Avalonia Land Conservancy

Hike at Tefftweald with Naturalist Bruce Fellman
2019-10-19 12:30 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Tefftweald at Birchenturn, 282 Grindstone Hill Road, North Stonington, CT, 06359, United States
Documenting your discoveries on the trail is a skill that needs to be in every naturalist’s toolkit. We’ll have plenty to observe and record as we enjoy the fall colors at Avalonia’s Tefftweald at Birchenturn Preserve on 280 Grindstone Hill Road.
Tefftweald, a former Girl Scout camp, is a 77-acre masterpiece of upland forest, meadows, wetlands, old graveyards and cellar holes, and the wonderfully photogenic Wyassup Brook. This is a family-friendly excursion, and we’ll explore the woodland trails at a pace moderate enough to give the Preserve a close read and capture the experience in whatever form, from pen and ink on paper to digital drawings, photos, and text entered on a smart device.
Walk leader Bruce Fellman is a veteran photojournalist, naturalist, and documentarian who has kept and published a weekly Naturalist’s Journal in a number of local newspapers for the past 41 years.
Register for this Excursion
For more information, email Bruce Fellman at fellnature@scbglobal.net, or call 860-599-4867.

A Vernal Pool Adventure, Babcock Ridge Preserve (CANCELLED)
2020-03-25 18:30 - 20:00 | Babcock Ridge, 113 Babcock Road, North Stonington, CT, United States
This event has been cancelled due to Coronavirus concerns. Avalonia trails remain open, but visitors need to use caution, avoid large groups, and use good judgement when meeting other hikers.
While winter has hardly lived up to its name, an amazing variety of frogs, salamanders, and aquatic invertebrates have spent the colder season in hiding. But with the arrival of spring, they’re coming back to life in the temporary wetlands known as vernal pools. At twilight, we’ll hike the trail to a group of vernals in Avalonia’s Babcock Ridge Preserve to search for such creatures as Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers, Spotted and Marbled Salamanders, and Fairy Shrimp. We might also hear the booming hoots of Barred Owls and the peents of Woodcock.

Bring a flashlight, wear warm clothes and waterproof boots, and don’t forget your spirit of adventure on this family-friendly exploration of a fascinating part of the natural world.
Walk leader Bruce Fellman has been introducing people to vernal pool life for almost half-a-century.
photos: Bruce Fellman

Avalonia Close-to-Earth-Day 2022 Walk
2022-04-23 10:00 - 12:00 | Benedict Benson Preserve, Swantown Hill Road, North Stonington, CT, 06359, United States
photo credit: Bruce Fellman
Celebrate Spring, Earth Day, and Clean Water at the Benedict Benson Preserve
One of the critical precursors of the passage of the Clean Water Act, the landmark federal legislation whose 50 years of making a difference we celebrate throughout 2022, is Earth Day, the consciousness-raising holiday for the planet that began in 1970. As part of Avalonia’s ongoing tribute to the CWA, join naturalist and guide Bruce Fellman as we wade into moving waters, figuratively, if not literally, at the Benedict Benson Preserve on Saturday, April 23rd, shortly after Earth Day, from 10 a.m. until noon, in North Stonington to watch the refuge’s wetlands and its centerpiece stream come to life: a tribute to wise stewardship.
In keeping with our theme, we’ll pay close attention to the area around Lantern Brook, a delightful woodland stream that flows through the heart of the preserve and is wonderfully photogenic as it tumbles down a boulder field left behind by the glaciers that shaped this land. The area around the brook is paradise for botanists interested in mosses, ferns, lichens, and wildflowers, and while there are certain to be such stalwarts as Wood anemones, a number of violets, and Marsh marigolds in bloom, there’s one botanical gem known as the hepatica that we’ll scramble up a favored hillside to seek out. Hepaticas thrive in specific, rather “sweet” soil conditions unusual in our woods, but Benson has the right stuff in one area.
The Preserve features a typical Southern New England post-agricultural-abandonment upland forest dominated by oaks, beeches, birches, and hickories, many of them fully mature. Some are home to striking Pileated Woodpeckers, while others support a wide array of hardwood-forest songbirds, the most intriguing of which is the Cerulean Warbler. This stunning bird, which is listed as a Species of Special Concern in Connecticut, has been seen and heard at Benson and the surrounding area, and is one of the treasures we’ll be looking for as we walk the approximately mile and a half trail system in search of signs of spring.
The trailhead for the Benedict Benson Preserve is located at 100 Swantown Hill Road in North Stonington. A small parking area is on the West side of the road and there’s more parking on either side of Swantown. For more information and to register, visit the Events Calendar of Avalonia’s website: avalonia.org/events/ Please note: parts of the trail are pretty rugged, so while my pace is always family-friendly, the terrain, particularly our scramble up a rocky hillside in search of wildflowers, might not be suitable for small kids and the occasional elder. You’ll want to wear waterproof hiking boots, and trekking poles might be a good idea, too. Bring water and an energy bar, and, of course, binoculars and cameras. Don’t hesitate to call or email: 860-599-4867, or fellnature@sbcglobal.net.
Register Here

