Avalonia Land Conservancy

Right Trees for the Right Time Online Workshop: Part 4
2021-10-22 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Judy Benson, CT Sea Grant
Focused on New England forests, this October workshop is provided through a Long Island Sound Study Futures Fund Grant led by the University of Connecticut’s Sea Grant program in collaboration with the Avalonia Land Conservancy and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS).
The 4-part program will be virtual, except for one field-based component that can focus a 2-hour trip to a local forest to apply the principles that your team will be learning. The total time commitment will be about 6-8 hours over the month of October.
The 4-part program:

October 1, 2021 (Friday) from 1-2:30 PM EST. VIRTUAL, RECORDED
October 8, 2021 (Friday) from 1-2:30 EST. A VIRTUAL interactive session
Approximately 2 hours for Field Work at a time, date and local forest of your team’s choosing. Alternatively, your team can visit the Hoffman Evergreen Preserve in Stonington, CT on Saturday October 16 from noon to 2 PM with a rain date of Sunday October 17.
October 22, 2021 (Friday) from 1 – 2:30 EST. A VIRTUAL interactive session

This Workshop is offered at no cost, but please gather a core team of participants (2-4) who can participate in all four sessions of the workshop. If you cannot raise a team, but wish to participate individually, we can accommodate you if you can commit to the four workshop sessions.
Please click on links below:
Workshop Information
Workshop Registration
This workshop builds on the information presented in the 4-part UConn CLEAR webinar series, Finding the Right Trees for the Right Time (See archived webinars). However, you do not need to have listened in on webinars to participate in the workshop.
You can read more about the Hoffman Evergreen Preserve Project here.
If you have any questions, please contact Juliana Barrett (CT Sea Grant): Juliana.barrett@uconn.edu or Sharon Lynch (Avalonia Land Conservancy): slynch@gwu.edu

Avalonia Annual Meeting 2021
2021-12-02 18:30 - 20:30 | The Velvet Mill, 22 Bayview Avenue, Stonington, CT, United States
Avalonia’s 2021 Annual Meeting will take place at the Velvet Mill, 22 Bayview Avenue, Stonington, CT on Thursday, Dec 2 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Join us for appetizers and pizza provided by Woodfellas Pizza!
We will vote on new Board members, thank our outgoing Board members, give out our Nature’s Hero award, and premiere our new Avalonia video! (But don’t worry, we will keep the speechifying brief, so that you can catch up with old friends!)
Please RSVP by Monday, November 29. RSVP HERE
Thank you!

Connecticut Association of Wetland Scientists - Virtual Meeting
2022-03-09
Information & Register

Connecticut’s annual World Water Day event
2022-03-21 12:00 - 13:00
This year, Rivers Alliance, Save the Sound, The Nature Conservancy, Clean Water Action, CT River Conservancy, CT Land Conservation Council, CT League of Conservation Voters, Citizens Campaign for the Environment and other partners are coming together for an online celebration exploring “Groundwater – Making the Invisible Visible.” We’ll also be recognizing and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, how far we’ve come and how we can all do our part to protect clean water.
Please join us on Monday, March 21, from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. for a free online event including:

Remarks from Gov. Lamont;
A “Groundwater 101” presentation; and
A panel discussion that will explore threats to groundwater and steps we can all take to ensure every Connecticut resident has access to clean water, now and in the future.

Register for this event

A Vernal Pool Adventure, Babcock Ridge Preserve
2022-03-23 18:30 - 20:00
Babcock Rd, North Stonington
Spring is right around the corner, and the frogs, salamanders, and aquatic invertebrates that have spent the colder season in hiding will be coming back to life in the temporary wetlands known as vernal pools.
At twilight, we’ll hike the trail—it’s about a half-mile, somewhat hilly walk—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.
All attendees must be fully vaccinated and, if possible, boosted; since we’ll be outside, masks are not required.
Note: heavy rain will postpone to the 24th, same time, but light rain will be just perfect for bringing out the critters; dress accordingly.
Register

Stewardship Day - April 9, 2022
2022-04-09
Spring has sprung and it’s time to clean up the trails! If you are itching to get outside, we have multiple opportunities to help clear the trails, remove invasives, and more. All stewardship activities will be on Saturday, April 9. Times vary by location – see below for preserve locations and details.
In general, bring gloves, bug spray, and loppers (if you have them.) If you don’t have them, that is OK – we try to have extras.
Register
Griswold

