Avalonia Land Conservancy

Trail work at Reed Memorial Woodlands and Mitchell Preserve in Preston and North Stonington!
2025-05-10 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Reed Mitchell Preserve, Near 371 Northwest Corner Road (right side) in North Stonington, North Stonington, CT, 06359, United States
Avalonia and the Sustainability Team of Preston invite you join them at the Reed Memorial Woodlands and Mitchell Preserve in North Stonington/Preston, on Saturday May 10 from 9-12.

Sometimes simple tasks are the most enjoyable! Take in the lush greenery fed by Main Brook, the ingenuity of the beavers, and breathtaking views from atop cedar dotted knolls all while helping us cut back overgrowth and revive and re-blaze sections of the trails. Whether you are new to Avalonia or a longtime volunteer, this will be a chance to get acquainted with (or reacquainted with) some of the basics of preserve stewardship in an informal and friendly setting.
Volunteers are asked to bring gloves, sturdy footwear, and drinking water. If you have loppers, clippers and/or handsaws, feel free to bring them. While not required in order to participate, please consider registering here. This will help us in the planning process. A confirmation email will contain additional event details including specifics regarding parking.
Hope to see you on the trails!

Rocky Road: A Geological Exploration of Pine Swamp Wildlife Corridor in Ledyard
2025-05-10 10:00 - 11:30 | Pine Swamp and Wildlife Corridor, 113 Whalehead Rd, Gales Ferry, CT, 06335, United States
You’ve heard of tree-hugging…but boulder-hugging?
Join geologist Mary DiGiacomi-Cohen for a tour of Pine Swamp Preserve that explores the physical characteristics and geologic history of the area. We’ll learn to understand and apply terms like glaciation, dirt machine, shear zone, meltwater deposition, and eolian processes. We’ll deploy several of our senses, including sight, touch, and taste, during our exploration of this special environment.
Saturday, May 10, 2025
10 am – 11:30 am
Rain date: Saturday, May 17, 2025 (same time)
Participants will have the opportunity to get a little gritty, get a handle on a gneiss vug (huh?), and, yes, hug a boulder.
Post-tour reception will include beverages and gluten-free Rocky Road brownies. (No rocks will have been hurt in the making of these brownies!)
Parking: Room for up to three vehicles in a small lot. Additional parking is available on the side of the road on Stone Court (diagonally across from the lot).
Accessibility Note:
Parking: No accessible parking.
Trail: Trail begins at lot. Surface ranges from stony to packed earth and grass, with some roots and widths of two feet to six feet. Slope varies from level to some short, steep areas with slope as high as 1:4 (one inch of slope for every four inches of travel). An approximately 30 foot area may require some scrambling.
Communication: Walk will be amplified. Tour will include rich verbal description.
< The sign language interpretation for this event has been cancelled >

For more info, contact: accessibility@avalonialc.org (860) 884-3500.
Register:
Fill out my LGL Form!

Earthfest CT 2025 in East Lyme
2025-05-17 11:00 - 15:00 | McCook Park, Niantic, CT, 06357, United States
SAVE THE DATE!
Join Avalonia and scores of vendors at McCook Point Park in Niantic, CT on Saturday, May 17, 2025 (rain date Sunday, May 18), from 11 am – 3 PM for this annual event. There will be music, food, and fun activities for the kids.
Visit EarthDayEveryDay for more details about the day’s activities and events.

Leave It to the Beavers: A Journey into the Heart of the Henne
2025-05-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Donald R. Henne Memorial Preserve, Babcock Road, North Stonington, CT, 06359, United States
Wednesday, May 21, 2025. 10:00 AM to 12 noon
Avalonia Land Conservancy’s Donald R. Henne Memorial Preserve.
Join naturalist Bruce Fellman for a special exploration, co-hosted by Avalonia and the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers, of the Henne Preserve’s 100 acres of uplands and wetlands, which include an abundance of ecological diversity. The walk is free and open to the public, and along the trail, we’ll comb the uplands for its array of wildflowers and ferns; vernal pools filled with amphibians, gray tree frogs in particular; reptiles such as nest-making Snapping turtles and personal space defending Black racers; and colorful songbirds, from Baltimore orioles and Yellowthroat warblers, to Tree swallows and various woodpeckers. We’ll also learn how to convert bird calls into accessible and identifiable sound prints, and examine the beaver-created wetlands to see, first hand, how these “eager” rodents have transformed local habitats throughout North America.
At Henne, beavers have helped make the preserve home to numerous dragonflies and butterflies, geese and ducks, and wetlands plants, as well as the site of a large and thriving Great Blue Heron rookery—more than 22 active and noisy nests, according to a recent count.
The refuge, and its Shunock River centerpiece, is part of an integrated system of the adjoining Babcock Ridge and Erisman preserves that together emphasize the critical importance of protecting intact watershed ecosystems. We’ll get to see this up close and personal along the trail.
Meet at 113 Babcock Road (0.9 miles from Wyassup Road or 0.8 miles from Route 49). The parking area is on the north side of the road. The trailhead for the Henne walk is nearby. Bring binoculars, camera gear, hand lenses, water, insect repellent, and sunscreen, and please download the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s Merlin Bird ID app to your smartphone in advance of our walk. (merlin.allaboutbirds.org/download/)

