Did you know the population of Eastern Bluebirds dramatically declined from the 1930s to 1980s, but humans across the country helped them stage an incredible comeback? Join us for this program presented by the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center

Come hear the story of the beautiful Eastern Bluebird and their remarkable recovery over the last 30-50 years.

Register: programreg@lymepl.org
or call 860 434-2272

Much of the bluebird’s success is due to the work of citizen scientists building, installing and monitoring bluebird boxes. If you’re inspired to help bluebirds in this way after this talk, you’re welcome to join our Bluebird Project sponsored by the Lyme Land Trust and Lyme Pollinator Pathway! We will have a follow-up workshop to build birdhouses. Stay tuned. Our bluebird volunteers will make at least 2 birdhouses, one for a preserve and one for their backyard.  It’s free with all materials supplied. All you have to do is pledge to take care of bluebird box(es) in a preserve(s). It’s a great activity for a solo meadow hike or to do with family and friends. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to help support our bluebird populations!

Co-sponsored with Lyme Pollinator Pathway

On Town Woods Road – walk through laurel groves and up and over ridges in an often overlooked part of the State forest. Park in lot across from 58-4 Town woods Rd. 2-3 miles

Register: kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org

View the Tuesday Trek Schedule

A portion of the Patrell Preserve is in Lyme and part in East Haddam. There is a 0.3 mile  ADA compliant blacktop path leading from the parking lot to a foot bridge over the Eightmile River. Depending upon group, we will walk the fairly easy 1-mile red dirt trail loop which follows three thousand feet along the Eightmile River and has interesting geological features. 

Directions: Take 156 to Baker Lane in Lyme, about 7.7 miles north of Halls Road/Rte 156 traffic light in Old Lyme. Go 0.5 miles. Turn left into Chapel Farm Preserve parking lot, 11 Baker Lane, East Haddam. 

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 3rd 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 easy, fairly flat dirt paths with some uneven footing, unless noted. Gentle pace. About 1 mile. Bring a walking stick, water bottle and dress for the weather. Inclement weather cancels.

Sponsored with the Lyme’s Senior Center.

Learn about the wonders of spring bird migration.

Click on flyer to enlarge.

Register: programreg@lymepl.org
or call 860 434-2272

Sponsored by the Lyme Public Library

Celebrate Earth Day with a talk and walk with Anthony Irving, well-known forest ecologist. Join us to observe vernal pool activity as our wood frogs and spotted salamanders return for annual mating. Get an up close look at these remarkable creatures and learn about their life history and habitat needs

Registration required: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com

Meet at the Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve parking lot on Brush Hill Rd. about 1/2 mile south of the Hadlyme Country Market.

Tony Irving is  the Lyme Land Trust board president, and chairman of the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Committee.

The walk is co-sponsored by the Lyme Land Trust  and the Town of Lyme.

For more information about the Tree Collective. 

Registration required: reganstacey@gmail.com.

Click on flyer to enlarge.

The Lyme Public Hall is hosting a series of talks featuring local experts to help you care for and appreciate our unique local natural environment in honor of Earth Day 2024. The public is invited to attend any or all of these talks which are free of charge.

10:00-11:00 am — A Biologist’s Perspective on What Makes Lyme Special, with Jim Arrigoni (Environmental Director, Lyme Land Conservation Trust) 

11:00 am-12:00 pm — Why Backyard Habitat Matters, with Judy Preston (Environmental Professional) 

12:00-1:00 pm — Lunch Break: Bring your own Brown Bag (drinks & cookies provided by Lyme Public Hall)

1:00-2:00 pm — Beyond Organic Pest Management with Emma Sutphen (Farmer, Adesa Farm, North Stonington) 

 2:00-3:00 pm — Mother Earth Friendly Gardening with Craig Floyd (Retired Farm Manager, Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center’s Craig Floyd Giving Garden at Coogan Farm) 

3:00-4:00 pm — Beekeeping Basics with Tom Kalal (Cranberry Meadow Farm, East Lyme) 

For more information about Talks and Presenters

Space is limited and reservations are recommended. Please email info@lymepublichall.org to reserve your place.

This event is co-sponsored by the Lyme Public Hall,  Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden, the Lyme Land Conservation Trust, the Lyme Garden Club and the Lyme Pollinator Pathway. 

We will visit two rock caves. Studies have shown that one of the caves was occupied seasonally as a winter shelter by indigenous people beginning at least 4255 years ago. Directions. Take Boston Post Road (Rte 1) to Boggy Hole Rd. Evergreen Trail is about 1/2 mile down on the left.
Contact: openspace@townlyme.org

Learn about the technologies available to help you better understand the lives of birds.