Location: Dutka Preserve (meet at corner of Bethel Lane and Dutka Road)
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Activity: Trail Installation
What to Bring: Gloves, bug spray, water, loppers, chainsaw (if you are qualified and have safety gear)
Leader: Dick Conant (contact details will be sent out to registrants)

Groton

Location: Moore Woodlands (entrance at Capstan Avenue)
Time: 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Activity: Trail clean-up, Invasive removal, stonewall clean-up
What to Bring: Gloves, bug spray, water, loppers
Leader: Bonnie Castellani (contact details will be sent out to registrants)

Ledyard

Location: Barrett Preserve, 904 Long Cove Road, across from Mount Vernon Drive, limited parking available on mowed path at preserve, additional parking on Mount Vernon Drive
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Activity: invasive and black birch removal, blazing the western side of the trail, sealing the bench overlooking waterfall
What to Bring: loppers and pruners (if you have them), insect/tick repellent, water, a desire to help and enjoy your neighbors 🙂
Contact: Laurie Gorham (contact details will be sent to registrants

North Stonington (two opportunities)

Location: Sheets Family Forest (park across from 94 Puttker Road)
Time: 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Activity: Build bog bridges, trail clean-up
What to Bring: Gloves, bug spray, water, loppers, heavy hoes, one hammer, battery-powered screwdriver, one folding pruning saw
Leader: Carl Tjerandsen (contact details will be sent out to registrants)

Location: TriTown Forest (parking at 91 Miller Road)
Time: 10:30 am – 1:00 pm
Activity: Build bog bridges, trail clean-up
What to Bring: Gloves, bug spray, water, loppers, heavy hoes, one hammer, battery-powered screwdriver, one folding pruning saw
Leader: Carl Tjerandsen (contact details will be sent out to registrants)

Stonington

Location: Knox Preserve (parking at Wilcox Road)
Time: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Activity: Invasive removal, stonewall clean-up
What to Bring: Gloves, bug spray, water, loppers,
Leader: Beth Sullivan (contact details will be sent out to registrants)

Register

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

Tree Planting at Hoffman Evergreen Preserve
2022-04-25 12:00 - 15:00 | Hoffman Evergreen Preserve, 580-632 CT-201, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
Planting season is again upon us and Avalonia’s efforts at the Hoffman Evergreen Preserve in Stonington continue! This coming Monday April 25th from noon – 3:00 we will be planting more bare root seedlings at Hoffman as a part of the larger climate resiliency work underway there and would welcome any help you might be able to give.
Many of you will be familiar with the efforts there over the past several years. For those of you who aren’t, the following offer a quick intro to the ecological underpinnings:
https://avalonia.org/creating-the-forest-of-the-future-at-hoffman-evergreen-preserve/
https://forestadaptation.org/adapt/demonstration-projects/avalonia-land-conservancy-and-connecticut-sea-grant-hoffman-evergreen
Whatever your level of familiarity, please consider joining us this coming Monday afternoon. Directions can be found here. Feel free to bring you own shovel and gloves, but if that’s not possible, Avalonia will have a supply on hand. Work will consist of hiking out to the planting locations and some shallow digging for planting bare root seedlings. Understanding that weekdays might be difficult for some, we plan to have a number of weekend sessions at Hoffman as well.
Contact: Tobias Glaza at tglaza@avalonialc.org

Register

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

May Day Walk at Paffard Woods
2022-05-01 13:00 - 15:00 | Paffard Woods, N Main St., Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
Look for Signs of Spring on May Day!
Join Beth Sullivan for a walk in the early spring woods. We will spend time on a loop trail that leads us over three stream crossings and sit for a while to listen to the brook. We should find several spring wildflowers, listen for birds and enjoy the greening of the woods. Great photo opportunities. The trail we will take is a little rough in spots, roots, stones and a few ups and downs. Bring a walking stick if that will help. Kids are welcome. A little mud is guaranteed.
Photo credit: Beth Sullivan

Register

In Search of Birds and Beavers
2022-05-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Donald R. Henne Memorial Preserve, Babcock Road, North Stonington, CT, 06359, United States
The Donald R. Henne Memorial Preserve in North Stonington is a case study of the benefits of the Clean Water Act, which is celebrating a half-century of safeguarding the nation’s water resources. On Saturday, May 14th, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, we’ll explore Henne and its wetlands, which have become a haven for fish, aquatic invertebrates, especially dragonflies, aquatic plants, waterfowl, and an assortment of other birds that thrive in wetlands habitats. In a slow-paced, mile and a half, family friendly hike led by Avalonia naturalist Bruce Fellman, we’ll first comb the uplands for returning migratory songbirds and newly awakened Gray tree frogs then follow the trail along the edge of Henne’s freshwater marshes in search of Osprey, tree swallows, which nest in tree holes hammered out by woodpeckers, singing warblers, and the refuge’s signature species, the Great blue heron. A recent heron count documented 22 nests, many of them active, in a rapidly expanding rookery area, and we’ll zero in on the nests to look for the first hatchlings.

