Past Events
POSTPONED- Ceremonial Stonework Walk with Markham Starr
Time: 9:00 am-12:00ish pm
Place: Gungywamp, Groton, CT
Contact Email: education@lymelandtrust.org
Join us for a walk at Gungywamp in Groton CT to see ceremonial stonework left behind by the indigenous population that has inhabited New England for at least 12,000 years. Documentary photographer Markham Starr will lead the walk. Wear sturdy footwear and bring a walking stick for stability. Bring your own bottle of water or beverage.
Registration required. Email education@lymelandtrust.org
Park at 231 Gungywamp road, Groton, Ct at the abandoned Navy church Shepard of the Sea parking lot. Park in the lot right on the road – not the one down off the road. Note – it may also have signs that say Love Station Foundation – just look for the abandoned church.
Native Americans built several distinct types of structures in our area, ranging from cairns to stone serpent effigies, and these spiritual offerings remain standing in now long abandoned woods. While Native American stonework is widely recognized out west and to the south, New England’s stonework remains obscure, having blended back into the woods. We will walk about two miles.
Markham Starr is a documentary photographer concerned with the disappearing working cultures of New England. He is the author of a dozen books, providing glimpses into the lives of people such as commercial fishermen, farmers, and cannery workers, and has written about other subjects such as historic barns in Connecticut. His work has appeared in national magazines and is part of the permanent collection at the Library of Congress and other museums throughout New England.
Lymes Senior Center Take-a-Walk Wednesday with Wendy
Time: 9:30-11:30ish am
Place: Hartman Park, Gungy Rd. Lyme CT
Contact Email: cperkins@oldlyme-ct.gov
Presenter: Wendy Hill
The unique natural, historic and archeological features in Hartman Park make it a delight to explore. We will look for spring wildflowers. About 2.5 miles.
Directions: Meet at the Main Entrance parking lot about 1.5 miles north of the intersection of Gungy Rd, Beaver Brook Rd, and Grassy Hill Rd in Lyme. From the Old Lyme Hall’s Rd/Rte 156 traffic light, travel north on 156 for 6.6 miles. Turn right onto Beaver Brook Rd and travel 2.7 to left at intersection.
Reservations are required. Please email Caitlin Perkins at cperkins@oldlyme-ct.gov or call (860)434-1605 ext. 241. Free to Lyme’s Senior Center members. $5 for non-members.
On the 2nd Wednesday of each month (unless noted) the group will get together at various hiking areas in Lyme and Old Lyme. Hikes will be lead by Wendy Hill, Open Space Coordinator of Lyme and the Vice President of Lyme Land Trust. The walks are moderate, unless otherwise noted. Bring a water bottle and dress for the weather. Wear sturdy footwear and bring a hiking stick or pole if you would like. Everyone welcome. All hikes are 2.5 to 3 miles. Inclement weather cancels the walk.
Sponsored with the Lyme’s Senior Center.
Tuesday Trek: Roaring Brook Preserve
Date: Tue April 9, 2024Time: 9:00 am
Place: Roaring Brook Preserve, Day Hill Rd, Lyme CT
Contact Email: Jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org
Presenter: Jim Arrigoni
We’ll take a leisurely 0.7 mile hike through the Roaring Brook Preserve. We are going to enjoy the journey; bring your field guides and cameras. Meet at the entrance on Day Hill Rd. Park along the side of the road.
Contact: Jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org
View the Tuesday Trek Schedule
FULL – Solar Eclipse Experience
Date: Mon April 8, 2024Time: 2:30- 4:00pm
Place: LLT Barn and Banning wood Preserve, Town St, Lyme CT
Contact Email: education@lymelandtrust.org
This program is full. Please email education@lymelandtrust.org to be placed on the wait list.
Join Wendy Hill and Kristina White, for an informational session and walk to experience the solar eclipse in Lyme. Even though we aren’t in the path for the total eclipse, the sun here will be 90% covered. We will start in the LLT barn and then move into the Banningwood Preserve to see the eclipse which peaks at 3:27 pm. Eclipse safety glasses will be provided. We will also each create our own camera obscura to safely observe the eclipse.
Meet at the LLT barn, 12-1 Town Street, Lyme CT
Program is full. Register for wait list in case of cancellation: education@lymelandtrust.org
Wendy is the Town of Lyme Open Space Coordinator and LLT Vice President. Kristina is the LLT Executive Director.
In Search of Spring Amphibians with Jim Arrigoni
Time: 10:00 am-noon
Place: Selden Creek Preserve, Joshuatown Rd, Lyme CT
Contact Email: education@lymelandtrust.org
Join LLT environmental director Jim Arrigoni and amphibian expert on a stroll through the varied terrain of Selden Creek Preserve. We’ll look at the landscape though the perspective of different species of frogs and salamanders, highlighting different habitats and features that are critical to the survival of these often overlooked wildlife. We will explore vernal pool wetlands, breeding sites for Wood Frogs and Spotted Salamanders, which will be in full flourish, teeming with amphibian egg masses and maybe even early tadpoles. American Toads, Red-spotted Newts, and Spring Peepers are other species we may encounter.