REGISTER HERE

Accessibility Note for Donald R. Henne Memorial Preserve
Parking: Small off-street lot, packed dirt surface, no accessible space, room for 7-8 cars. Lot located at Babcock Ridge Preserve trailhead, 113 Babcock Road, North Stonington, CT. Additional parking available along the road. Short walk, approximately 100 feet, along the side of Babcock Road to access the Henne trailhead at the north end of the Preserve.
Trails: Narrow throughout, often with room enough for only one person to walk, some slopes, some protrusions into pathway, and occasional wet areas, some of which are crossed using narrow wooden bridges. Off-pathway walking through open woods to a hillside of downed trees felled by beavers. Wildlife observation area atop five-foot-wide boardwalk that spans open water and, though designed to accommodate horse traffic, is somewhat rough, uneven, and can feel wobbly in places, especially during periods of high water.
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

Greet-the-Morning Hike at Tefftweald at Birchenturn Preserve in North Stonington
2025-06-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Tefftweald at Birchenturn, 282 Grindstone Hill Road, North Stonington, CT, 06359, United States
From time immemorial, observers have found poetry—and poetic prose—in nature. Whatever form your observations have taken, we’ll have plenty to observe and record as we greet the morning and hike Avalonia Land Conservancy’s Tefftweald at Birchenturn Preserve in North Stonington.
Tefftweald, a former Girl Scout camp, is a 77-acre masterpiece of upland forest, meadows, wetlands, old graveyards and cellar holes, and its wonderfully photogenic Wyassup Brook always offers inspiration. We’ll explore the woodland trails at a pace leisurely enough to enable everyone to give the Preserve a close read and stop often enough to capture the abundant plants and animals, from early blooming Mountain laurels to birds, butterflies, and dragonflies.
At the Poet’s Bench, we’ll pause to give everyone who’s willing the chance to share a treasured bit of verse. 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 47 years.
Registration is limited to 25.
Register Here

Accessibility Note:

Parking: Small lot located about 100 yards down an unnamed gravel-and-dirt side street off of Grindstone Hill Road (approximately 281 Grindstone Hill Road) at the start of the Tefftweald at Birchenturn Preserve’s main trail. Lot with packed dirt surface, no accessible space, room for 8–10 cars. Additional parking available along the road.
Trails: Narrow in spots, some slopes, some protrusions into pathway, occasional wet areas, and occasional off-trail walking.
Communication: This walk will be amplified; sign language interpretation will be provided.

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

Featured image: Avalonia’s Tefftweald at Birchenturn by Sherry April

Glemboski-Ous Preserve Opening
2025-08-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Glemboski-Ous Preserve, South Road, Bozrah, United States
Please join us for the opening of our newest preserve, Glemboski-Ous, a beautiful 160-acre jewel that crosses Trading Cove Brook in Bozrah, Connecticut, with a dedication, ribbon cutting, refreshments, and a guided hike.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9 at 10 AM
Rain date: Sunday, August 10, 2025
REGISTER HERE
South Road (approximately 1 mile from Route 163), Bozrah, CT
Park in the lot on South Road (across from 102 South Road)

Accessibility details:
Structural: Parking lot includes one accessible space adjacent to the trailhead. Entry trail is about five feet wide, with a packed stone dust surface. This trail leads to a bridge with a threshold at each end of about one and one-half inches. Bridge is six feet wide. Handrails are about four and one-half feet tall. After the bridge, the trail widens to about seven feet and has a slope from 1:8 to 1:6. Surface is rocky and uneven. Side trails are narrow, with surface obstructions.
Communication: This event will be amplified. Sign language interpretation upon request and based upon availability.

