Dear Susan,

As the seasons change, a hike you do all the time suddenly has a new look as well! Take time to notice how the landscape looks in fall, noting colors, ground cover, even the views.

We are lucky to have so many beautiful places to explore. This fall we are offering several chances for you to see a different Groton than you may know, starting with our annual traverse. See the description below.

We will also explore Groton by full moonlight on Saturday, October 28 with one of our most popular hikes, led by Mark Gerath.

Coming in November, we are lucky to have historian Joshua Vollmar give an encore walking tour of the General Field and the Moors family sites. See more below.

2023 Groton Traverse

Sunday October 15, 2023

This year's fall Traverse will be on Sunday October 15 beginning at 10 AM. We will pass over the new Casella Conservation Land and its brand new trails. As we get closer to the village, we will revisit some of the original traverse course including Scarlett and Gibbet Hills. As is our tradition with the traverse, we plan on pot luck food and drink to celebrate the finish. Register here to attend.

Moors Schoolhouse Site Walking History Tour: November 4, 1:00 PM

We are happy to bring back this popular history walking tour. The Moors family was prominent in Groton in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and lent their name to one of the town’s district schoolhouses, which sat on land now stewarded by the Groton Conservation Trust. However, two generations of the family enslaved humans. As the country grapples with racism, it is important to acknowledge and discuss local threads in the national history of racism and enslavement.

Led by local historian Joshua Vollmar, this program will travel from The General Field to the Moors House and Moors School as we seek to bring light to this forgotten piece of Groton history. At the Schoolhouse site, you will learn the history of plantings in the area (see the photo above), and the people who worked the land. This is a walking tour, please dress appropriately. This event is free, but registration is required.

Please visit The GCT events page for details and register here for the walk.

Explore Groton by Moonlight: Saturday October 28 at 7 PM

The full, hunters' moon will be visible the last week of October. The peak is October 28. The Harvest Moon and the Hunter’s Moon are unique in that they are not directly related to this folklore or restricted to a single month. Instead, they are tied to an astronomical event: the autumnal equinox.

Mark Gerath and Ed McNierney will lead a hike to enjoy the moonlight and to see our landscape in a totally different way. The walk will be about two miles through two of the Town's conservation areas located on the Chestnut Hills. We will walk up to an open meadow on one of the hills then do a loop past two of the beaver ponds. Registration is required.