We’ll also scan the water and the woods for signs of beavers. These premier wetlands architects have recently been very active at Henne and resulted in semi-submerged sections of trail, so wear waterproof boots! Bring binoculars, bug spray, cameras, kids, and your curiosity.
All attendees must be fully vaccinated and, if possible, boosted; since we’ll be outside, masks are not required.
REGISTER
Bruce Fellman can be reached at fellnature@sbcglobal.net or by phone: 860-599-4867. Heavy rain will postpone to the 15th, same time.

Tefftweald Nature Trek
2022-06-04 10:00 - 12:00 | Tefftweald at Birchenturn, 282 Grindstone Hill Road, North Stonington, CT, 06359, United States
Explore the human and natural history of the Tefftweald at Birchenturn Nature Preserve where we’ll enjoy the migrating birds, emerging butterflies and other insects, a variety of blooming wildflowers, and the exquisite twists and turns of Wyassup Brook, an artist’s, writer’s, and photographer’s delight. Don’t hesitate to call or email: 860-599-4867, or fellnature@sbcglobal.net.
Photo credit: Bruce Fellman
Register

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

TriTown Forest Preserve Hike
2022-06-05 15:00 - 17:00 | TriTown Forest Preserve, 91 Miller Road, North Stonington, CT, United States
Sunday, June 5
Time: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Hike Leader: Stephen Colgan

Join us for a leisurely 2.5 mile hike in the TriTown Forest Preserve. We will follow the yellow trail which is generally flat but does have some short climbs and descents. If you look on the All Trails App, the trail is listed there as the TriTown Fenway Trail.

REGISTER HERE

Atlantic White Cedar Planting
2022-06-18 09:00 - 12:30 | White Cedar Swamp/Deans Mill Wildlife Corridor, Jerry Browne Road, Mystic, CT, 06355, United States
After many hours of site preparation, we’ve finally created a large enough opening to begin planting!
With nearly 50 Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) seedlings ready to plant in the wet, peaty soil of the White Cedar Swamp/ Deans Mill Wildlife Corridor Preserve, not only will you be helping to restore a portion of this wooded wetland, this can also be a great opportunity to learn a bit about the ecology of this critical habitat type. Funded in part by a grant from the Connecticut Association of Wetland Scientists.
No experience necessary. Gloves and sturdy footwear recommended. We will have extra shovels, gloves, and other tools. There is roadside parking between 265 Jerry Browne Road and the Aquarion Water Company.
Hope to see you there!

Trail Maintenance and Cleanup at North Stonington's Herman E. Sheets Family Forest
2022-06-25 09:30 - 12:30
If you would like to get outside and make a difference, then come experience the beautiful Green Fall River and surrounding forested uplands at the Herman E. Sheets Family Forest in North Stonington. On the morning of Saturday June 25th from 9:30-12:30, we will be focusing on trail maintenance and cleanup up the trailhead and parking area. This is in advance of the next day’s 7 Rivers Festival and our own Grand Opening of this preserve!
Parking is opposite 94 Puttker Road in North Stonington. Please consider joining us!

Sheets Family Forest Ribbon Cutting & Guided Hike
2022-06-26 13:00 | Sheets Family Forest, Puttker Road, North Stonington, CT, United States
Join Avalonia for the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of the Sheets Family Forest at 1:00 pm, followed by a guided hike by naturalist Bruce Fellman from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm.

This spectacular 86-acre preserve boasts a 3 mile trail and a half-mile of frontage along the Green Fall River. This preserve is part of the Wood Pawcatuck Watershed, which has received a Wild & Scenic designation.

Light refreshments will be available -all are welcome! The Sheets Family Forest is on Puttker Road in North Stonington, CT.