Treesure Hunt on Moore Woodlands
2022-04-30 13:00 - 15:00 | Moore Woodlands, 314-264 Capstan Ave, Mystic, CT, 06355, United States
CELEBRATE ARBOR DAY 2022 BY WITH A TREESURE HUNT ON MOORE WOODLANDS PRESERVE IN MYSTIC, CT
Jim Luce, retired Connecticut College Supervisor of Grounds, will lead a tree walk on Avalonia’s Moore Woodlands Preserve (located at the southerly end of Capstan Avenue in Mystic) on Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 1-3pm.
After receiving your ‘Treesure’ Hunt trail map and pencil, you will walk with Jim along the trail searching for tree identification ‘tags’ and matching the number on your map with the name on the tree ‘tag’.
Learn more about identifying a few of our native CT trees while enjoying your walk on one of many Avalonia’s trailed properties. (You will find Connecticut’s state tree, the WHITE OAK, somewhere along the trail)
Your choice for COVID safety protocols
Rain cancels the scheduled program but ‘Treesure’ Hunt maps will be available on site in a black mailbox for your self-guided trail walk, and the tree tags will remain.
Register Here

Leo Antonino Preserve Family Hike
2022-06-05 13:30 - 14:30 | Leo Antonino Preserve, 0 Antonino Road, Groton, CT, United States
Date: Sunday, June 5
Time: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Hike Leaders: Janet Anderson and Robert Volkmann

Join us for family-friendly hike celebrating CT Trails Day at the Leo Antonino Preserve in Groton. The trail travels through mature woods, along vernal pools and active brooks, and near erratics and upthrust sections of granite. Parts are rocky and rooty with elevation changes.

REGISTER HERE

Fledglings: A Nature Experience for Children 2-5 *CANCELLED*
2023-09-23 10:00 - 11:30 | Cedar Wood Preserve, 180 North Wawecus Hill Rd., Norwich, CT, 06360, United States
*THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED*
Children ages 2-5 (and their adults) are invited to join naturalist and educator Beth Sullivan and Avalonia Board member Elanah Sherman for a walk through the relatively flat trails at Norwich’s Cedar Wood Preserve. On this walk, we are going to use our senses to check out EVERYTHING! There is so much to see at this time of year: flowers and other plants; maybe some animals; and all sorts of insects! We will think about how everything in nature seems connected: birds and trees, bees and flowers, butterflies and milkweed. And we will think about changes the seasons might bring to them all. After the walk, we will gather at the trailhead for a craft project: creating seed bombs.
This event is limited to 8 – 10 children. All children must be accompanied by adults. Sturdy, closed-toe shoes are required. Bug repellant is strongly recommended and will be available at the event. Rain date September 24, 10-11:30
Accessibility Note:
Parking: Off-street lot with room for about 4 cars. One space is accessible to people with disabilities. The lot is located at trailhead. Parking is also available by the side of the road.
Trails: Long entry boardwalk with step at each end. (Accessible pathway to boardwalk has not yet been installed.) Some rocky spots at initial trail area, then grassy trails about 4 feet wide, with some dips and slopes. Some protrusions and tripping hazards.
Communication: This walk will be amplified. Sign language interpretation available upon request.
Avalonia Accessibility Statement
This free event is co-sponsored by the City of Norwich.
For more information, please contact Mary Anne Sherman at info@avalonialc.com or 860-884-3500.

