Public Hearing on Draft of the Lyme Plan of Conservation and Development 2015

Date: Mon December 14, 2015
Time: 7:30 pm
Place: Lyme Town Hall, 480 Hamburg Road, Lyme CT
Contact Email:
Presenter: Town of Lyme

At a meeting at the Town Hall, there will be an opportunity for public discussion and input concerning the Draft of the Lyme Plan of Conservation and Development 2015. The plan will be adopted pending public approval. The draft of the plan has been developed based upon the responses to a survey that was made available to residents of Lyme in 2014. To read the draft.

Warren Miller’s Chasing Shadows

Date: Wed December 9, 2015
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: Old Lyme High School Auditorium, 69 Lyme ST, Old Lyme CT
Contact Email: briangreenho@gmail.com
Presenter: Old Lyme Education Association

Come celebrate winter and enjoy a screening the newest Warren Miller Movie, Chasing Shadows. This spectacular ski film features todays top ski athletes heli skiing the worlds tallest peaks, shredding the deepest powder and performing aerial tricks that will leave you dizzy.

Come early to visit with the Lyme Land Conservation Trust at their informational table in the lobby.

Tickets are $10 and everyone who attends gets a free lift ticket to Sugarbush and the chance to enter in a raffle for other lift tickets and some cool new ski gear. More details here – http://www.skinet.com/warrenmiller/events/old-lyme-high-school-auditorium

Private Tour of the Samuel Smith House

Date: Tue December 1, 2015
Time: 10:00am
Place: Samuel Smith House, 82 Plants Dam Road, East Lyme, CT
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Presenter: Art Carlson, Friend of the Samuel Smith House

Join is for a private tour of the Samuel Smith House in East Lyme with Art Carlson of the Friends of the Samuel Smith House. The Town of East Lyme recently bought the house and 17 acres of property to preserve it as an historic property.  The house was built in 1695. The inhabitants through-out the years maintained the antique quality of the house and many of the original features remain unchanged. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

This summer, the East Lyme Historic Properties Commission received a grant from the State Historic Preservation Commission. The grant enabled archaeological excavation to study the many years of “living” that took place at the site. Art Carlson will talk about what was discovered.

Directions: Take Rte 156 to Bill Hill Road to Town Woods Road. At the end of Town Woods Road in Old Lyme, take a left onto Rte 1. Travel 2.4 miles to a right onto Plants Dam Road in East Lyme (just past the Rustic Cafe). The Samuel Smith House is about one mile down the road on the left.

Join is for a private tour of the Samuel Smith House in East Lyme with Art Carlson of the Friends of the Samuel Smith House. The Town of East Lyme recently bought the house and 17 acres of property to preserve it as an historic property.  The house was built in 1695. The inhabitants through-out the years maintained the antique quality of the house and many of the original features remain unchanged. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

This summer, the East Lyme Historic Properties Commission received a grant from the State Historic Preservation Commission. The grant enabled archaeological excavation to study the many years of “living” that took place at the site. Art Carlson will talk about what was discovered.

Directions: Take Rte 156 to Bill Hill Road to Town Woods Road. At the end of Town Woods Road in Old Lyme, take a left onto Rte 1. Travel 2.4 miles to a right onto Plants Dam Road in East Lyme (just past the Rustic Cafe). The Samuel Smith House is about one mile down the road on the left.

Post-Thanksgiving Sunday Hike – Hartman Park

Date: Sun November 29, 2015
Time: 1:00 - 3:30ish pm
Place: Meet at Hartman Park Parking Lot
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org

For those who want to work off turkey dinner and hike at a steady pace, Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust Board member, and Lyme open Space Coordinator, will lead a walk on the Red Trail in Hartman Park. This is a beautiful moderate trail that traverses diverse habitats and winds along craggy ridges strewn with boulders.

The entire walk is about 4 miles. It will take about 2.5 to 3 hours. We will take a short break halfway through. Bring a snack and something to drink.

Meet at the Parking Lot of Hartman Park on Gungy Road in Lyme.

Rain cancels.

Directions: Hartman Park is on Gungy Road about 1 mile north of the 4-way stop signs at the intersection of Beaverbrook Road, Grassy Hill Road, and Gungy Road.

Registration is appreciated: openspace@townlyme.org

For those who want to work off turkey dinner and hike at a steady pace, Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust Board member, and Lyme open Space Coordinator, will lead a walk on the Red Trail in Hartman Park. This is a beautiful moderate trail that traverses diverse habitats and winds along craggy ridges strewn with boulders.