Preston Nature Preserve Walk
2022-08-06 10:00 - 12:30
At first glance, a natural meadow may look like nothing more than an unkempt lawn that a lazy homeowner has taken a holiday from mowing. But look closer and you’ll discover an amazing and often fascinating array of biological diversity.
The Preston Nature Preserve (PNP) offers explorers a pathway through several interconnected meadows that are at their prettiest in August, and on the 6th, from 10 a.m. to at least noon, Avalonia naturalist Bruce Fellman will guide visitors on a leisurely tour of the 56-acre refuge’s treasure trove of native plants and insects that thrive in the fields, as well as in the surrounding woods and wetlands. The botanical star of the meadow show is an expanse of Bee Balm, a native member of the mint family whose showy pink, red, and purple flowers are butterfly, bee, and beetle magnets.
If we’re lucky and patient, we’re often blessed with sightings of tiny hummingbird mimics known as hummingbird moths that find Bee Balm blooms irresistible—and this is just the tip of the floral iceberg. Joe Pye Weed, goldenrod, native grass, thistle, and aster flowers will also be bringing in the pollinators, and the milkweeds, though past their blossom time, will still be attracting Monarch butterflies, whose eggs and leaf-eating caterpillars we’ll seek. Last but hardly least, the PNP banquet usually includes a variety of dragonflies, birds, frogs, and even a deer or two.
Bring binoculars, hand lenses, cameras, notebooks, your natural history curiosity, and, if you have them, your kids and grandkids. Don’t forget the sunscreen, bug spray, water, and a hat—it’s an easy 1.5 mile hike, but it can be bright and hot in the fields. Please pre-register for the walk. For more information and directions, you can use my e-mail and phone number for more information: 860-599-4867, or fellnature@sbcglobal.net.
Preston Nature Preserve location
Register
Photo credit: Bruce Fellman

Autumn Adventure Walk with Bruce Fellman & sign language Interpreter Joy Valenti
2022-10-09 10:00 - 11:30 | Knox Preserve, Wilcox Road, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
Join Avalonia on Sunday morning, October 9th, from 10 to 11:30, for an Autumn Adventure Walk at Knox Preserve with naturalist Bruce Fellman and sign language interpreter Joy Valenti.
We’ll explore the shoreline of Quiambaug Cove, hike through an upland forest, and see fields of goldenrods and other fall wildflowers that are magnets to pollinators, from honeybees to butterflies, including Monarchs getting ready to head to Mexico. The air should also be filled with birds as they begin their migration south for the winter.
This walk is open to everyone – the pace will be leisurely. It is not wheelchair accessible, but the trail is mostly flat with limited hills and slopes.
Bruce is wonderful with children and anyone who is interested in learning about the natural world. This is also Avalonia’s first accessible walk for Deaf people and we are pleased to welcome Joy Valenti, who will provide sign language interpretation.
The Knox Preserve is located at 41 Wilcox Road in Stonington. Parking is along the street. Dogs are welcome, but must be leashed.
Register

Trail Maintenance and Invasive Plant Removal at Cedar Wood Preserve
2022-10-16 09:00 - 12:00 | Cedar Wood Preserve, 180 North Wawecus Hill Rd., Norwich, CT, 06360, United States
Join us on Sunday, October 16th from 9-12 at one of our northern gems, the Cedar Wood Preserve. This nearly 50-acre former farm boasts a combination of open fields, woodlands, and wetlands. Our efforts will focus on removal of invasive shrubs such as autumn olive and multiflora rose. In addition we will perform general trail maintenance. No experience required! On site training/guidance will be provided.
There is ample parking in the newly constructed parking/trailhead area, located opposite 183 North Wawecus Hill Road in Norwich. Gloves and sturdy footwear are recommended. Feel free to bring your favorite loppers, clippers, or other hand tools, but we will also have a selection of tools available. This a chance to see this beautiful preserve and assist in getting it ready for a grand opening.
Your registration will allow us to better plan for the day!
Thank you!

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for the Atkinson Preserve
2022-10-22 10:00
Join Avalonia for our Official Ribbon Cutting for the Atkinson Preserve at 760 Long Cove Road in Gales Ferry on Saturday, October 22. We will have cider, doughnuts, and cookies to enjoy while we celebrate this amazing preserve in Ledyard.
Immediately after the ribbon cutting, there will be a guided hike. All are welcome. Dogs must be leashed!
Register

Trail Maintenance and Invasive Plant Removal at Cedar Wood Preserve
2022-11-13 09:00 - 12:00 | Cedar Wood Preserve, 180 North Wawecus Hill Rd., Norwich, CT, 06360, United States
Join us on Sunday, November 13th from 9-12 at one of our northern gems, the Cedar Wood Preserve and help us get it ready for a grand opening and ribbon cutting. This nearly 50-acre former farm boasts a combination of open fields, woodlands, and wetlands. Our efforts will focus on removal of invasive plants such as autumn olive, multiflora rose, tree-of-heaven, and bittersweet In addition we will perform general trail maintenance. No experience required! On site training/guidance will be provided.
There is ample parking in the newly constructed parking/trailhead area, located opposite 183 North Wawecus Hill Road in Norwich. Gloves and sturdy footwear are recommended. Feel free to bring your favorite loppers, clippers, or other hand tools, but we will also have a selection of tools available.
Your registration will allow us to better plan for the day!
Thank you!

