Naturalist Peter Alden, author of the Audubon Guide to New England, will lead a 2.5-hour walk focusing on birds and plants on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail from West Concord toward White Pond. Meet at the beginning of the Rail Trail in West Concord on Rt. 62 (across the street from the Junction Park and the 7-Eleven. 

Join Alan Ankers for a 2 to 3-hour paddle along the Concord River through the Carlisle, Bedford and Billerica sections of Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, with a stop for a hearty breakfast at a casual riverside restaurant. This event is sponsored by the Town of Carlisle Conservation Department.

Bring your canoe/kayak, life jacket (required), binoculars if you have them, and water. Meet at the Bedford Boat Landing (Rte. 225).

Travel in time as you paddle with Brian Donahue, Brandeis University history professor and expert on the Sudbury River. Paddle to Sherman’s Bridge through the wide meadows that prompted the founding of Wayland and Sudbury and hear stories of a fascinating and sometimes lurid past. Meet at the Rte. 20 Sudbury River boat launch. Bring your canoe/kayak and life jacket (required). Cars will be available at Sherman’s Bridge Rd. to ferry you back. For more information: 508-358-2980.

Please Note: Because of recent rain, the river is high. Be prepared to unload your boat and then park you car at the nearby shopping center parking lot.

A group of friends go for a hike in the woods, explore the natural world around them and record their findings in a journal. After the storytime, make a nature journal of your own. The Old Manse (269 Monument St.)

Enjoy the wonderful vistas of the meandering Sudbury River at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge with Neela de Zoysa, botanist and instructor at the Native Plant Trust. Be introduced to the glacial sculpting of Weir Hill and the Native American history of the location. Learn about the floodplain trees, swamps of buttonbush and red maple, ferns, graminoids, and other herbaceous species. The location has great observation platforms, and boardwalks for examining plants. Bring a pack lunch to enjoy after the 2-hour walk. Meet in the refuge at 73 Weir Hill Rd.

Above Photo: Courtesy L.Phu/US FWS Weir Hill, GMNWR

Join Mass Audubon Senior Director of Conservation Science, Jeff Collins, on a 2-hour birding stroll around the Refuge in Stow and Maynard. We’ll search for birds of forest, wetlands, and fields, and learn to identify various bird species by sight and sound. Bring binoculars if you have them, bug spray, and water; wear long sleeve shirt and pants (for mosquitoes).

The Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust is partnering with the MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Mass Audubon, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s Assabet National Wildlife Refuge to host 3 Family Outdoors Days this summer.  Lowell is designated as an Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership City (one of only 29 in the US) by the US F&WS.  This date is in honor of Latino Conservation Week, an initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation. 

Three hours of activities for people of all ages includes fishing, archery, dragonfly explorations, and a wildlife visit. Event details here: https://lowelllandtrust.org/fa...

When a black snake threatens to poison earth’s water, a young girl joins her community in protecting their water. Following the storytime, create cool illustrations with watercolors and wax. The Old Manse (269 Monument St.)

Rivers connect us! Through hands-on activities, learn about your own watershed and how you can protect it.  We will meet under the big tent if rainy! The Old Manse (269 Monument St.)

This is one of our Junior River Ranger programs, designed for children 6-12.  Explore and learn about our rivers with us or on your own and complete the Junior River Ranger Booklet to earn a Junior River Rangers badge and certificate.

Join Rachel Wheeler and John Myers for a guided loop walk in the Concord Land Conservation Trust’s Wright Woods beginning at the Fairhaven Bay Overlook and exploring the trails along Well Meadow and the Sudbury River. This 300 acre woodland is located between Fairhaven Bay and Walden Pond. In addition to appreciating local flora and beaver activity, you will learn about the history of the property, the stone terraces and boathouse, and the family that loved and preserved these woods. The 2-hour walk will cover approximately 2 miles of moderate terrain.

Rachel Wheeler is the great-niece of Helen Robinson Wright, who began donating parcels of land within Wright Woods in 1959 and was instrumental in the creation of the Concord Land Conservation Trust. Rachel and her husband John Myers continue to live on the property at Staples Camp. They intimately know the woods and shores of Wright Woods. To walk and experience this remarkable place with them will be a unique treat.

Exploring on and along our rivers is the most fun way to learn about them. Learn how to do so safely and with respect! Participants will have the opportunity to paddle in a canoe on a Wild & Scenic River! Details will be emailed to you.

This is one of our Junior River Ranger programs, designed for children 6-12. Explore and learn about our rivers with us or on your own and complete the Junior River Ranger Booklet to earn a Junior River Rangers badge and certificate.

Join Lincoln Conservation Director, Michele Grzenda, on a 2-hour birding stroll around Codman Estates, Farm Meadow, and North Codman Conservation Area. Meet 25 bird species commonly found in our neighborhoods, wetlands, and forests, and learn various field identification techniques by sight and sound. Bring binoculars if you have them, bug spray, and water. Wear long sleeve shirt and pants (for mosquitoes). 

