Past Events
Gardening with Birds in Mind-Lyme Forest Block Project Series
Date: Thu February 21, 2019Time: 6:30-8:00 pm
Place: Cragin Memorial Library, 8 Linwood Avenue, Colchester, CT
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Presenter: Audubon CT, Lyme Land Trust, and Town of Lyme and regional land trusts
Join Ellen Falbowski for a riveting presentation on best gardening practices for birds and beauty! You don’t want to miss Ellen’s award-winning photography. Snacks provided!
This free event is part of a Bird Walk Series offered by the Lyme Forest Block Conservation Project—an initiative launched by Audubon Connecticut, in partnership with the Town of Lyme and the Lyme Land Trust, the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee, The Nature Conservancy, and other local land trusts, and municipalities. For a schedule of other events offered by the Lyme Forest Block Conservation Project.
Please fill out this RSVP form if you plan to attend this or any Lyme Forest Block presentation.
Chestnut Hill Volunteer Work Party
Date: Tue February 19, 2019Time: 10:00-11:55 am
Place: Chestnut Hill Preserve, Sterling Hill Road, Lyme
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Join us for a trail trimming and brush clean-up work party at Chestnut Hill Preserve in Lyme led by Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Open Space Coordinator and Land Trust Director. We have a chain sawyer. Volunteers are needed to help remove brush and to cut back saplings that are encroaching on the orange trail. Bring along heavy-duty gloves, clippers, loppers, and light-weight rakes. Don’t forget ear protection and a bottle of water. A snack will be provided.
The event will be cancelled for inclement weather or icy conditions.
Directions: Rt. 156 to Sterling City Road (either by Tiffany Farm or the Hamburg Fairgrounds). Go about 1 mile. Turn onto Sterling Hill Road. Chestnut Hill entrance is about 0.5 mile on the right. Parking is along the side of the road.
Maple Syrup Presentation with Tom Worthley
Date: Sat February 16, 2019Time: 11 am
Place: NaturePlace at Banningwood Preserve, Town Street, Lyme
Contact Email: stewardship@lymelandtrust.org
Join us for an educational walk and presentation with UConn Forestry Assistant Extension Professor Tom Worthley, as he explains the process of tapping sugar maples, and producing syrup from the sap.
Please RSVP to stewardship@lymelandtrust.org with a way to reach you in case we need to reschedule.
Winter Fun at Diana’s Field
Date: Sat February 9, 2019Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Place: NaturePlace at Banningwood Preserve, Town Street, Lyme
Contact Email: stewardship@lymelandtrust.org
Join us for an afternoon of fun with Sarah Manstan, Lyme Land Trust’s NaturePlace intern, for family-friendly winter activities in Diana’s Field. Make an igloo with snow brick molds, roast a marshmallow over the fire, and make winter decorations from things found in nature. Snowman building is also encouraged! Weather pending. Please RSVP to stewardship@lymelandtrust.org with a way to reach you in case we need to reschedule.
For updates and to learn more about NaturePlace at Banningwood Preserve.
Groundhog Day Walk
Date: Sat February 2, 2019Time: 1:30-3:30ishpm
Place: Selden Creek Preserve Parking Lot, Joshuatown Road, Lyme
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Join us for a walk on Groundhog Day to look for signs of whether the the groundhog has seen his shadow, as well as evidence of other animals in the preserves. We will walk about three miles in the Selden Creek, Ravine Trail and Brockway-Hawthorne Preserves with an option to drop out halfway. First, we will hike about 1.5 miles to the impressive overlook above Selden Creek and back to the Joshuatown Road parking area. For those who wish to continue, we will walk another 1.5 mile loop in the Ravine Trail and the Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve. There are a few moderate hills. Everyone is welcome.
The walk will be led by Wendolyn Hill, Open Space Coordinator of the Town of Lyme and Lyme Land Trust Board member. Meet at the Selden Creek Preserve Parking lot on Joshuatown Road in Lyme. The parking area is on the left about 4 miles from Rte 156.
Inclement weather cancels. Wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for possible slippery areas. Bring a bottle of water. A snack will be provided.