Click on flyer to enlarge.

Register: programreg@lymepl.org
or call 860 434-2272

Sponsored by the Lyme Public Library

Join Evan in Hartman Part for a field demonstration of ground truthing. Learn about the tools he uses to validate and improve the model’s predictions. Evan will use his drone to explore a beaver site and explain what information he is looking for when on site. There is a short hike required to get to the site. Appropriate footwear is recommended. 

Email info@eightmileriver.org to register!

Evan Zocco is a graduate student at UCONN. Click on the poster to learn more.

This is part of a Beaver Program Series by the Eightmile Wild and Scenic Watershed Committee.

Beavers are an increasing presence on our landscape, learn about their local and regional impact and a novel approach of mapping and tracking their influence on the landscape. This will be an in-depth presentation on Evan’s graduate research. 

Email info@eightmileriver.org to register!

Evan Zocco is a graduate student at UCONN. Click on the poster to learn more.

This is part of a Beaver Program Series by the Eightmile Wild and Scenic Watershed Committee.

Join the Lyme Bluebird Project to support the bluebird population! Did you know the population of Eastern Bluebirds plummeted from the 1930s to 1980s, but humans across the country helped them stage an incredible comeback? Much of the bluebird’s success is due to the work of citizen scientists building, installing and monitoring bluebird boxes.

Join us for a workshop to assemble bluebird boxes. Our bluebird volunteers will make at least 2 birdhouses, one for a preserve and one for their backyard. It’s free. All you have to do is pledge to take care of at least one bluebird box in a preserve and the one in your own backyard. Taking care of bluebird boxes in the preserves is a great activity for a solo meadow hike or to do with family and friends. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to help support our bluebird populations!

All materials are supplied. No carpentry skills required. The wood pieces are pre-cut. Bring an electors drill if you have one.

Recommended but not required: Attend the Bluebird program on April 16. 

Space is limited.  Children are welcome with an adult (One set of boxes per family). Please register at education@townlyme.org

The wood was donated by CT DEEP, sawn in the woods from trees harvested in the State forest during forest management. We wish to thank Wild Bird Unlimited Niantic, who generously donated ten poles and baffles, and discounted the rest.

Co-sponsored with Lyme Pollinator Pathway

Join us on a guided walk with botanist horticulturist Bryan Connolly, to see and learn about spring ephemerals, the first native wildflowers to emerge in our woods. This walk is part of a series of programs to encourage people to post observations to the iNaturalist Wild Lyme Project. Bryan Connolly is a top expert on the app and has identified 19,215 posts. 

Spring Ephemerals, such as trout lily, sessile bellwort and anenomes are able to take advantage of the sunlight in the short time after the earth warms up and before the leaves in the tree canopy open to shade the forest floor. They then disappear back into the earth as spring progresses into summer. These beautiful delicate flowers provide an early source of nectar and pollen for bees and other insects.

Please register: openspace@townlyme.org

Join the Wild Lyme Project

Bryan A. Connolly, PhD an expert on native plants working to re-introduce rare and endangered native plants to the northeast. associate professor at Eastern Connecticut State University.

Gentle-to-moderate ~1.5-mile walk through the forest at the special time when lime-green foliage is emerging. We’ll listen for newly arrived migrant songbirds (bring binoculars if you wish) and be on the lookout for spring ephemeral wildflowers and other seasonal highlights. Meet at the parking area on Rt. 82.

Register: Jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org

View the Tuesday Trek Schedule

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

Hike this beautiful preserve which is a future Old Growth Forest, about 2 miles with the option of taking some extra loops if we are really feeling adventurous! Meet at the Johnston parking lot on Rte 82.

Contact: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com

View the Tuesday Trek Schedule

A short steep incline opens to a beautiful expanse of meadow. We will walk along the mowed path to reach our destination, Whale Rock, a spectacular outcropping with views of Lord Cove and the CT River. Bring your binoculars. 1.5 miles 

Directions:  33 Coult Lane, Old Lyme. Parking is along the road.

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.

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 under the leadership of environmentalist/artist Regan Stacey. Each time we meet, we offer a different topic, often with a hike and trail work in a selected preserve.

Tools and gloves provided.

For more information. 

Registration required: reganstacey@gmail.com.

Click on flyer to enlarge.

We’ll take a leisurely 0.7 mile hike through the Roaring Brook Preserve. I am excited for this hike for two reasons. Over the last several months we have had a spectacular amount of rain. On this Tuesday Trek I want to investigate how the riparian zone of the 8 mile river has managed these winter and spring rains. I am also excited because in late April and early May Connecticut’s forests experience massive seasonal changes. I am super excited to see how the diverse Roaring Brook ecology greens up for summer.