Hike & Seek and Beyond at Preston Nature Preserve
2023-09-23 10:00 - 12:00 | Preston Nature Preserve, Krug Road, Preston, CT, United States
Enjoy a late September Hike (& Seek) at Preston Nature Preserve, one of Avalonia’s 27 Hike & Seek properties. Hike & Seek is a fun, non-competitive outdoor scavenger hunt. Learn about the nature of the Preserve while using clues to find the items listed. We will provide a trail map with clues or visit the Hike & Seek page for Preston Nature Preserve on our website where you will find a trail map and the Hike & Seek clues. Explore at your own pace and come up with your own clues for new Hike & Seek targets.
Long-time Avalonia volunteer and Groton Town committee member Joellen Anderson will meet you at the trailhead to explain what to look for on the trails. She’ll also tell you about Avalonia and the history of Preston Nature Preserve before you set off on your self-guided adventure. After your hike, let us know how many targets you found and what new ones you’d like to add. Share your photos on Instagram. Be sure to tag @avalonialandconservancy and include #MyAvalonia
PLEASE REGISTER HERE
Trails: Mostly mowed grass surface pathways through open meadows, some slopes, wide enough for several people to traverse side-by-side. One quarter-mile stretch of trail through upland woods, hilly and narrow, with some roots and rocks in the pathway, as well as occasional protruding branches. Some side trails not mowed may be more of a challenge.
Parking: Ample off-street lot, grass surface, room for about a dozen cars, no parking space accessible to people with disabilities. Lot is located on 38 Krug Road at the PNP trailhead. Additional parking is available along Krug Road.
Avalonia’s Accessibility Statement
For more information, please contact Mary Anne Sherman at info@avalonialc.com or (860) 884-3500.

Vernal Pool Adventure at Babcock Ridge - CANCELLED
2024-04-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Babcock Ridge, 113 Babcock Road, North Stonington, CT, United States
CANCELLED DUE TO WIND AND RAIN. NEW DATE TBD.

There’s no better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than to visit a woodland pond alive with the sights and sounds of newly awakened amphibians and invertebrates — and there’s no more exciting time to do so than at dusk when the local vernal pools are a noisy chorus of quacking wood frogs and bell-ringing spring peepers. As the skies darken, we’ll follow our ears for about a half-mile hike to the center of the Babcock Ridge Preserve where a dry hole last autumn is now a rain-soaked “wicked big puddle.”
This brimful temporary pond is a wetland nursery filled with a variety of exciting creatures. In addition to frogs, we’ll likely see marbled salamander youngsters, fairy shrimp, giant predaceous diving beetles, and the stars of the show, the exquisite yellow-spotted salamanders. We’ll use nets to collect pond residents and examine them at close range before releasing them unharmed, and if we’re especially lucky, we might also hear the booming hoots of barred owls and the peents of woodcock.
Bring a flashlight and a headlamp, wear warm clothes and waterproof boots, and don’t forget your spirit of adventure and curiosity on this family-friendly exploration of a fascinating part of the natural world.
Walk leader Bruce Fellman has been introducing people to vernal pool life for almost half-a-century. For more information, contact the leader at bruce.fellman@yale.edu or 860-599-4867.
To register for the adventure, which is free and open to the public but limited to 25 people, click on the link below. This program tends to fill up quickly, but If there’s sufficient interest, we’ll try to schedule additional walks. Note: heavy rain will postpone to Thursday, the 21st, same time, but light rain will be just perfect for bringing out the critters — and raincoat-clad naturalists.

