Celebrate the beautiful outdoors with us at our many fall programs. This weekend is our fourth annual Groton Traverse. Join our group hike on the morning of Sunday October 16 at 9:00 AM at The General Field for a ten mile hike across Surrenden Farm, the Town Forest, and across the Nashua River. Or hike on your own on Saturday 10/15. All hikers are required to register.

We are thrilled to welcome the latest site-specific choreography of Chris Croucher through his Letting the Land Lead performance series on Sunday October 23 at 3:45 PM at The General Field. This environmentally-themed dance entitled "The Quietus of Autumn" will celebrate the season. The performance will be preceded by a special presentation of our new sign for The General Field created by local Eagle scout Ryan Fish. Please click here for event details.

October 29 Hike the Wharton Plantation with Holly Estes and Susan Hughes

Join Holly and Susan for a hike at the Wharton Plantation and beyond on October 29th at 10am. They will share area history and explore interesting vistas, erratics, swamps, and beautiful hardwood forests. Please register here.

We will join with local organizations again to decorate trees on GCT land to brighten the winter season. If you are affiliated with a local non profit organization and would like to participate, please contact Katy. We will share more details in our November newsletter.

Our friends at the Groton Public Library are hosting a series of walks at GCT lands. These monthly talks give readers a chance to enjoy nature and share whatever books they are reading - no need to read something specific! Register for the November meeting.

Join GCT trustee Michelle Ruby for an exploration of Groton’s natural areas that takes a deeper dive, where we share insights and knowledge about the changing landscape to help you find an even greater appreciation on your walks on the trails. We will hike in the Throne Hill complex, a matrix of properties owned by several conservation organizations. Discover the foundations of former farm houses, various types of stone walls, and signs of the ecology and biology of a forest in transition. Learn how to use the forest itself to estimate how long ago human activities and disturbances occurred. If you’ve previously enjoyed our Black Friday walks with ecologist Tom Wessels, this is the event for you.

Please register here.

Groton Troop 3 member Ryan Fish (on the left) installed the first of two informational signs at Shepley Hill. The installation is part of his Eagle Scout project. The second sign will be installed at The General Field. Both signs, researched, designed and written by Ryan, are designed to tell the history of the properties, stewarded by the Groton Conservation Trust. “We are very lucky to have civic-minded young people who want to give back to their communities,” said Susan Hughes, Vice President of the GCT. Ryan funded his project with a online fundraising campaign and a grant from the Groton Commissioners of Trust Funds.

The Forest Bells will be removed and repaired over the next few months. The Forest Bells installation, a gift to the community from local artist Paul Matisse, requires periodic repair. The bells will be removed by a tree climber, repaired, and reinstalled in the winter. This project is supported by a dedicated fund.

Once repaired and replaced, watch for a special hike to discover the bells and admire the makeover.

If you have not joined the GCT, now is a great time to do so. You can make a paperless donation online at our secure website.

Bonus: we have a new map! With every renewal or new membership (through the mail or online), you can request a 2022 edition of our beautiful new map of all conservation land in Groton.

As always, thank you for your support.

February 5, 2023 Eyes on Owls

March 3, 2023 Professor and curator Dr. Scott Edwards talks about biking and birding across America

Dr. Scott Edwards on his COVID adventure, ~3800 mile, 76-day bicycle ride across the US. He will share his experiences - and the birds he saw - with us in March.