Registration is appreciated: openspace@townlyme.org
Trailblazer Walk – Thach Preserve
Date: Tue January 29, 2019Time: 10:00-11:30 am
Place: Thach Preserve, 131 Brush Hill Road, Lyme
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
photo by Sue Cope
Join us for a walk at the Lyme Land Trust’s beautiful new Thach Preserve, led by Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust board member and Open Space Coordinator for the Town of Lyme. Highlights of the property are a bench on a rocky prominence, and a picnic table down below, with a view of a vibrant beaver pond. Bring your binoculars. The walk is about 1.5 mile.
Directions. The Preserve is at 131 Brush Hill Road, on the opposite side of the road of the Transfer Station. Pull in to the parking lot.
CANCELLED-Volunteer Work Party at Walbridge Woodlands
Date: Tue January 22, 2019Time: 10:00-11:30 am
Place: Meet at Hartman Entrance Park Parking Lot, Gungy Road, Lyme
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Cancelled due to weather conditions. We will reschedule.
Join us to work on cutting invasive plants at the newly released cedar grove at Walbridge Woodlands led by Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust board member and Open Space Coordinator for the Town of Lyme. Bring along heavy duty gloves and clippers and/or loppers. If you have a light-weight power pruner that you can carry along, that would be appreciated and helpful.
Rain Cancels.
The Hartman Park entrance parking lot is on Gungy Road about 1.5 miles north of the 4-way stop signs at the intersection of Beaverbrook Road, Grassy Hill Road, and Gungy Road.
Photo by Wendolyn Hill: Work Party at Jewett Preserve
Birds Bring Benefits
Date: Wed January 16, 2019Time: 7 pm
Place: Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, 2 Library Lane, Old Lyme, 06371
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Presenter: Audubon CT, Lyme Land Trust, and Town of Lyme and regional land trusts
Join us for a presentation about the economic and ecological benefits of birds in the Lyme Forest Block Important Bird Area
Audubon Connecticut, in partnership with the Lyme Land Trust, Town of Lyme and regional land trusts, has launched a project in an Important Bird Area (IBA) called the “Lyme Forest Block” which spans forested habitat in 6 towns in southeastern CT. The goal of the project is to engage landowners in the IBA and teach them about forest birds and how to better manage their woodlands for birds. We invite the community to participate in a series of bird walks, presentations, workshops, and work days in each of the 6 towns over the next year with the hope that landowners will attend the events and learn about birds and habitat management through them.
For more information. Please fill out this RSVP form if you plan to attend this or any Lyme Forest Block presentation.
Tree Collective- Teen Steward Group Meet-up
Date: Sun January 13, 2019Time: 1:00-3:30pm
Place: Big Rock, 34 Tantumorantum Rd, Lyme
Contact Email: reganstacey@gmail.com
The Tree Collective is a program designed to engage young conservationists ages 14-18 in outdoor fun and education while working to maintain trails in our beautiful town of Lyme, CT. It is sponsored by the Lyme Land Trust, as part of the NaturePlace Education program, under the leadership of environmentalist/artist Regan Stacey, Lyme Land Trust board director. The January 13 meeting will be a meet-up at Big Rock, Regan’s Lyme studio, to discuss the program and plan activities through mid-June.
The group meets every 3rd Sunday early fall through June. Each month there will be a different topic and hike in a selected preserve. There will be guest speakers/guides, help with special reports/research projects, and field trips. Trail work will include maintaining trails, blazing new trails, and other builds. Bring tools for trail work such as heavy duty work gloves and loppers or clippers.
Please register by emailing Regan at reganstacey@gmail.com
Cancelled-Trailblazers walk-Chestnut Hill
Date: Tue January 8, 2019Time: 10:00-11:45 am
Place: Chestnut Hill, Sterling Hill Road, Lyme CT
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Presenter: Lyme Land Conservation Trust and Town of Lyme
This walk is cancelled due to weather.
Join us for this moderately easy walk in the woods. Everyone is welcome.
This week’s hike will explore Chestnut Hill Preserve and continue into Nehantic State Forest, led by Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust board member and Open Space Coordinator for the Town of Lyme. The hike is about 2.5 miles long. There is an option of a one-mile loop for those who wish to go for a shorter walk.
Inclement weather cancels.
Directions:We will meet at the entrance to the Preserve on Sterling Hill Road. Rt. 156 to Sterling City Road (either by Tiffany Farm or the Hamburg Fairgrounds). Go about 1 mile. Turn onto Sterling Hill Road. Chestnut Hill entrance is about 0.5 mile on the right. Parking is along the side of the road.
Photo: At Balanced Rock, by Wendolyn Hill
