Three months and 214 guided adventures later, the final week of The Last Green Valley’s (TLGV) Spring Outdoors program is here. In only its second year, Spring Outdoors’ growth is approaching that of its autumn companion Walktober, with walks, hikes, pedals, paddles and more connecting people to the National Heritage Corridor year-round!

Spring out with your family and friends to witness the wonders of The Last Green Valley. Saturday, June 17^th offerings:

• “John E. Jackman Tour de Mansfield” features three different bike routes (7, 20 and 40 miles) starting at 7 am that allow you to explore Mansfield’s historic districts, downtown Storrs, and the UConn campus. Helmets required, as these rides are on open roads. For fees, registration and details call 860-429-3015 or email mdp@mansfieldct.org.
• “Post Timber Harvest Walk” starts in Goodwin Forest in Hampton at 9 am, and a DEEP Forester will explain the recent timber harvest that you might have spotted as you drive by on Route 6. Bring questions and your hiking shoes!
• “Trees on Woodstock Hill” takes an entirely different look at trees on a tour of the 100 year old Palmer Arboretum at 10 am. Volunteers have been working on restoring this hidden gem and can’t wait to show off the many special trees here.
• “Pitch Pine Preserve Hike” is a difficult trek for experienced hikers through a pitch pine ridge forest, over uneven and sometimes steep terrain in Groton with the Groton Open Space Association. Please pre-register by calling 860-536-9811, and no dogs on this one.
• “Father’s Day Rail Flea Market” is great for the whole family at the CT Eastern Railroad Museum in Willimantic starting at 10 am. Entry fees apply, but if you love “railroadiana,” toy & model trains, books and rail artifacts, this is the event for you!
• The Mill Museum in Willimantic is also proud to offer the “Textile Duo” showing off Spin, Weave & Knit with speakers, vendors, demonstrations, and more. Entry fees apply.
• “Dam Tours ARE Very Popular” and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rangers at Buffumville Dam in Charlton will take you on an exclusive tour, inside and out, rain or shine from 11 am – 1 pm. There are lots of stairs that lead down into the dam without ADA access.
• Leffingwell House Museum in Norwich offers “Guys with Guns Manly Day” from 11 am – 4 pm. Of course the gals will love it too, as the Guns of Norwich & Lebanon Towne Militia Co. 1775 are always on target for providing a great time. Small entry fee of $5.
• “Got Milk?” is a family-fun day at Blue Slope Farm in Franklin, from 1 – 4 pm. Enjoy a day on the farm like it used to be. Milk a cow, take a horse ride, meet lots more animals, enjoy some Cabot Cheese & The Farmer’s Cow products, view vintage equipment, tools & farming implements, plus tons more for kids of all ages. $7 each for ages 10+, children ages 4-10 are $3 each.
• Tour “The Fenn” and learn from dynamic duo Bet & Patrick. Learn why and how they purchased and preserved this land with hosts ECFLA/WDLT in Woodstock along the shores of Roseland Lake. For details contact bill@tlgv.org.

Sunday, June 18^th is a great day to visit the “Coventry Farmers’ Market at Hale Homestead” featuring “Carbs & Carburetors” from 11 am – 2 pm. It is a party and fair-like atmosphere with some of the best of CT-grown and CT-made products gathered in one of the most unspoiled countryside settings in the state.

Take a “Trail Wood Bird Walk” in Hampton on Tuesday, June 20^th at 8 am with Andy from the CT Audubon Society as he finds various nesting birds like warblers and buntings. $5 for CAS members, $10 for non-members.

Later that Tuesday evening June 20^th, “Paddle Killingly’s Mashapaug Lake Paddle” floats off at 5:30 pm. This is a leisurely flatwater paddle. For more info and other paddle events with this active group, see their facebook.com/paddlekillingly page.

Close out Spring Outdoors and the spring season with the “Wyndham Land Trust’s Summer Solstice Gathering” on the longest day of the year, Wednesday, June 21^st, from 7 – 9 pm on their Duck Marsh Preserve in Pomfret. The scenery and sunsets are stunning and this is a great way to get answers to your questions about what land trusts do from the friendly people who do it.

Seasons come and go so quickly, and The Last Green Valley offers recreational opportunities in every one.  Visit www.thelastgreenvalley.org or TLGV’s Facebook page to see what is happening in every season!

The Last Green Valley is a National Heritage Corridor – the last stretch of dark night sky in the coastal sprawl between Boston and Washington, D.C.  The Last Green Valley works for you in the National Heritage Corridor. Together we can care for it, enjoy it and pass it on!