REGISTER HERE

***
Accessibility Note
Parking: Small off-street lot, packed dirt surface, no accessible space, room for 7-8 cars. Lot located at Babcock Ridge Preserve trailhead. Additional parking available along the road.
Trails: Narrow in spots, some slopes, some protrusions into pathway, occasional wet areas. Off-pathway walking through open woods to vernal pool. Sampling for organisms involves dip-netting and getting hands wet. The hike back to the parking area takes place in the dark and is illuminated by flashlights and headlamps.
Communication: This walk will be amplified and may include live sonograms that provide pictorial representation of frog and bird calls.
Avalonia Accessibility Statement: https://avalonia.org/accessibility-for-people-with-disabilities-statement/
Accessibility point person: Mary Anne Sherman, 860-884-3500 or avalonialc@yahoo.com

Groton Earth Day Expo
2024-04-20 11:00 - 16:00 | Groton Public Library, 52 Newtown Road, Groton, CT, 06340
You are invited to join us at the Groton Earth Day Expo at the Groton Public Library on Saturday, April 20, 2024!
The mission of this event is to provide community members education and resources to live more sustainably. At the inaugural event in 2023, there were over 40 exhibitors, crafters, and guest speakers sharing sustainable initiatives, green living, climate awareness, volunteer opportunities, and more, with hundreds of attendees from New London County and beyond.
We look forward to seeing you!

Honoring Earth Day with a Wild Flora Walk at the Benedict Benson Preserve
2024-04-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Benedict Benson Preserve, Swantown Hill Road, North Stonington, CT, 06359, United States
Led by Avalonia naturalist Bruce Fellman, trek through the Benedict Benson Preserve to watch its uplands, centerpiece stream, and wetlands come to life with greening ferns, mosses, and wildflowers, from the rare Hepatica to the ubiquitous marsh marigolds.
REGISTER HERE

One of the critical precursors of the passage of the Clean Water Act, the landmark federal legislation whose 50 years of making a difference was celebrated in 2022, is Earth Day, the consciousness-raising holiday for the planet that began in 1970. As part of Avalonia’s ongoing tribute to the CWA, join naturalist and guide Bruce Fellman as we wade into moving waters, figuratively, if not literally, at the Benedict Benson Preserve on Sunday, April 21, shortly after Earth Day, from 10 a.m. until noon, in North Stonington to watch the refuge’s wetlands and its centerpiece stream come to life: a tribute to wise stewardship.
In keeping with our theme, we’ll pay close attention to the area around Lantern Brook, a delightful woodland stream that flows through the heart of the preserve and is wonderfully photogenic as it tumbles down a boulder field left behind by the glaciers that shaped this land. The area around the brook is paradise for botanists interested in mosses, ferns, lichens, and wildflowers, and while there are certain to be such stalwarts as Wood anemones, a number of violets, and Marsh marigolds in bloom, there’s one botanical gem known as the hepatica that we’ll scramble up a favored hillside to seek out. Hepaticas thrive in specific, rather “sweet” soil conditions unusual in our woods, but Benson has the right stuff in one area.
The Preserve features a typical Southern New England post-agricultural-abandonment upland forest dominated by oaks, beeches, birches, and hickories, many of them fully mature. Some are home to striking Pileated Woodpeckers, while others support a wide array of hardwood-forest songbirds, the most intriguing of which is the Cerulean Warbler. This stunning bird, which is listed as a Species of Special Concern in Connecticut, has been seen and heard at Benson and the surrounding area, and is one of the treasures we’ll be looking for as we walk the approximately mile and a half trail system in search of signs of spring.
The trailhead for the Benedict Benson Preserve is located at 100 Swantown Hill Road in North Stonington. A small parking area is on the West side of the road and there’s more parking on either side of Swantown. For more information and to register, visit the Events Calendar of Avalonia’s website: avalonia.org/events/ Please note: parts of the trail are pretty rugged, so while my pace is always family-friendly, the terrain, particularly our scramble up a rocky hillside in search of wildflowers, might not be suitable for small kids and the occasional elder. You’ll want to wear waterproof hiking boots, and trekking poles might be a good idea, too. Bring water and an energy bar, and, of course, binoculars and cameras. Don’t hesitate to call or email: 860-599-4867, or fellnature@sbcglobal.net.
***
Accessibility Note
Avalonia Accessibility Statement: https://avalonia.org/accessibility-for-people-with-disabilities-statement/
Accessibility point person: Mary Anne Sherman, 860-884-3500 or avalonialc@yahoo.com

***
The featured image is by Jodi Williams taken at Benedict Benson Preserve. Jodi received an Honorable Mention in the Wildflowers category in Avalonia’s 2023 Photo Contest.