Cedar Wood Preserve - Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting
2022-11-19 10:00
Please join us as we cut the ribbon on Avalonia’s first preserve in Norwich, the Cedar Wood Preserve, across from 183 North Wawecus Hill Road. We will have cider and cookies to help us celebrate! The dedication will be held in the parking lot.
Immediately after the ribbon cutting, there will be a guided hike. All are welcome.
Parking: Parking will be available on the Preserve’s small lot, on the road, and at an adjoining property. Avalonia volunteers will be present to direct traffic.
Accessibility notes
Communication access: For written material in alternative format or sign language interpretation, please contact Terri Eickel at terri@avalonia.org
Parking: For the dedication, the accessible space in the lot is reserved for a speaker (but a few other spaces may be available). If you park on the road, expect to have to traverse the steep, stony entrance to the lot (making drop-off in the lot advisable). Parking at the adjoining property has the advantage of a lawn leading directly to the dedication site (thus avoiding the steep parking lot entrance).
Trails: Access to the trails currently has some obstructions, including building materials for the forthcoming accessible boardwalk. The trails themselves are about five feet wide and relatively level, but the grass surface presents accessibility challenges. (Funding is being sought to create trails that offer maximum accessibility.)
Questions on accessibility for this event? Contact Terri at terri@avalonia.org
Register

Avalonia Annual Meeting 2022
2022-11-30 18:30 - 20:30
Join us for Avalonia’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 30 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at Woodfellas Pizza at the Velvet Mill. Catch up with your Avalonia friends over pizza and drinks, while you hear about Avalonia’s work over 2022 and our plans for 2023.

RSVP’s are required – please contact Terri at terri@avalonialc.org to RSVP.

Two Day Bridge Build at Cedar Wood Preserve
2022-12-08 09:00 - 12:00
Two Day Bridge Build at Cedar Wood Preserve

Dates: Thursday and Friday, December 8th and 9th

Time: 9:00 am -12:00 pm

Join us at the newly opened Cedar Wood Preserve in Norwich for two consecutive mornings of bridge building! This is an opportunity to exercise your general carpentry skills as we work to finish up a walkway over a vernal pool. No woodworking experience? Not to worry, there is still a spot for you to assist in positioning materials, etc. On-site training/guidance will be provided.
There is ample parking in the newly constructed parking/trailhead area, located opposite 183 North Wawecus Hill Road in Norwich. Gloves and knee/hip boots are highly recommended (the recent rains have already begun to fill the area with water). Feel free to attend one or both days.
Although not required, your registration will allow us to better plan for the day!
Thank you!

A Vernal Pool Adventure, Babcock Ridge Preserve
2023-03-22 18:30 - 20:00 | Babcock Ridge, 113 Babcock Road, North Stonington, CT, United States
There’s no better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than to visit a woodland pond alive with the sounds and sights 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 to a group of special ponds at the center of the Babcock Ridge Preserve that were dry holes last autumn and are now filled to the brim 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 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. “As a kid, I liked to jump in puddles,” explained Bruce about his lifelong love of all things aquatic. “I guess I never grew up.”
Directions: Babcock Ridge
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, REGISTER HERE. This program tends to fill up quickly, but If there’s sufficient interest, we’ll try to schedule additional walks.