The entire walk is about 4 miles. It will take about 2.5 to 3 hours. We will take a short break halfway through. Bring a snack and something to drink.

Meet at the Parking Lot of Hartman Park on Gungy Road in Lyme.

Rain cancels.

Directions: Hartman Park is on Gungy Road about 1 mile north of the 4-way stop signs at the intersection of Beaverbrook Road, Grassy Hill Road, and Gungy Road.

Registration is appreciated: openspace@townlyme.org

Preview of Documentary about Lyme and the Lyme Land Trust

Date: Fri November 20, 2015
Time: 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Place: Lyme Public Hall, 249 Hamburg Road, Lyme
Contact Email: rsvp@lymelandtrust.org

The Lyme Land Trust was recently selected as the subject for a PBS documentary on land conservation in a special town, our town of Lyme. It is part of a series entitled The Visionaries, hosted by actor Sam Waterson, which will be broadcast on over 100 PBS stations nationwide. Filming started last February, continued in April with a special visit with the students of Lyme Consolidated celebrating Earth Day and finished up in May at Tour de Lyme.

We want to show you, the members of the Lyme Land Conservation Trust, the pre-broadcast Directors’s Cut. There will be two showings, at 6:00 and 7:00 pm. Please email rsvp@lymelandtrust.org  to reserve a spot.

Many residents of Lyme appear, including Carolyn Bacdayan, Emily Bjornberg , Carol Dahlke, Ralph Eno, Fritz Gahagan, Lyndon Haviland, Tony Irving, Ralph Lewis, Parker Lord, John Pritchard, Penny Smyth, Jack Tiffany and the children and teachers of Lyme Consolidated School.

Please reserve your place at 6:00 or 7:00pm.
For additional information and reservations: rsvp@lymelandtrust.org

The Lyme Land Trust was recently selected as the subject for a PBS documentary on land conservation in a special town, our town of Lyme. It is part of a series entitled The Visionaries, hosted by actor Sam Waterson, which will be broadcast on over 100 PBS stations nationwide. Filming started last February, continued in April with a special visit with the students of Lyme Consolidated celebrating Earth Day and finished up in May at Tour de Lyme.

We want to show you, the members of the Lyme Land Conservation Trust, the pre-broadcast Directors’s Cut. There will be two showings, at 6:00 and 7:00 pm. Please email rsvp@lymelandtrust.org  to reserve a spot.

Many residents of Lyme appear, including Carolyn Bacdayan, Emily Bjornberg , Carol Dahlke, Ralph Eno, Fritz Gahagan, Lyndon Haviland, Tony Irving, Ralph Lewis, Parker Lord, John Pritchard, Penny Smyth, Jack Tiffany and the children and teachers of Lyme Consolidated School.

Please reserve your place at 6:00 or 7:00pm.
For additional information and reservations: rsvp@lymelandtrust.org

Trailblazer Walk- Banningwood Preserve

Date: Tue November 17, 2015
Time: 10 am
Place: Banningwood Preserve, Town Street (Rte. 82), Lyme
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org

Join us for a moderately easy walk at Banningwood Preserve on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 10 am. Everyone is welcome.

We will explore Banningwood Preserve led by Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust board member and Town of Lyme Open Space Coordinator. The hike is a about 2 miles. Banningwood is a beautiful preserve with meadows, mature forests, cedar groves, and dramatic rock outcroppings. Roaring Brook meanders through it. We will visit abandoned stone quarries. There are a few rocky areas so don’t forget to bring your walking stick!

Painting by Trenton Young, from the Paint-out in October 2014.

Rain cancels.

Directions: The Preserve parking area is less than 1/4 mile north of Hadlyme Four Corners on Town Street (Rte 82). Look for the sign. From Rt. 156 West (going north): At the end of Rte. 156, turn left onto Rte 82. At the flashing red stoplight (Hadlyme Four Corners), turn right to continue on Rte 82W (going north). The parking area is less than 1/4 mile on the right.

Join us for a moderately easy walk at Banningwood Preserve on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 10 am. Everyone is welcome.

We will explore Banningwood Preserve led by Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust board member and Town of Lyme Open Space Coordinator. The hike is a about 2 miles. Banningwood is a beautiful preserve with meadows, mature forests, cedar groves, and dramatic rock outcroppings. Roaring Brook meanders through it. We will visit abandoned stone quarries. There are a few rocky areas so don’t forget to bring your walking stick!

Painting by Trenton Young, from the Paint-out in October 2014.

Rain cancels.