He will also demonstrate how you can contribute to science by sharing your amphibian observations on iNaturalist by joining the Wild Lyme Project.
Space is limited. Register: jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org
This is a follow-up to an amphibian slide show on April 4. Attendance at the slide show is not required to attend the walk.
For more information on the slide show.
Amphibians – Frogs, Toads and Salamanders – Talk with Jim Arrigoni
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: Lyme Public Hall, 249 Hamburg Rd, Lyme CT
Contact Email: education@lymelandtrust.org
Do you know how many species of frogs, toads, and salamanders call Lyme their home? Or what unique habitats they depend on for their survival? Or how they carry out their lives in our preserves and back yards? Why do frogs sing? Jim Arrigoni, Lyme Land Trust Environmental Director, will get you acquainted with charismatic species like Red-spotted Newts, Gray Tree Frogs, Marbled Salamanders, and Wood Frogs, and also demonstrate how you can contribute to science by sharing your amphibian observations with the Wild Lyme iNaturalist Project.
Register: jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org
There is a follow-up Amphibian Walk with Jim Arrigoni on Saturday, April 6. Space is limited. Registration is required. To learn more.
Tuesday Trek: Plimpton Preserve
Date: Tue April 2, 2024Time: 9:00 am
Place: Plimpton Preserve
Contact Email: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com
Presenter: Tony
A moderately strenuous 1.7-mile loop will take us to an overlook where we’ll enjoy views of Hamburg Cove and the Connecticut River. We’ll also “go back in time” as part of the trail overlaps with the long-abandoned Meetinghouse Hill Road. Park along Sterling City Road near Preserve entrance by the junction of Sterling City Road and Stone Post Road.
Contact: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com
View the Tuesday Trek Schedule
Imagining Lyme–Photo Submission Deadline – Winter
Time: midnight
Place: Submit photos to Imagining Lyme website
Contact Email: education@lymelandtrust.org
Submit up to three of you favorite photos to share. The Lyme Land Trust program Imagining Lyme: A Visual Exploration of Lyme’s Preserves encourages everyone to expand their visual awareness and highlight the beauty of the Lyme preserves owned by the Lyme Land Trust, the Town of Lyme and the Nature Conservancy by taking photographs prompted by inspiration from professional photographers and artists. Amateur photographers may submit photos. Photographers do not have to be residents of Lyme but all photos must be taken in Lyme in any of these places:
- Lyme Preserves owned and/or managed by the Lyme Land Trust, Town of Lyme, The Nature Conservancy, and the State of CT. View a map of the preserves
- Pollinator/wildlife habitat with native plants in Lyme – May be in a backyard, preserve or in a Lyme Pollinator Pathway garden in Lyme, CT.
- Trail 53 – The clear sky above Lyme.
For more information and to submit photos
Astronomy Observing Session
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Place: Trail 53 Observatory
Contact Email: astronomy@lymelandtrust.org
Young or old, experienced, or totally unfamiliar, we look forward to exposing you to our uniquely dark skies here in Lyme. We have several different telescopes that are on display including a 14″ Schmidt-Cassegrain housed in a permanent observatory.
Registration required. Upon registration you will receive a link to directions and observing session guidelines.
For more information and to register: Astronomy Events
iNaturalist 101 – Connect with Nature
Time: 7:00- 8:00 pm
Place: Lyme Land Trust Barn, 12-1 Town Street, Lyme, CT
Contact Email: jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org
Want to know what you are seeing in nature? Want to contribute to citizen science by joining the Wild Lyme Biodiversity Project? With a photograph and a few taps on your smartphone, you, too, can follow in the footsteps of great biologists like Charles Darwin by identifying different species and sharing your observations with the scientific and conservation communities. Join Jim Arrigoni, Lyme Land Trust (LLT) environmental director ad team member of the Lyme Pollinator Pathway, for this informative program.
Learn how to use iNaturalist on your smartphone or computer and learn more about the world of plants, insects, mushrooms, birds, and trees that are all around us. This 1-hour workshop will show you how to use the app on your smartphone and desktop computer, what the best practices are for entering photos, and add hands-on practice.
Join the Wild Lyme Biodiversity project on iNaturalist and contribute to the study of the variety of life on all of the Lyme preserves owned by LLT, the Town of Lyme and The Nature Conservancy. We’ll show you how to join the project on the app, what you can contribute, and what you can learn about Lyme and the surrounding areas.
iNaturalist app is a free app that can be downloaded on both iPhone and android. We ask that you download the app on your smartphone and set up an account before coming to the workshop, or come at 6:30 pm for help to download the app.
Reservations required. Jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org
Follow iNaturalist on Instagram and see a fantastic nature photo from around the world.
For the web version of iNaturalist.
Co-sponsored with Lyme Pollinator Pathway