Stewardship Weekend - Saturday April 15 and Sunday April 16, 2023
2023-04-15 - 2023-04-16
Spring has sprung and it’s time to clean up the trails! If you are itching to get outside, we have multiple opportunities to help clear the trails, remove invasives, and more. Stewardship activities will be on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16. Times vary by location – see below for preserve locations and details.
In general, bring gloves, bug spray, and loppers (if you have them.) If you don’t have them, that is OK – we try to have extras.
Register here!
Griswold

Date: Sunday April 16, 2023 (rain date Saturday April 22)
Location: Dutka Nature Preserve (Dutka Lane parking lot immediately off Bethel Road on right-hand side)
Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Activity: Clearing, cutting, blazing nature trail
What to Bring: Gloves, rakes, bug spray, water, loppers
Leader: Dick Conant (contact details will be sent out to registrants)

Groton

Date: Saturday April 15, 2023 (rain date Sunday April 16)
Location: Leo Antonino Preserve (parking area at the cul de sac at the end of Antonino Road).
Time: 9:00 am -12:00 pm
Activity: Removal of stumps, branches and brush in a large area that will be mowed and replanted this spring. Parking and roadside/trail clean-up
What to Bring: Gloves, bug spray, water, loppers
Leader: Bonnie Castellani (contact details will be sent out to registrants)

North Stonington

Date: Saturday April 15, 2023 (rain date Sunday April 16)
Location: Yannatos/Jones Preserve (parking area between 111 and 117 Clark Falls Road, adjacent to Green Fall River). Carpool if possible.
Time: 9:00 am -12:00 pm
Activity: Parking and riverside area clean-up (invasives and brush), re-routing of small section of trail, and removal of livestock fencing
What to Bring: Gloves, bug spray, water, loppers
Leader: Tobias Glaza (contact details will be sent out to registrants)

Stonington

Date: Saturday April 15, 2023
Location: Copps Brook Preserve (parking just north of 115 Al Harvey Road)
Time: 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Activity: Invasive removal, pollinator garden preparation, and trail, fence, and stone wall maintenance
What to Bring: Gloves, bug spray, water, loppers, and/or rake
Leader: Beth Sullivan, Rick Newton, MaryEllen Mateleska (contact details will be sent out to registrants)

Ledyard

Date: Saturday April 15, 2023
Location: Avery Preserve (parking in lot at 32 Avery Hill Road)
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Ages: 12 years and above
Activity: Thinning/release cutting Beech tree saplings
Description: Beech trees in the eastern US are under threat from a number of new and specific pests, both fungal and insect. Beech Bark Disease and Beech leaf disease are examples. The Western parcel of the Avery preserve contains many American Beech trees ranging from very large mature specimens to much smaller saplings usually arising from suckering from roots of more mature trees. There is evidence of early-stage Beech Bark disease on some of the Beech including many of the larger trees. This will be fatal for the trees so infected. Beech Sooty fungus is also prevalent on branches in areas of concentrated tree numbers. The objective of the work party is to cut small saplings to release healthy looking specimens and encourage their growth so that they can eventually replace the infected larger trees.
What to Bring: Gloves, water bottle, hand saw and/or loppers, tick repellant
Leader: Laurie Gorham (contact details will be sent out to registrants)

Register here!

Groton Earth Day Expo Fair
2023-04-22 11:00 - 16:00
Saturday, April 22, 2023
11 am – 4 pm
at the Groton Public Library
FREE – rain or shine

Visit Avalonia at the Groton Earth Day Expo Fair this Saturday, April 22 at Groton Public Library.

40+ local and regional vendors, kid-friendly activities, vegan food, and speakers throughout the day!

Let’s celebrate Earth Day!

Event Link:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090882395624

Early Emergent Habitat Management: Continuation of the New England Cottontail Work at Appleton Preserve in North Stonington
2023-05-13 09:00 - 12:00
You are invited to join us on Saturday, May 13th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at Appleton Preserve, a part of the larger Bell Cedar Swamp.
We have been working to create and maintain habitat for the New England Cottontail and other fauna on a number of our preserves, in association with the Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge initiative. At Appleton Preserve, with our wildlife habitat piles (i.e. bunny piles) built, we turn our focus to the removal of autumn olive, multiflora rose, and black locust, invasive species that have crept into some of the early emergent habitat or “thicket”.
If you’ve assisted with this before, you know that it is not for the faint of heart. We will work in small teams of 2-3 to cut, remove, and treat these invasives. Stump painting with herbicide will be a component of this management effort, although there are plenty of other tasks to be done. Thick clothing and heavy gloves are recommended. Tools will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. No experience necessary. Plant identification tutorial provided on-site.
Although not required, please consider registering here to assist us in event planning.

Earthfest CT
2023-05-13 11:00 - 16:00
Avalonia is taking part in this year’s Earthfest CT!
Join us on Saturday, May 13 from 11 am – 4 pm at McCook Point Park in Niantic. We’ll be celebrating the earth at this free event which includes food trucks, music, activities for kids, live animals with our friends at DPNC, and more.
For a full list of organizations participating, visit: http://www.earthdayeverydayct.org
