May is the month of celebrations; of mothers, veterans, and graduates. We can also enjoy longer days, comfortable weather and the return of color to our beautiful open spaces. We have some opportunities for you to gather and enjoy spring like our annual General Field picnic and music evening among the wildflowers. Through our community partners at Prescott, we are bringing back Michelle's popular tree ID hike. Be sure to check out a very special Walk and Wine event coming up in August!

And if lazing in your hammock on a beautiful spring day is your dream, many thanks to Alice Cary for suggesting reading material for all ages.

The audience of the May GCT Annual Meeting was delighted by the incredible images and videos shared by wildlife camera expert Sally Naser of CR Wildlife Cams. Sally shared her camera techniques and her observations of Massachusetts wildlife gleaned from her wildlife cameras posted on protected land across the state. Her footage of bears bathing in vernal pools, otters with their pups, and beautiful bobcats was a reminder of the great diversity of wild animals that live around us, and a great case for conserving their habitats. Sally's enthusiasm for her work encouraged us to think of other ways we can partner with her. We hope to invite Sally back to Groton for some hands on opportunities to share her knowledge.

Join us for a walk at June's Wood in West Groton. GCT friend and neighbor Jeff Box will lead us on a walk through the beautiful woodlands, meadow, and diverse wetlands that comprise this unique conservation area. Jeff will highlight the wildlife, evidence of past use, and other interesting characteristics including a vernal pool and one of Groton's only waterfalls. Please plan for a 90 minute walk leaving at 10:00 AM. All are welcome!

Registration is required so we know to expect you. All are welcome!

Our annual event is coming up and the tradition is stronger than ever. We feature music, this year you can enjoy the blue grass and Celtic infused sound of The Contra Banditos. Friend of the trust Chef Chris Frothingham will be back with his oyster wagon, courtesy of Groton Publick House. And you are invited to bring your picnic basket, chairs and blanket to enjoy the flowers and sunset.

Register through Prescott Community Center

Groton is unique in that nearly o of the land in town is protected conservation land, and most of that is forested. GCT Trustee and Lawrence Academy science teacher Michelle Ruby will teach you tricks to recognizing many of the most common species around Groton, as well as how to use traditional field guides and/or the app iNaturalist to identify unfamiliar species.

Current GCT members register for FREE with a unique code provided by the GCT. Please contact Katy to check your membership status and to receive your code.

For first time members our GCT map is still available. It is a gorgeous paper map that fits in your pocket or your glove box. You can request a free map with your membership right on our secure donation website.

Longtime book reviewer and GCT Advisory Council member Alice Cary suggests these new books. There are suggestions for children at the right.

Fieldwork: A Forager’s Memoir, by Iliana Regan. Deep in the Hiawatha National Forest, culinary wizard Iliana Regan hosts 10 guests each weekend at her Milkweed Inn bed and breakfast in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This inspiring memoir invites readers to share Regan’s past and present as she explores and forages in the nearby forest and river for food to use at the inn.

The Language of Trees: A Rewilding of Literature and Landscape, by Katie Holten. Don’t miss this

unusual book, “a love letter to our vanishing world,” a collection of writing from authors ranging from

Plato to Zadie Smith and Radiohead. It’s beautifully illustrated as well, with text printed first in English

and then in Holten’s own unique tree alphabet.

Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden, by Camille T. Dungy. A riveting environmental justice memoir about Camille Dungy’s seven-year quest to diversify her garden in her predominantly white

neighborhood in Fort Collins, Colorado. She also explores the history of the wilderness movement,

especially its exclusion of people of color. Readers will learn about, for instance, gardeners like Black poet Anne Spencer in late 19th century Lynchburg, VA.

Here are some excellent picture books for young readers:

Cynthia Lord’s Home Away from Home is a chapter book set in coastal Maine, about an 11-year-old girl and her friend who spot a rare white gyrfalcon typically seen in the Arctic. Chaos—and enlightenment—ensue.

Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s Julia and the Shark is another middle grade winner, set in a lighthouse on the remote Shetland Islands. Julia’s mother is a marine biologist determined to spot an elusive Greenland

shark. Meanwhile, Julia is learning a lot in this thoughtful, action-packed novel.

Alison James’ Maple & Rosemary is a lush picture book that explores a girl’s special bond with a maple

tree.

K.L. Going’s This Is the Planet Where I Live makes an excellent baby gift for the very youngest nature lovers.

Nicola Davies’ One World is an intriguing picture book that explores times zones and our planet’s

remarkable biodiversity. This is a great bedtime read!