Celebrate National Trails Day in Ledyard

Reconnect with nature in Ledyard and Preston with a walk or a paddle on National Trails Day!

Ledyard will be marking the national event with an educational walk and/or paddle beginning Saturday according to the Connecticut Forest and Parks Association pamphlet.

The weekend begins on Saturday, June 1 at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Poquetanuck Cove.

An easy, flat-water paddle at high tide through a narrow, 2-mile tidal embayment of the Thames River. Discover a significant coastal habitat and designated state bird sanctuary. Learn about ongoing efforts to develop an inter-municipal Conservation Action Plan. Bring your own canoe/kayak, personal flotation device, beverage, and snack.

Meet leaders Anne Roberts-Pierson and David Bainbridge at the public access car-top boat launch at the end of Royal Oaks Drive (off Arrowhead Drive in Ledyard). Rain cancels. Pre-registration is REQUIRED. Questions and to pre-register: contact Anne Roberts-Pierson, (860) 464-8101. 

And then there's a hike on Sunday beginning at 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Avery Preserve. Join this loop hike on the preserve’s West Tract. We will discuss recommendations from the new Forest Stewardship Plan and how things have changed since 1985, when a similar study of the property was prepared. This will be a moderate 2-mile hike (approximately 2 hours) passing through open woodlands.

Meet leaders Mike Goodwin and Ben Anderson at 35 Avery Hill Road. Park at the ball field on Route 214 (just west of the cemetery at the corner of Avery Hill Road), walk the trail behind the cemetery to Avery Hill Road, and continue along the road to the left to the meeting site. Rain cancels. Pre-registration is NOT NECESSARY. Questions: contact Mike Goodwin, (860) 464-2685, mikegoodwn@comcast.net.