Native Plant Sale : Lyme
2026-04-16 12:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | John Pritchard Conservation Center, 12-1 Town Street, Lyme, CT, 06371, United States
The Lyme Land Trust will be selling native plants from Judge’s Farm in Old Lyme. Mike Baczewski, from New England Pollinator Gardens, will be on hand to answer questions and offer tips on how and where to grow these local wonders. Go Native!
Native Plant Sale. 3.5 inch pot – $4.00 – gallon – $9.00

Astronomy Observing Session : Lyme
2026-04-18 20:00 - 22:00 | CT
DATE COULD SHIFT BASED ON WEATHER– The shift from winter to spring means shifting from winter clusters to spring galaxies. On this evening, we will observe some of each, while also enjoying Jupiter in the western sky, and Mars in the southern sky.
Register on the event website. Upon registration , you will be given directions to the venue.

Spring Ephemerals on the Ravine Trail - Lyme
2026-04-19 09:30 - 13:00 | Selden Creek Preserve, Joshuatown Road, Lyme, CT, 06371, United States
Ravine Trail Walk: Join Lisa Wahle and Chris Penniman of the Connecticut Botanical Society in search of spring ephemerals on the Ravine Trail. Begin along the level white and yellow trails that traverse mature oak-hardwood forest, passing by a vernal pool, and proceed to the more challenging red trail as time and abilities allow. The steeper red trail is bordered by metamorphic ledges that host a mosaic of ferns, mosses and lichens.
More information can be found at: https://www.lymelandtrust.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Hadlyme-Hills-SeldRavBHWEB081022.pdf
Directions and Parking for the Ravine Trail: There is limited space for parking near the site, so we suggest meeting at the Hadlyme Ferry Boat launch lot (154 Ferry Road (Route 148)) and carpooling to the Seldon Creek Preserve parking lot on Joshuatown Road (1.2 miles south of the intersection of Route 148 and Joshuatown Road). From there we will cross the road to enter the Ravine Trail property. See map at the website link above.
Roaring Brook Preserve Walk: For those who would like to join Lisa and Chris for another short walk after the Ravine Trail, they will stop for a snack/lunch at the Hadlyme Country Market on the corner of Routes 82 and 148 and proceed to the Roaring Brook Preserve. This small gem offers an inclined path through red cedar and hemlock stands down to the cooling waters of the boulder-strewn Roaring Brook. More information and a map can be found at: https://www.lymelandtrust.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/RoaringbrookWEB.pdf
Directions for Roaring Brook Preserve: There is a small pull-in parking lot at the trailhead on Day Hill Road or at the Hadlyme Public Hall at the intersection of Route 148 and Day Hill Road.
Registration: encouraged Lisa at lcwahle@gmail.com 860-304-6184 or Chris at chrisepenniman@gmail.com or 860-501-4117
Rain Date – May 4

Teen Hike and Steward Group Meetup : Lyme
2026-04-19 13:00 - 15:30, 2026-05-17 13:00 - 15:30 | CT
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. Each time we meet, we offer a different topic, often with a hike and trail work in a selected preserve.
It is sponsored by the Lyme Land Trust under the leadership of environmentalist/artist Regan Stacey. Regan Stacey is a mother whose passion is to reconnect humans to nature.
Tools and gloves provided.
Registration required: reganstacey@gmail.com.

Words from the Woods Book Circle - East Haddam
2026-04-20 13:30 - 15:00 | St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 31 Main Street, East Haddam, CT, 06423, United States
Join this offering from the East Haddam Land Trust and the East Haddam Library System to soak in the writings of natural scientists who expand and deepen our awareness of the ecologies of life. For this gathering we explore Stirring the Mud: On Swamps, Bogs, and Human Imagination by Barbara Hurd. All are welcome, even if you have not read or completed the book. The book circle gathers in a meeting room at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 31 Main Street, East Haddam, directly across from the Rathbun Library.

Selden Creek Preserve Hike - Lyme
2026-04-21 09:00 - 11:00 | Selden Creek Preserve, Joshuatown Road, Lyme, CT, 06371, United States
Vernal pool wetlands will be the highlight of this mellow-to-moderate 1.5-mile early-spring walk to the magnificent overlook of Selden Creek and Selden Island. Amphibians like Wood Frogs and Spotted Salamanders rely on these big puddles to make more of themselves, and we can expect to see tadpoles and egg masses of these charismatic critters as well as to hear the songs of early arriving migratory birds. Park at the trailhead on Joshuatown Road.
Register: jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org

The Pileated Woodpecker : Salem
2026-04-25 11:00 - 12:00 | Salem Free Public Library, 264 Hartford Road, Salem, CT, 06420, United States
The CT Audubon Bird of the Year!
Learn how these birds live and behave and why they are so important to our local history and landscape.
Presented by Joe Attwater from the CT Audubon Societies Tory Peterson Estuary Center.
Call 860-859-1130 to register.
Sponsored by a grant from the Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Watershed and the National Park Service.

