more information about the astronomy program