Contact: ryan.p.quinn@gmail.com

View the Tuesday Trek Schedule

Meet at the parking lot. We will walk along the edge of the water with beautiful views of the salt marshes. Bring your binoculars. A fairly easy 1 mile. 

Directions: Turn onto Frontage Road off Rte 156 across from McCurdy Rd. Take a right and then another right. Go straight to the parking lot.

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 3rd 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 easy, fairly flat dirt paths with some uneven footing, unless noted. Gentle pace. About 1 mile. Bring a walking stick, water bottle and dress for the weather. Inclement weather cancels.

Sponsored with the Lyme’s Senior Center.

We’ll enjoy the emerging greenery along the ridges of the red trail and loop around to see the Three Chimneys. About 3 miles. Moderate walk with some rocky terrain and moderate inclines. Meet at Hartman Park Field Entrance, Gungy Rd. It is about 1/2 mile north of the Hartman Park main entrance.

Contact: openspace@townlyme.org

View the Tuesday Trek Schedule

Do you know how many species of snakes and turtles 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? Ever wonder what that Snapping Turtle is doing in your garden or at the edge of your driveway every June? Jim Arrigoni, Lyme Land Trust Environmental Director, will get you acquainted with charismatic species like Wood Turtle, Black Racer, Smooth Green Snake, and Musk Turtle, and also demonstrate how you can contribute to science by sharing your reptile observations with the Wild Lyme Project on iNaturalist.

Join the Wild Lyme Project

Register: programreg@lymepl.org
or call 860 434-2272

Walk up the Ravine and into BH through laurel groves, and rock outcroppings. We will go to both overlooks. 2-3 miles. Rigorous. Meet at the Mitchell Hill Road entrance to the Ravine Trail.

Contact: Kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org

View the Tuesday Trek Schedule

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

Curious about forest bathing?  On CT Trails Day, come dip your toes into this Japanese-inspired practice of “taking in the forest atmosphere.”  Slow down, awaken your senses, and enjoy the wonders of nature as you deeply relax in the forest.

 

On this 75 -minute intro to forest bathing walk, you’ll be guided on a gentle, mindful stroll. Along the way, your certified forest therapy guide, Regan Stacey, will offer you a series of sensory-opening “invitations” designed to help you connect with the natural world in your own authentic way.  Leave your stresses behind and connect with the healing powers of nature. The walk is about a half-mile over easy to moderate terrain.

Registration: No charge. Register here.

Rain or shine.

 

Forest bathing is inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku – taking in the forest atmosphere. As a growing global wellness movement, it is backed by nearly 40 years of scientific research on the holistic benefits of immersing yourself in nature. These benefits include reduced stress and blood pressure, increased creativity and focus, improved mood and sleep, and a boost to immune functions.

 Regan Stacey is an artist and environmentalist whose passion is to re-connect humans to nature for the betterment of themselves, their communities, and our planet, Earth.  She is also co-founder of The Forest Therapy School, training forest therapy guides to share this work around the world.  Locally, she is involved in a number of nature-based organizations and facilitates kids’ clubs through the Lyme Land Trust. You can find out more about her work at reganstacey.com   

Please join us for the annual Tour de Lyme cycling event with beautifully scenic routes for all ages and levels. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

Registration is open!

For more information, visit the Tour de Lyme webpage:

The Lyme Land Trust inaugurated Tour de Lyme in 2013 as an annual bike ride to raise funds to support its mission of preserving and protecting environmentally important land in Lyme.

Gentle ~1-mile walk through rich deciduous forest, with a stop along the way to check out what is happening in the beaver pond. Old stone walls and formations conjure the imagination to wonder who dwelt on the land before it was a preserve.

Contact:  Jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org

View the Tuesday Trek Schedule

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 under the leadership of environmentalist/artist Regan Stacey. Each time we meet, we offer a different topic, often with a hike and trail work in a selected preserve.

Tools and gloves provided.

For more information. 

Registration required: reganstacey@gmail.com.

Click on flyer to enlarge.

Follow the ¼ mile woods road to a secluded beaver pond where we will explore the surrounding area which also contains wetlands, mountain laurels and a freshwater stream. Beaver’s are amazing animals! They are one of the few species whose presence defines an area. Let us investigate these unique animals and the ways they shape our landscape.  About 1.25 miles.

Contact: ryan.p.quinn@gmail.com

View the Tuesday Trek Schedule

Taking advantage of the tide and depending upon conditions, we will walk to the end of Griswold Point and back, which is only possible during low tide. There is slim possibility of wet shoes. About 1 mile, with some walking on wet pebbles. Bring binoculars. 

