Past Events
Full Moon Forest Bathing
Time: 7:30-9:00 pm
Place: Thach Preserve 131 Brush Hill Road, Lyme CT
Contact Email: regan@reganstacey.com
Enjoy an evening guided stroll through the forest as the sun sets and the moon rises. Invitations to connect with nature and the night sky will be offered along the way. June’s full moon is known as the Strawberry moon, named by Native Americans to mark the ripening of “June-bearing” strawberries that are ready to be gathered.
The walk is about 1-mile over easy to moderate terrain and concludes with a wild-foraged tea and fresh strawberries.
Registration: $33 ~ includes the program and tea
Register HERE
LLT members receive 15% discount with code LLT15
Rain or shine event. Challenging weather cancels.
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 advocate for the Earth whose passion is to reconnect humans to nature for personal and planetary well-being. She believes we can all awaken the forest within. She is co-founder of The Forest Therapy School, a forest therapy guide training program. Through her private practice, she offers forest bathing walks, mindful nature retreats, and mindfulness training. Regan is also the facilitator of the LLT Tree Collective, connecting teens to nature through stewardship, education, and exploration. Find out more about her work at reganstacey.com or theforesttherapyschool.com
Tuesday Trek: Jewett and Pleasant Valley loop – Kristina and Brady
Time: 9:00 am
Place: Meet at Pleasant Valley Parking lot, on MacIntosh Rd. Access MacIntosh Road from Mt. Archer Road because the bridge between the lot and Rte 156 will be closed.
Contact Email: kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org
Presenter: Kristina and Brady
Jewett and Pleasant Valley loop – Hike through fields and over part of Mt Archer and back along bubbling brook. 2-2.5 miles.
Register: kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org
View the Tuesday Trek Schedule
Tuesday Trek: Young Preserve – Tony
Time: 9:00 am
Place: Meet at Young Preserve parking Lot, Gungy Rd., 1/2 mile north of intersection with Beaver Brook Road.
Contact Email: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com
Presenter: Tony Irving
Young Preserve. The variety of habitat types come into focus as we move into late spring.
Register: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com
View the Tuesday Trek Schedule
Light Pollution Series with Misha Semeov-Leiva and Alan Sheiness-Part 2
Time: 8:00 pm
Place: Trail 53 Observatory, Lyme CT
Contact Email: astronomy@lymelandtrust.org
This is a two part series on light pollution in the Connecticut River Valley. Learn the effects of an artificially brightened night sky, including the effects on natural cycles in aquatic and terrestrial life. Misha SEmonov-Leiva will present simple site lighting design changes that can thwart impact while promoting safety.
Part I – Wed., May 3, 6:30 pm, 2023: Presentation at the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library
Part II – Wed May 17, 8:00 pm, 2023: Meet at Trail 53 Observatory located in Lyme. Directions will be emailed to you after registration.
Register for each event separately. To Register
Co-sponsored by the Lyme land Trust, Lyme Public Library, Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, and the CT River Gateway Commission
Tuesday Trek: Honey Hill Preserve – Wendy
Time: 9:30 am
Place: Meet at the parking area on Clark Rd.
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Presenter: Wendy Hill
Honey Hill Preserve – This small gem of a preserve has a 1-mile loop with a variety of large trees, Babbling Brook, and interesting natural and human-made rock formations.
Contact: openspace@townlyme.org
View the Tuesday Trek Schedule
Mother’s Day Forest Bathing
Time: 1:30 PM-3:30
Place: Ravine Trail (Selden Entrance), Joshuatown Road, Lyme CT
Contact Email: regan@reganstacey.com
Enjoy a forest bathing walk celebrating Mother’s Day. We’ll honor our own mothers, the mothers of all beings, and our Great Mother, Earth. Invitations to connect with nature will be offered along the way. The session concludes with a flower blossom tea. The walk is about 1-mile over easy to moderate terrain.
Registration: $33 ~ includes the program and tea
Register HERE
LLT members receive 15% discount with code LLT15
Rain or shine event. Challenging weather cancels.
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 advocate for the Earth whose passion is to reconnect humans to nature for personal and planetary well-being. She believes we can all awaken the forest within. She is co-founder of The Forest Therapy School, a forest therapy guide training program. Through her private practice, she offers forest bathing walks, mindful nature retreats, and mindfulness training. Regan is also the facilitator of the LLT Tree Collective, connecting teens to nature through stewardship, education, and exploration. Find out more about her work at reganstacey.com or theforesttherapyschool.com
Learn and Work Party at Jewett Preserve Meadow
Time: 900-11:00 am
Place: Meet at the Pleasant Valley Preserve parking lot, Macintosh Rd., Lyme CT
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Join us for a work party as part of habitat management to encourage healthy native plants in a small meadow. Learn about meadow management and how to identify invasive and native plants .We will focus on removing woody invasive species from the field edges. We will be working on winged euonymous (aka burning bush), autumn olive and barberry, and creating brush piles from the material that will be cut. The effort will benefit native woody shrubs and trees, including highbush blueberry, spicebush, ironwood and more.