For more information, please contact accessibility point person, Mary Anne Sherman at avalonialc@yahoo.com or 860-884-3500.

Preston Nature Preserve Reopening After Nesting Season
2025-08-16 | Preston Nature Preserve, Krug Road, Preston, CT, United States
Our passive listening devices recorded several species of ground-nesting birds in the spring of 2024 at the Preston Nature Preserve. Since many of these are birds of conservation concern, we closed the preserve to visitors for the 2025 nesting season (April 15 – August 15). No visitors were allowed in during this time. This afforded a safe space for these birds, whose only nesting option is grasslands. This measure is a common conservation practice and is in keeping with the management plan that governs the Preserve.
We are thrilled to announce that the Preston Nature Preserve will re-open for human visitors and their leashed canine companions on August 15, 2025, and we encourage you to visit!
Thank you for your patience!

Volunteer Day: Invasive Species Removal at Anguilla Brook Northern Headwaters Preserve
2025-09-27 09:00 - 12:00 | Anguilla Brook Northern Headwaters Preserve, 33 N Anguilla Road, North Stonington, CT, 06359, United States
Join the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District (ECCD) and Avalonia Land Conservancy for a hands-on volunteer day at the Anguilla Brook Northern Headwaters Preserve in Stonington/North Stonington.

We’ll be working along the brook to remove invasive plants such as Autumn olive, multiflora rose, bittersweet, and Japanese barberry. This important first step will make way for planting native trees, including Atlantic white cedar, to restore a rare cedar swamp and establish a riparian buffer.

All participants will receive training in invasive plant identification and best management practices. Tools and light refreshments will be provided. Please wear sturdy footwear, bring thick gloves and water, and feel free to bring loppers or clippers if you have them.

Registration is required to participate. A confirmation email will include parking information and additional details.
Register here: https://InvasiveVolunteerDay1.eventbrite.com

Funding provided by the USDA Forest Service, administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Dragonfly Mercury- an Exciting Volunteer Opportunity at Avalonia's Yannatos Preserve Sponsored by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council
2025-09-27 12:00 - 14:00 | CT
The Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council (WPWCRSC) is excited to announce a new opportunity to get involved with The Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP)—https://www.nps.gov/articles/about-the-dmp.htm, a nationwide community science effort that enlists volunteers to collect dragonfly larvae for mercury testing. Mercury is a global pollutant that, in large amounts, can be toxic to humans and wildlife. The data from this field study help scientists and resource managers better understand and fight mercury contamination. Since 2009, over 6,000 volunteers have helped collect dragonfly larvae at more than 140 parks and other protected areas across the US, making the DMP the nation’s largest mercury assessment effort.
Now, you can be part of it—right here on our local Wild and Scenic Rivers. We’re looking for approximately 8 volunteers at each site to help us collect samples, learn about dragonfly larvae, and get hands-on with river science. Be prepared to get muddy (and maybe a little wet!) while making a real contribution to environmental research.

Volunteer Opportunities:
Wednesday, September 24 – 10AM to 12PM at Arcadia Management Area Check Station, Exeter, RI (RIDEM)
Saturday, September 27 – 9AM to 11AM at Mastuxet Brook Greenway North, Westerly, RI (Westerly Land Trust)

Saturday, September 27 – 12PM to 2PM at Yannatos Preserve, Wyassup Brook and Green Fall River confluence, N Stonington, CT (Avalonia Land Conservancy)
**Important to note that these events are pending approval from the states of CT and RI for the scientific collector’s permit, which are currently under review.

What to expect:
-Training and guidance from WPWCRSC National Park Service Natural Resources Manager

-A field day at local rivers or streams to collect dragonfly larvae
-The chance to learn more about mercury, watershed science, and community action
-Your contributions informing science, policy, and public health

By volunteering, you’ll help fill critical data gaps in Rhode Island and Connecticut, where mercury contamination in fish is known but understudied in rivers and streams. Your participation will not only contribute to national research but also support WPWCRSC Stewardship Plan goals—engaging the community, raising awareness, and teaching watershed science through hands-on exploration. No prior experience is needed—WPWCRSC will provide training, supplies, and guidance. All you need is curiosity, a willingness to get outside, and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.