Brookside Farm Earth Day Celebration - East Lyme
2026-04-25 11:00 - 15:00 | Brookside Farm Museum, 33 Society Road, Niantic, CT, 06357, United States
A day focused on land, community, and environmental stewardship featuring: Freedom First Wildlife Rescue, Sierra Club Connecticut, the Connecticut Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation, Estuary Magazine, and many others!

All About Opossums
2026-04-25 13:00 - 15:00 | First Church of Christ, Congregational, 499 Town Street, East Haddam, Connecticut, 064323
Come to First Church Congregational, Town Street, East Haddam for this family-oriented event which is an introduction to the traits, behaviors and challenges of opossums. Ferncroft Wildlife Rescue will focus on the perspective of wildlife rehabilitation and licensed rehabbers. There will be live ambassador (non-releasable) opossums for the public to encounter and interact with at the end of the program. The event will be roughly 45 minutes of presentation followed by roughly 45 minutes of public interaction.

Woods Walk - East Haddam
2026-04-26 13:00 - 15:00 | Chapal Farm Preserve, 136 Norwich Salem Road, East Haddam, CT, 06423, United States
Harold “Fritz” Moritz, local retired geologist and birder, will lead a walk and discussion through the mounds and kettles of the Chapal Farm Preserve. If you think this past winter was cold, it was nothing compared to the subarctic conditions that prevailed when the landforms we will experience were formed as a continent of ice slowly retreated northward from the state 15,000 or so years ago. Along the way we will listen and look for migrating birds that are sure to be passing through the many microhabitats we will encounter. Meet at the parking lot off Rte.82 (across from Devil’s Hopyard Road). The hike is limited to 20 participants, so please sign up at https://www.ehlt.org/woodswalk. Walkers are invited to contribute light snacks for an after-hike tailgate.

NOTE: IF YOU HAVE HAD TROUBLE REGISTERING, PLEASE TRY AGAIN. WE HAD SOME GLITCHES THAT SHOULD BE FIXED. FOR CONTINUED REGISTRATION ISSUES, EMAIL CATHERINE@EHLT.ORG.

Plimpton Preserve Hike - Lyme
2026-04-28 09:00 - 11:00 | Plimpton Preserve, Sterling City Road, Lyme, CT, 06371, United States
This will be a moderate 1.75 mile hike right in the center of Lyme. There are some significant elevation changes especially at the start and end of the hike but that effort will be rewarded with a nice lookout half way through our hike. We will meet at the trail entrance with parking along Sterling City Road, Lyme.
Register: ryan.p.quinn@gmail.com

Spring Emergence Exploration Hike - Lyme
2026-05-02 07:00 - 15:00 | Jewett Preserve, Mt.Archer Road, Lyme, CT, 06371, United States
7am to 3pm– Rugged ramble and explore with Jim (expect a challenging hike – off trail, uneven terrain, swamps, wetlands, and rocky areas). Bring water, lunch and snacks.
Join Jim Natale, naturalist and amateur botanist, on a ramble through Jewett and adjacent preserves to identify all types of plants, focusing on spring ephemerals and mosses. In the late fall 2025, Jim volunteered to lead a series of work parties to cut several acres of invasive Burning Bush there. We will see what native plants have been given the opportunity to emerge in the cleared areas.

Spring Emergence Exploration Walk - Lyme
2026-05-02 15:00 - 17:00 | Jewett Preserve, Mt.Archer Road, Lyme, CT, 06371, United States
3:00-5:00 pm- Take a moderately easy walk with Jim to view highlights of what was discovered during his day-long ramble earlier in the day. There will be some off trail.
Join Jim Natale, naturalist and amateur botanist, on a ramble through Jewett and adjacent preserves to identify all types of plants, focusing on spring ephemerals and mosses. In the late fall 2025, Jim volunteered to lead a series of work parties to cut several acres of invasive Burning Bush there. We will see what native plants have been given the opportunity to emerge in the cleared areas.