Tools needed for the morning will be lopping shears, hand pruners, hand saws, and chain saws. Please bring water and work gloves and be sure to wear long sleeves and long pants. Snacks will be provided.
Please Register:
mrice@tnc.org Martha Rice, Volunteer Coordinator for The Nature Conservancy
Or
openspace@townlyme.org Wendy Hill, Town of Lyme Open Space Coordinator
Sponsored by the Town of Lyme, The Nature Conservancy, and the Lyme Land Trust.
Directions:
From the north, travel Route 82 to Route 156; take Route 156 south for 2 miles to right on MacIntosh Road; travel 0.25 mile on MacIntosh Road, and parking for the preserve will be on the right.
From the south, in Old Lyme, take exit 70 off of I-95. From the intersection of Route 1 and Route 156, travel north on Route 156 approximately 6 miles, and take a left onto MacIntosh Road; travel 0.25 mile on MacIntosh Road, and parking for the preserve will be on the right.
May Lyme Nix the Knotweed Days
Time: 9:00 am-11:00 am
Place: May 5-Start at Reed Landing, Old Hamburg Rd, Joshua Pond; May 12-Whalebone Cove,
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Join our work party for the third year to remove invasive knotweed and learn to control Knotweed on your own property. Better yet, organize your own neighborhood Nix the Knotweed Day! We are in our third year of tackling the knotweed using the “method of 3s”: cut knotweed down to the ground and remove the plant material; 3 chops this growing season (May, mid-July, and mid-August). Don’t cut more often or it won’t weaken the extensive root system. The cuttings must be carefully disposed of since each little piece will regrow into a new plant. We will fully solarize all plant material to kill it.
We are seeing progress! The knotweed has been highly reduced where we have used this method for the last 2 years.
Bring work gloves, clippers or loppers. We’ll provide the bags! Bring your own water bottle. Snacks will be provided.
Please register: (walk-ins welcome)
Saturday, May 5 at Reed Landing and Old Hamburg Road. We are adding a knotweed stand on the dam at Joshua Pond this year.: Openspace@townlyme.org
Friday, May 12 at Whalebone Cove: trughouse@comcast.net
Sponsored by the Town of Lyme, Lyme Pollinator Pathway, Friends of Whalebone Cove, and Lyme Land Trust.
Japanese knotweed is an invasive plant which crowds out native plants that pollinators and other wildlife depend upon for survival. For a brochure on Nix the Knotweed Method of 3s.
May Astronomy Observing Session
Time: 8:00-10:00 pm
Place: Register to learn location
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. The new observatory is in full motion. The Lyme Land Trust offers public viewing sessions once a month near the new moon. Our cohorts have several different telescopes that are on display for your observing pleasure, and we now are pleased to have a modern 14″ Schmidt-Cassegrain housed in a permanent observatory structure.
Registrations: Please Click Here
General inquiries: astronomy@lymelandtrust.org
On any given night, public sessions will be co-facilitated by one or more of our talented cohort enthusiasts:
- Jon Dean
- Roger Charbonneau, J
- Scott Mallory
- Parag Sahasrabudhe
- Alan Sheiness
Directions to the site and special guidance for those with heavy astronomy equipment will be provided upon registration. Park in the designated area 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.
For more information about the astronomy program See amazing astrophotography by Parag Sahasrabudhe – Velology blog
Lymes Senior Center Take-a-Walk Wednesday with Wendy
Time: 9:30-11:30ish am
Place: Hartman Park, Gungy Rd., Lyme
Contact Email: sgould@oldlyme-ct.gov
Presenter: Wendy Hill
Hartman Park – The unique natural, historic, and archeological features in Hartman Park make it a delight to explore. We will look for spring wildflowers. 2.5 miles.
Directions: Meet at Hartman Park main entrance parking lot on Gungy Rd. The parking lot is about 1.5 miles north of intersection of Beaver Brook and Gungy Rd.
Reservations are required. Please email sgould@oldlyme-ct.gov or call 860-434-4127 to reserve your spot. Free to Lyme’s Senior Center members. $5 for non-members.
On the 2nd Wednesday of each month 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.