Earthfest CT 2024
2024-05-18 11:00 - 15:00 | McCook Park, Niantic, CT, 06357, United States
The community comes together for an expressive celebration featuring environmental organizations (like us!), live animal exhibits, fun food vendors, and musical guests at McCook Point Park.
Come visit and say hello. We’ll have lots of info to share and a fun activity for the kids!
Visit www.earthdayeverydayct.org for more info.

Wequetequock Cove Clean Water Coalition Festival
2024-07-14 10:00 - 14:00 | CT
Avalonia will join other organizations and core communities on Sunday July 14 for the Wequetequock Cove Clean Water Coalition (WCCWC) Festival!
Funded in part through a grant from the Long Island Sound Stewardship Fund, this free festival is designed to engage the local community, recruit members for the WCCWC, and provide education about the watershed. Avalonia has a number of preserves and conservation easements within the watershed and is committed to the coalition’s efforts to enhance the quality of drinking water and recreational and ecological values within the Anguilla Brook/Inner Wequetequock Cove watershed.
This promises to be an educational, fun-filled, family-friendly experience, with music, food, and drink as well as an optional post-festival paddle in the outer Cove.
DETAILS:
Date: July 14, 2024
Time: 10 AM – 2 PM (Optional paddle: 3 PM – 5 PM)

Location:

Landside: The Hounds
769 Stonington Rd
Stonington, CT 06378
Paddle Launch Site: Barn Island boat launch

Secondary Launch Site: Stonington Marina (for equipment rental and non-paddlers)
Entry: Free to outdoor exhibits

Hope to see you there!

Water Fest 2024!!
2024-09-21 07:30 - 15:00 | CT
Sponsored by the Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed, Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, and the Lantern Hill Valley Alliance, come immerse yourself in issues of Community, Collaboration, Water, and Watershed Protection!

7:30-9 For early-bird hikers! Choose easy or rugged hikes on Lantern Hill
​9:30-4 Waterfest 24, at 72a Long Pond Road (the area between Homestead and Long Pond roads)
​9:15, 11:45, 1:45 Boat-cleaning demos: With hydrilla threatening in nearby lakes, it is important for everyone to observe best practices when moving a boat (even a kayak) from place to place.
​10 Yootây Singers honor the water who gives us life
11 Conversation Circle : Rahiem Eleazer, Tobias Glaza, Ed Lamoreaux, Maggie Favretti, Brenda Geer lead a discussion about how to collaborate across local cultural boundaries.
12 and 2 Guided Paddles to see where the fishway to bring river herring home will go
1pm Conversation Circle : Pollution Solutions and How to Make a Difference

​All Day: Swimming and Paddling
Fun Learning Activities and opportunities to share your knowledge and hear from local experts about how to care for the water and keep each other safe.
Participate in building our huge relationship map that shows how among all of us we know everyone!
Take part in the Mashantucket Pequot Museum’s Harvest Moon Market, only four minutes away! (11-3)
Details and Registration by visiting the Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed homepage or by clicking here.

Fourth Annual Earth Day Expo at the Groton Public Library
2026-04-25 11:00 - 16:00 | Groton Public Library, 52 Newtown Road, Groton, CT, 06340
Avalonia is proud to be an exhibitor at this annual, family-friendly event, featuring 50+ exhibitors, community organizations, and vendors sharing resources and information on sustainable initiatives, green living, and more.

Join us for a fun-filled day of caring for our planet. This event will be held rain or shine, and additional parking will be available at Thrive 55+ Active Living Center.

Visit Fourth Annual Earth Day Expo to find out more
