June 10 – June 16, 2017

As the final days of spring and The Last Green Valley’s (TLGV) Spring Outdoors program wind down, there are still plenty of choices this week to spark your interest in all that makes The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor exceptional!

Ignite your desire to connect with history and natural resources on Saturday, June 10^th with these options:

• “Visit the Huguenot Steamer Fire Station Museum” in North Oxford, MA, with a tour and tales from 10 am – noon.
• “Get Up & Get Outdoors” from 10 am – 1 pm at Buffumville Park in Charlton. This family-fun event will focus on boating & water safety and fishing, too!
• “Quilting & Fiber Arts” brings all sorts of locally-inspired works, speakers & demonstrations to the Mill Museum in Willimantic from 10 am – 4 pm. Fees: $10 Adults, $5 Children.
• “The Legend of Uncas Leap” steps off at 10:30 am and is a popular Norwich walk featuring deep connections with the Mohegan Tribe, as well as grand views of the waterfall.
• “The River, Rails, Mills & Trails” walks back in time at 11 am to recall railroad history and the river that powered the mills of Willimantic. Plan to stay after the walk and visit the CT Eastern Railroad Museum for extended family fun. Small entry fee applies to the museum.
• “A Colonial Dinner for our Future Governor” serves up quail pie and all the delights that an 18^th century family would enjoy from 11am – 3 pm in Scotland. Children can make a special early CT wildlife booklet. Reduced admission fees.
• “Leffingwell House Museum” hosts an open house to show off their collection of tools, clothing, documents and stories galore from 11 am – 4 pm. First floor tour is free, small fee applies to enjoy the rest of this treasure in Norwich.
• Stretch your legs in Hampton on Goodwin Forest’s “Long Distance Guided Hike” leaving at 12 pm. Expect a 5-7 mile hike with nature’s tidbits pointed out along the trail.
• Joshua’s Trust has two tours, both from noon – 4 pm. “Atwood Farm Open House” and “Gurleyville Grist Mill Opening Day” are both located in Mansfield.
• “Tour Hale Homestead” in Coventry from 12 – 4 pm for free. As part of CT Open House Day, take this historic tour to learn where CT’s state hero came from.
• “Tom Callinan performs Songs from Troubadour Trail” celebrating Norwichtown, Mohegan Heritage, and Downtown at 2 pm at the Norwich Heritage & Regional Visitors Center.

Sleep well after a busy Saturday, because the activities continue on Sunday, June 11^th:

• “Paddle for a Cure” is a fundraiser for those in our community fighting cancer. Visit daykimball.org/paddle-for-a-cure for a pledge sheet (no fee to be a part of this paddle) and then to Riverside Park in Brooklyn at 10 am for the paddle.
• “Kayak the French River” with the U.S. Army Corps’ Rangers at Hodges Village Dam in Oxford at 10 am. Bring questions for the Rangers as you enjoy a paddle down the lazy river.
• “Coventry Farmers’ Market” features a weekly theme, and Homegrown How-To is up this week. Visit this fair-like market, filled with CT grown and made products from 11 am – 2 pm.
• “Bobcats with Paul Colburn” at Goodwin Forest has limited seating, and this presenter is always a sell-out. RSVP required to 860-455-9534 to assure your seat to learn all there is to know about this secretive creature.
• “TLGV Ranger Marcy’s Letterboxing with the Girl Scouts Acorn Adventure” takes your family to Camp Laurel in Lebanon at 1 pm. Pre-register to marcy@tlgv.org to assure we have enough supplies for all of the creative and modern-day explorers that will attend.
• “Walk in the Dark” is an eye-opening and thoughtful walk. From 3 – 4 pm in Norwich’s Howard Brown Memorial Park you will see the world through the eyes of the blind. A trained member of the Norwich Lions Club will show you how to discover trees, flowers, tie your shoe, and more as you are blindfolded. This experience is recommended for teachers and community leaders.

The week continues with these four completely different choices!

• “Senior Walk” at Goodwin Forest on Wednesday, June 14^th from 12 – 2 pm is not just for seniors. These walks are always popular and a great excuse to Spring Outdoors.
• “The Family Life of Pileated Woodpeckers” drums up fun at Goodwin later on Wednesday from 7 – 8 pm. Spy on a pair that was captured on a video cam to witness 6 weeks of breeding season in 45 minutes. It is a surprisingly suspenseful story!
• “Willimantic’s 3^rd Thursday Street Fest” is back for the month on Thursday, June 15^th from 6 – 9 pm. Main Street shuts down for entertainment, music, vendors, food and family fun.
• “Deep Sky Observing” closes out the week on Friday, June 16^th at 8 pm. TLGV Rangers Geoff & Kim meet in Franklin at the Sprague Land Trust preserve to view galaxies, clusters, Red Giants, and more. Bring your own telescope if you have one and need help getting started.

Enjoy Spring while it is still here! To get all the Spring Outdoors choices, visit www.thelastgreenvalley.org or TLGV’s Facebook page. New adventures are being added all the time, so be sure to check in often!

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!