Directions: The Preserve parking area is less than 1/4 mile north of Hadlyme Four Corners on Town Street (Rte 82). Look for the sign. From Rt. 156 West (going north): At the end of Rte. 156, turn left onto Rte 82. At the flashing red stoplight (Hadlyme Four Corners), turn right to continue on Rte 82W (going north). The parking area is less than 1/4 mile on the right.

Red Sunday Hike – Hartman Park

Date: Sun November 8, 2015
Time: 1:00 - 3:30ish pm
Place: Meet at Hartman Park Parking Lot
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org

For those who want to hike at a steady pace, Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust Board member, and Lyme open Space Coordinator, will lead a walk on the Red Trail in Hartman Park. This is a beautiful moderate trail that winds along craggy ridges strewn with boulders. The route will follow a portion of the Goodwin Trail.

The Goodwin Trail, overseen by the Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Coordinating Committee, is a an extended trail system crossing four towns: East Haddam, Salem, Lyme and East Lyme. In the future, the goal is to connect to other existing trail systems in surrounding towns.  Dr. Richard H. Goodwin (1911-2007) was president of the Nature Conservancy from 1956 to 1958 and again from 1964 to 1966. The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, was started in 1951, and Dr. Goodwin was one of its founders. Since then, it has protected 15 million acres of land in the United States and 102 million acres in 29 other countries.

The entire walk is about 4 miles. We will take a short break halfway through. Bring a snack and something to drink.

Meet at the Parking Lot of Hartman Park on Gungy Road in Lyme.

Rain cancels.

Directions: Hartman Park is on Gungy Road about 1 mile north of the 4-way stop signs at the intersection of Beaverbrook Road, Grassy Hill Road, and Gungy Road.

Registration is appreciated: openspace@townlyme.org

For those who want to hike at a steady pace, Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust Board member, and Lyme open Space Coordinator, will lead a walk on the Red Trail in Hartman Park. This is a beautiful moderate trail that winds along craggy ridges strewn with boulders. The route will follow a portion of the Goodwin Trail.

The Goodwin Trail, overseen by the Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Coordinating Committee, is a an extended trail system crossing four towns: East Haddam, Salem, Lyme and East Lyme. In the future, the goal is to connect to other existing trail systems in surrounding towns.  Dr. Richard H. Goodwin (1911-2007) was president of the Nature Conservancy from 1956 to 1958 and again from 1964 to 1966. The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, was started in 1951, and Dr. Goodwin was one of its founders. Since then, it has protected 15 million acres of land in the United States and 102 million acres in 29 other countries.

The entire walk is about 4 miles. We will take a short break halfway through. Bring a snack and something to drink.

Meet at the Parking Lot of Hartman Park on Gungy Road in Lyme.

Rain cancels.

Directions: Hartman Park is on Gungy Road about 1 mile north of the 4-way stop signs at the intersection of Beaverbrook Road, Grassy Hill Road, and Gungy Road.

Registration is appreciated: openspace@townlyme.org

Trailblazers – Walk at Selden Creek Preserve

Date: Tue November 3, 2015
Time: 9:30 am
Place: Selden Creek Preserve, Joshuatown Road, Lyme
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org

Join us for this moderately easy (a few hills) walk in the woods. We will walk to an impressive overlook of Selden Creek and marshes with the CT River in the background. Everyone is welcome.

This week’s hike will explore the Selden Creek Preserve led by Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust board member and Open Space Coordinator for the Town of Lyme. The hike is about 2 miles long with an option to walk longer. We will meet at the Selden Creek Preserve entrance on Joshuatown Road in Lyme.

Rain Cancels.

Directions: Rte 156 North to left on Joshuatown Road (about 5 miles from I-95); travel about 4 miles to park entrance on the left.

photo by Wendolyn Hill

Join us for this moderately easy (a few hills) walk in the woods. We will walk to an impressive overlook of Selden Creek and marshes with the CT River in the background. Everyone is welcome.

This week’s hike will explore the Selden Creek Preserve led by Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust board member and Open Space Coordinator for the Town of Lyme. The hike is about 2 miles long with an option to walk longer. We will meet at the Selden Creek Preserve entrance on Joshuatown Road in Lyme.

Rain Cancels.

Directions: Rte 156 North to left on Joshuatown Road (about 5 miles from I-95); travel about 4 miles to park entrance on the left.

photo by Wendolyn Hill

Nature and Culture at Mt. Archer Woods – Talk and Walk

Date: Sat October 24, 2015
Time: 10 am to noon
Place: Meet at Mt Archer Woods parking lot on Mt Archer Road
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org

Enjoy a beautiful walk in the fall foliage led by Brantley Buerger, Lyme Land Trust board member and steward of Mt. Archer Woods As we walk, he will talk about the fascinating flora, fauna and history of Mt. Archer Woods. Along the way, we will visit the ruins of a colonial farm and learn about the crash of a WWII enemy airplane.