Orchid Hike
2026-05-03 09:00 - 11:00 | Burnham Brook Preserve, Dolbia Hill Road, East Haddam, CT, 06423, United States
Jim Natale, Wilder Gardens, will guide us to a special site where native orchids bloom each spring. Sections of this hike will be on steep and difficult terrain. Good hiking boots and poles are highly recommended.
Preregistration is required via ehlt.org/orchid-walk; registration will be open from April 15 through April 30, 2026. Registration is limited to 15 people.

Seleden Creek Preserve Hike - Lyme
2026-05-05 09:30 - 11:30 | Selden Creek Preserve, Joshuatown Road, Lyme, CT, 06371, United States
Hike to both overlooks and experience the vista with a view unobstructed by leaves. 2.5 miles. Fairly steep in parts. Meet at the Selden Creek Preserve parking lot on Joshuatown Rd.
Register: openspace@townlyme.org

Plant Sale - Salem
2026-05-07 10:00 - 18:00, 2026-05-08 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-09 10:00 - 14:00 | Salem Free Public Library, 264 Hartford Road, Salem, CT, 06420, United States
Mostly locally grown plants will be for sale at Salem Free Public Library.
Thursday, May 7th: 10am – 6pm
Friday, May 8th: 10am – 4pm
Saturday, May 9th: 10am – 2pm
Proceeds from the sale are used to fund programs at the Salem Library including those that concern nature and the environment.
Donations of plants or help with the sale please contact Elizabeth Lane: 860-859-1125.

Native Plant Sale - East Lyme
2026-05-09 09:00 - 15:00 | Brookside Farm Museum, 33 Society Road, Niantic, CT, 06357, United States
Native Plant Sale featuring plants that help restore habitat, support pollinators, and strengthen the health of our local environment. Shop a beautiful selection of native plants and support Brookside’s work to care for this historic landscape in a way that connects history, environment, and community.

Woodland Wander - Moodus
2026-05-10 08:00 - 10:00 | Golet Farm Preserve, Great Hillwod Road, Moodus, CT, 06469, United States
This Mother’s Day morning Bird, Flora, Fungi viewing, led by East Haddam Land Trust directors, will be a chance to create family memories on a special day. Hikers young and old can enjoy the easy-going trails of this land trust preserve — a wildlife gem in Moodus. Meadows and trees provide wonderful habitat for birds. Wetlands offer places to study amphibians, insects, other wildlife, and plant life. Interior meadows and woodlands provide quiet respite. Park in the lot along Great Hillwood Road. Walkers are invited to contribute light snacks for an after-hike tailgate.
Please leave 4-legged friends at home for this outing.

Canoeing Local Waters and Other Adventures : Lyme
2026-05-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Lyme Public Hall, 249 Hamburg Rd (Rte 156), Lyme, CT, 06371, United States
Vermont author, Alex Wilson, has co-authored four books for the Appalachian Mountain Club on “quiet water” canoeing and kayaking, including a guide to Southern New England (covering Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island), which recently came out in a 4th edition. The other books in this series cover New Hampshire-Vermont, Maine, and New York. In researching these books, starting around 1990, he has paddled many hundreds of lakes, ponds, estuaries, and quiet sections of rivers throughout the Northeast.
Unlike river guides, which by necessity focus on portages, white water safety, and routes with drop-off and put-in locations, these quiet-water guides focus on what paddlers will see on each body of water. Alex and his coauthor John Hayes are naturalists, and they focus on fauna, flora, and natural history of these places. Some entries also address historical events that occurred there, such as the King Phillips War in Rhode Island, and Thoreau’s explorations of the Concord River in Massachusetts and the Penobscot River in Maine.

Canoeing Local Waters Talk - Lyme
2026-05-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Lyme Public Hall, 249 Hamburg Rd (Rte 156), Lyme, CT, 06371, United States
Vermont author, Alex Wilson, has co-authored four books for the Appalachian Mountain Club on “quiet water” canoeing and kayaking, including a guide to Southern New England (covering Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island), which recently came out in a 4th edition. The other books in this series cover New Hampshire-Vermont, Maine, and New York. In researching these books, starting around 1990, he has paddled many hundreds of lakes, ponds, estuaries, and quiet sections of rivers throughout the Northeast.