Directions: Meet at White Sands Beach Parking Lot, 11 Seaside Ln, Old Lyme

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.

The glacial geology is the driving force behind this preserve along the Eightmile River. Meet at Baker Lane parking area.

Register: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com

View the Tuesday Trek Schedule

We will walk up on the paved road or sidewalk to the Castle terrace to see the beautiful view of the CT River and the Hadlyme Ferry. Then we will explore the easy dirt path route that was once a narrow gauge train trail. About 1 mile.

Directions: Enter Gillette Castle State Park at 67 River Rd, East Haddam, CT. Meet at the main parking lot by the Visitor Center.

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 3rd 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 easy, fairly flat dirt paths with some uneven footing, unless noted. Gentle pace. About 1 mile. Bring a walking stick, water bottle and dress for the weather. Inclement weather cancels.

Sponsored with the Lyme’s Senior Center.

We are delighted to have author Patrick J. Lynch as presenter at the Lyme Land Trust Annual Meeting. Patrick has just launched his eleventh book, a Field Guide to the Connecticut River. Using images of his beautiful illustrations, Patrick J. Lynch will present a talk about the geology and biology of the Connecticut River, and place our current challenges within the context of 20,000 years of major changes in the River since it was formed at the end of the Ice Age.

Patrick J. Lynch is an author, illustrator, photographer, and artist. Lynch retired from Yale University after 45 years as an interactive media designer, medical illustrator, biomedical and scientific photographer, video producer, and for the past 30 years a director of media and communications departments, and a designer of interactive multimedia teaching, training, and informational software and Web sites.

Lynch is a widely recognized artist, author, designer and photographer. He has received more than 40 national and international awards and honors, including a 2012 National Outdoor Book Award for A Field Guide to the Southeast Coast & Gulf of Mexico. His Manual of Ornithology, co-authored with Noble S. Proctor, won several national awards for editorial and design excellence, and is one of the most widely used texts in undergraduate and graduate ornithology courses.

For more about Patrick J. Lynch, click here.

Everyone is welcome. The evening will begin with casual social time and then a brief  business meeting. Members will be asked to vote for new director nominees. The presentation will follow.

Cover photo © Patrick Lynch

Rocky Neck Beach State Park, Rte 156, East Lyme, CT. A beautiful walk through mature forest along the salt marshes to the beach on Long Island Sound – a haven for shore birds. Bring binoculars if you wish. 2.5 miles. Meet at the parking lot on Rte 156 across from the KOA Campground, 271 Main St (Rte 156), about 0.5 mile east of the intersection with Four Mile River Rd., Old Lyme.

Register: openspace@townlyme.org

View the Tuesday Trek Schedule

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

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:

1. 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
2. Pollinator/wildlife habitat with native plants in Lyme – May be in a backyard, local farm, preserve or in a Lyme Pollinator Pathway garden in Lyme, CT.
3. Trail 53 – The clear sky above Lyme.

For more information and to submit photos

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

Meet at the terrace of the Castle.

Caitlin Vickers has been a gardener most of her life, and providing local gardens through her business,  the Barefoot Gardener.

Please join the Lyme Pollinator Pathway for a tour of the gardens on the terraces at Gillette Castle. Caitlin Vickers, the Barefoot Gardener and Lyme Pollinator Pathway team member, who designed and installed the garden with Nancy Ballek of Ballek’s Garden Center, will guide the tour. The beautiful gardens are mostly native plants beneficial to pollinators and other wildlife. Caitlin will answer questions about the plants and talk about future plans for the gardens.

Join us for this fascinating walk with Bill Yule, naturalist and amateur mycologist, to walk, talk, and collect mushrooms. Bill will explain about forest and watershed ecology and all things fungal. After the walk, specimens will be examined and identified and questions answered. Bring mushrooms from home for identification.

Space is limited. Register: education@lymelandtrust.org

“For those who hunger after the earthly excrescences called mushrooms.”

Bill Yule has been active in mycological education for 30 plus years and has given many education programs throughout the country. He is a retired High School Biology teacher and Environmental Educator. In addition, he taught Ecology and Environmental Education at The Connecticut River Museum for 20 years and worked on three environmental educational boats on the CT River. He is a member and educator for three local “Mushroom clubs”, Connecticut Valley Mycological Society, COMA (CT/Westchester Mycological Association) and PVMA (Pioneer Valley Mycological Association) as well as a past Board of Directors member of the North American Mycological Association. 

Visit Bill Yule’s Facebook Page