To register, RSVP here by Mon, September 22.
https://forms.gle/c3KEvdNXBCTUvFFR9

Upcoming Landscape Mobile App Tutorial
2025-10-07 18:30 - 19:30 | CT
The lifeblood of Avalonia has always been the passion and commitment of its volunteers! This is no more evident than in the realm of stewardship where we rely on volunteers to assist in maintaining trails, monitoring properties, and to engage in a variety of conservation projects.
Scan QR code to register
Avalonia’s volunteers have more than met the call by embracing the use of Landscape land conservation software and its accompanying mobile app. We began our transition to this program nearly two years ago and since then we’ve held numerous formal and informal training sessions. Since May of this year, we have dedicated the first Tuesday of each month for virtual tutorials and trouble shooting sessions for existing Landscape users.
Our “critical mass” of volunteers using the Landscape mobile app has certainly grown, with nearly 60 active users, but we are looking, this coming October 7 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm, to engage with first time users in a virtual training session. Prerequisites are few …access to a computer, use of a smart phone, a one hour attention span, and the desire to apply what you learn one one or more of our beautiful preserves.
Register here so that a user profile can be developed for you and so that any necessary information can be funneled your way in advance of October 7th.

Dodge Paddock & Beal Preserve Marsh Restoration Field Trip and Workshop
2025-10-16 10:00 - 15:00 | Stonington Community Center, 28 Cutler Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
Get Ready for Coastal Resilience Month!
October is Long Island Sound Coastal Resilience Month, and we are teaming up with Long Island Sound Partnership and Connecticut Sea Grant for a field trip they are hosting to the marsh restoration project at Dodge Paddock and Beal Preserve in Stonington Borough. We will start the day at the Stonington Community Center, joined by Connecticut Sea Grant and local volunteers who helped make this project possible. They will share behind-the-scenes project details, lessons learned, and discuss plans for the future, followed by a guided tour of the site.
Find out all the details — lunch will be provided!
REGISTER HERE

Upcoming Landscape Mobile App Tutorial
2025-12-02 18:30 - 19:30 | CT
The lifeblood of Avalonia has always been the passion and commitment of its volunteers! This is no more evident than in the realm of stewardship where we rely on volunteers to assist in maintaining trails, monitoring properties, and to engage in a variety of conservation projects.
Scan QR code to register
Avalonia’s volunteers have more than met the call by embracing the use of Landscape land conservation software and its accompanying mobile app. We began our transition to this program nearly two years ago and since then we’ve held numerous formal and informal training sessions. Since May of this year, we have dedicated the first Tuesday of each month for virtual tutorials and trouble shooting sessions for existing Landscape users.
Our “critical mass” of volunteers using the Landscape mobile app has certainly grown, with nearly 60 active users, but we are looking, this coming December 2 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm, to engage with first time users in a virtual training session. Prerequisites are few …access to a computer, use of a smart phone, a one hour attention span, and the desire to apply what you learn one one or more of our beautiful preserves.
Register here so that a user profile can be developed for you and so that any necessary information can be funneled your way in advance of December 2th.

Trail Work at Founders Preserve In Ledyard
2025-12-04 | CT
Join Avalonia Land Conservancy for a hands-on volunteer day at the new Founders Preserve in Ledyard.

We’ll be working along the main trail near the dam on Tribrook Pond to remove obstructive invasive plants such as Autumn olive, multiflora rose, bittersweet, and Japanese barberry. This important first step will give us visual access to the roadway and allow us to better plan for a potential bridge.

We plan to meet at the preserve parking area at 334 Colonel Ledyard Highway on December 4 at 9:30. It is a third of mile walk from the trail head to worksite. We’ll work until about mid-day.

All participants will receive training in invasive plant identification and best management practices. Tools and light refreshments will be provided. Please wear sturdy footwear (muck boots or low waders might be a good idea), bring thick gloves, and drinking water.

Avalonia's Annual Members Meeting 2025
2025-12-07 | Ledyard Congregational Church Fellowship Hall, 722 Colonel Ledyard Hwy, Ledyard, CT, 06339, United States
SAVE THE DATE
Join us for Avalonia’s Annual Members Meeting on Sunday, December 7, 2025, from 3 – 5 pm at Ledyard Congregational Church Fellowship Hall. Catch up with friends while you hear what Avalonia’s been up to, and what we have planned for 2026. Light refreshments will be served.

Accessibility Note:
Structural: The meeting site offers good accessibility in regard to parking, entry, main room, and bathrooms.
Communication: The meeting will be amplified. For sign language interpretation, please submit your request by 12/1/25.
For detailed accessibility information, please email accessibility@avalonialc.org or call (860) 884-3500.

RSVP HERE