Join Lincoln Conservation Ranger Will Leona on a leisurely 2-hour paddle along the scenic Sudbury River. Enjoy a brief history of the area and be on the lookout for local wildlife along the way. Sightings may include great blue herons, beaver lodges and dams, belted kingfishers, Canada geese, white-tailed deer, bald eagles, painted turtles and more. Also learn about invasive aquatic plant management efforts being done in the area. Bring your kayak/canoe and life jacket (required), sunscreen, clothing/footwear that can get wet, a snack to eat during a short stop and water. 

The typically brave Kaia has one fear: bees. When her father gets beehives to go on the roof of their apartment, Kaia must face her fear and learn about these important insects. After the storytime, make bee hotels to create habitat for bees in our own neighborhoods. The Old Manse (269 Monument St.)

Join experienced guide Marlies Henderson for a 3-hour exploration of extant portions of the Middlesex Canal, from the Billerica Falls to River Neck Road, Chelmsford, and back, reading passages from Henry David Thoreau’s Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. High boots recommended. 

Enjoy this 3-hour easy flatwater paddle, with leader Marlies Henderson, from just below the Billerica Falls toward the Lowell Centennial dam. Bring your own canoe/kayak and life jacket (required). 

Join Wayland photographer Henrik Broekman for a stroll around the 86-acre Heard Farm Conservation Area. Woods, open fields, wetlands, over 200 species of birds, and the Sudbury River shoreline make Heard Farm a remarkable place with over three miles of trails, many of them old cart paths. Hendrik will provide tips for successful photography with your camera/phone. All ages and abilities are welcome Space is limited, so please register .

Join us for a fun-filled day of hands-on activities. Bring a picnic to enjoy overlooking the beautiful Sudbury River. Rain (some activities only) or shine at the Refuge Headquarters. 73 Weir Hill Rd. For information call 978-443-4661.

***Because of  hazardous weather conditions (heat advisory, thunderstorms and heavy rain) we are canceling the fishing and archery events.  All other activities, including Snake Man, will be held indoors in the Refuge Headquarters.  Thank you for your understanding.  We look forward to seeing you!***

Join the Framingham History Center for an immersive 75-minute walking tour of Saxonville as we explore the rich tapestry of its history, land, and waterways. This tour will shed light on the business, social, and civic life of this vibrant neighborhood while also delving into the natural features and waterways that helped shape this historic community and that of Framingham. Central St. Bridge over the Saxonville Falls and Dam (across from the Saxonville Mills).

Above Photo: Courtesy of the Framingham History Center

Join leader Roger Beatty (OARS Board of Directors member) for a paddle on the beautiful Sudbury River. It’s the perfect way to celebrate our rivers, and enjoy the wildlife that come out just before sunset, on this first full moon of August. The Wayland paddle is about 5 miles round trip. Bring your own canoe/kayak and life jacket (required).  Pre-registration is required. Limited spaces will be available for those who don’t own boats on a first com first served basis.

Join Nashoba Valley Pedaler leaders, Mike Duclos and Allan Fierce, for a ~30-mile ride, (expect 3+ hours, including a stop for ice cream at Erickson’s in Maynard!) on roads crisscrossing the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers. This is a ‘no drop’ ride, meaning there are designated lead rider and sweep riders, other riders will be between them, and we will stop periodically to regroup. The route may change, but for those curious, it should be close to this: https://ridewithgps.com/routes.

Helmets required. Ride departs promptly at 9:30 from the Robbins House parking lot on Monument St.  A forecast of steady rain will move the ride to Sunday. Call before 8am Saturday if in doubt.

Email or call 978-793-3189 for more information. Pre-registration via email is appreciated but not required.

Come to the riverbank by foot, or paddle, bring a picnic, and enjoy a day of entertainment at the historic Old Manse at 269 Monument St. Rain or shine.

Join Art for All to decorate your bike with a river theme, then ride along the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in W. Concord with a short stop to learn about the wetlands and look for wildlife.

Intended for children 6-10. Helmets required.

A young girl and her mother go out to see how many birds they can count in a single day. After the storytime, you will make a birdhouse out of recycled milk cartons. The Old Manse (269 Monument St.)

Enjoy a 3.5 mile walk (~3 hours) through meadows and forests on trails paralleling the Concord River, starting at the Foss Farm conservation land and passing through Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge and the O’Rourke farm on the way to scenic Greenough Pond in the Greenough conservation land. Be prepared for wet conditions underfoot, bring drinking water and insect repellent. Light refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the walk. Dogs are not permitted in the Refuge. Meet at the Foss Farm parking lot, 0.3 mi west of the Concord River bridge on Rte. 225. For information, email leader Alan Ankers at .