Unlike river guides, which by necessity focus on portages, white water safety, and routes with drop-off and put-in locations, these quiet-water guides focus on what paddlers will see on each body of water. Alex and his coauthor John Hayes are naturalists, and they focus on fauna, flora, and natural history of these places. Some entries also address historical events that occurred there, such as the King Phillips War in Rhode Island, and Thoreau’s explorations of the Concord River in Massachusetts and the Penobscot River in Maine. In selecting places to include in these guides, Alex and John sought less developed bodies of water, restrictions on motorized boating, and varied shorelines to explore—but they also tried to include locations close to major population centers, some of which are more developed.

Alex and Jerelyn will describe a few local paddling spots, including Whalebone Creek and Selden Neck, and also describe a few adventures they had in writing and updating these guides over more than three decades. Bring your questions!

Raccoons, Opossums, Skunks and Porcupines - Salem
2026-05-16 11:00 - 12:00 | Salem Free Public Library, 264 Hartford Road, Salem, CT, 06420, United States
DEEP Master Wildlife Conservationist, Ginny Apple, will talk about the life and habits of four common CT nocturnal creatures: the opossum, skunk, raccoon and porcupine and how unique characteristics help them navigate their environment, evade predators and survive.
Call 860-859-1130 to register.
Sponsored by a Grant from the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Watershed and the National Park Service.

Gillette Castle Trail Hike - East Haddam
2026-05-18 11:00 - 12:30 | Gillette Castle State Park, 67 River Road, East Haddam, CT, 06423, United States
Join us on a guided hike of the route followed by William Gillette’s narrow-gauge train. Gillette’s train system runs through very scenic areas of the 122 acre state park, with numerous historic features along the way. The hike is a about an hour and fifteen minutes, and is a gentle and flat trail with a couple of brief scrambles.
Sturdy shoes and warm clothing is recommended. To ensure the comfort of all hikers, please leave your pets at home, or take a walk without a trail guide (leashed dogs are allowed at the park). We will meet at Grand Central Station (the covered picnic area near the archway along the path to the Castle). We hope to see vou there!
Limited space, first come first served!

Words from the Woods Book Circle - East Haddam
2026-05-18 13:30 - 15:30 | St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 31 Main Street, East Haddam, CT, 06423, United States
Join this offering from the East Haddam Land Trust and the East Haddam Library System to soak in the writings of natural scientists who expand and deepen our awareness of the ecologies of life. For this gathering we explore Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine by Alan Lightman. All are welcome, even if you have not read or completed the book. The book circle gathers in a meeting room at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 31 Main Street, East Haddam, directly across from the Rathbun Library.

Eightmile River Board Meeting
2026-05-18 17:00 - 19:00 | Burnham Brook Preserve, Dolbia Hill Road, East Haddam, CT, 06423, United States

Mr. Archer Woods Hike - Lyme
2026-05-19 09:00 - 11:00 | Mt Archer Woods, Mt Archer Rd, Lyme, CT, 06371, United States
It is Maple Sugar Season! Walk through what was once excellent pasture that has since developed into a hardwood forest. We will look for signs of spring and learn about the process of making one of our regional delicacies. Meet at the parking area at the top of Mt. Archer on Mt. Archer Road.
Register: ryan.p.quinn@gmail.com

Walbridge Woodland / Hartman Park Hike - Lyme
2026-05-26 09:00 - 11:00 | Hartman Park, Gungy Road, Lyme, CT, 06371, United States
Walk along a ridge and up to the top area of Hartman Park. We will view a variety of indigenous stone structures along the way. – plus miles or so. Meet at Hartman Park main lot, Gungy Rd, Lyme.

Botany and Birds - Lyme
2026-05-27 08:00 - 10:00 | Lyme Public Library, 482 Hamburg Road, Lyme, CT, 06371-3110, United States
Join Lisa Wahle and Chris Penniman of the Connecticut Botanical Society on a walk that will showcase young forest habitat that benefits our native New England cottontail and many bird species of conservation concern as well as mature forest. The Lyme Land Trust has partnered with the State of CT and adjacent landowners to harvest areas of mature trees in succession in order to offer a variety of habitats as the trees grow back. We will be joined by Jim Arrigoni of the Lyme Land Trust and Joe Attwater of the CT Audubon. The early start is to hear bird songs. Bring your binoculars if you wish. https://www.lymelandtrust.org/properties/
Directions and Parking: There is limited space for parking at the site so we will meet at Lyme Public Library, 482 Hamburg Road, and carpool to the site.
Registration: required Please register with Lisa at lcwahle@gmail.com, 860-304-6184 or Chris at chrisepenniman@gmail.com, 860-501-4117.