The walk is moderately easy, family friendly and will take about 2 hours.

Rain date: Sunday, October 25 at 10:00 am

Directions: Rt. 156 north to Mt. Archer Road. Left onto Mt Archer Road. Go one mile on Mt Archer Road (bear left up the big hill). The parking lot is down a long driveway on the left, the 4th long driveway after you start up the hill. Look for the stone post marker that has “Mt Archer Woods Town of Lyme” written on it. It faces the road, so you can’t read it until you are on top of it. (If you get to 100 Mt. Archer Road, you have gone too far).

Registration is appreciated: openspace@townlyme.org

Enjoy a beautiful walk in the fall foliage led by Brantley Buerger, Lyme Land Trust board member and steward of Mt. Archer Woods As we walk, he will talk about the fascinating flora, fauna and history of Mt. Archer Woods. Along the way, we will visit the ruins of a colonial farm and learn about the crash of a WWII enemy airplane.

The walk is moderately easy, family friendly and will take about 2 hours.

Rain date: Sunday, October 25 at 10:00 am

Directions: Rt. 156 north to Mt. Archer Road. Left onto Mt Archer Road. Go one mile on Mt Archer Road (bear left up the big hill). The parking lot is down a long driveway on the left, the 4th long driveway after you start up the hill. Look for the stone post marker that has “Mt Archer Woods Town of Lyme” written on it. It faces the road, so you can’t read it until you are on top of it. (If you get to 100 Mt. Archer Road, you have gone too far).

Registration is appreciated: openspace@townlyme.org

The Natural Beauty of Plum Island – Art Show Opening and Presentation on Preserving Plum Island for Future Generations

Date: Thu October 22, 2015
Time: 6:00 pm
Place: The Lyme Public Library, 482 Hamburg Rd, Lyme
Contact Email: info@lymelandtrust.org
Presenter: Chris Cryder, Save the Sound and Lyme Land Conservation Trust

6:00-7:00 pm: Opening Reception with Refreshments: Sea, Seals, Sunsets, and More: an exhibit of paintings of Plum Island by John Sargent. 

7:00 pm: Presentation: Chris Cryder, Special Projects Coordinator for Save the Sound, will present a “virtual tour” of Plum Island and discuss Preserving Plum Island for Future Generations using new imagery taken by photographer Robert Lorenz.

John Sargent’s paintings will be displayed from October 2 to October 27 at the Lyme Public Library. John Sargent and his family are lovers of the natural world who were instrumental in the acquisition of  the Lyme Land Trust’s Walbridge Woods Preserve.

Plum Island lies just 7 miles off Connecticut’s coast in eastern Long Island Sound. It is home to the nation’s foreign animal disease center, as well as several endangered species and unique habitats, and is soon to be sold to the highest bidder.  But, many organizations would rather see the amazing island conserved.  Come learn about current efforts to protect it.

Save the Sound is a bi-state program of CT Fund for the Environment, based in New Haven, CT. Chris Cryder has been working for Save the Sound for the past 8 years, and is currently the outreach coordinator for the Preserve Plum Island Coalition.

 Photo credit: Robert Lorenz

 

6:00-7:00 pm: Opening Reception with Refreshments: Sea, Seals, Sunsets, and More: an exhibit of paintings of Plum Island by John Sargent. 

7:00 pm: Presentation: Chris Cryder, Special Projects Coordinator for Save the Sound, will present a “virtual tour” of Plum Island and discuss Preserving Plum Island for Future Generations using new imagery taken by photographer Robert Lorenz.

John Sargent’s paintings will be displayed from October 2 to October 27 at the Lyme Public Library. John Sargent and his family are lovers of the natural world who were instrumental in the acquisition of  the Lyme Land Trust’s Walbridge Woods Preserve.

Plum Island lies just 7 miles off Connecticut’s coast in eastern Long Island Sound. It is home to the nation’s foreign animal disease center, as well as several endangered species and unique habitats, and is soon to be sold to the highest bidder.  But, many organizations would rather see the amazing island conserved.  Come learn about current efforts to protect it.

Save the Sound is a bi-state program of CT Fund for the Environment, based in New Haven, CT. Chris Cryder has been working for Save the Sound for the past 8 years, and is currently the outreach coordinator for the Preserve Plum Island Coalition.

 Photo credit: Robert Lorenz