Looking for inspiration, nature, and adventure? Join OARS for their 14th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Currents of Hope. On the evening of Wednesday, June 15 a selection of 2022 award-winning films from the nation's largest environmental film festival will be screened at the Maynard Fine Arts Theatre and also streamed to you LIVE in the comfort of your home for the following 5 days on demand. Visit https://www.oars3rivers.org/ev... for more information and to purchase tickets.

Join Lincoln Conservation Director, Michele Grzenda, on a two-hour birding stroll around Farrar Pond and the wooded trail system along its western and southern shoreline. Meet 25 bird species commonly found in our neighborhoods, wetlands, and forests, and learn various field identification techniques by sight and sound. 

Location: Meet at the gravel parking area on the north side of Rt. 117, across from 17 South Great Road.

Join Mass Audubon for a guided walk of their newest sanctuary, Brewster’s Woods, a historic property along the Concord River. Site of the home of William Brewster, a noted ornithologist and Mass Audubon’s first president, Brewster's Woods features a diversity of field, forest, and wetland habitats. We will discuss the planned ecological restoration of the sanctuary and our vision for its future as a site of inspiration and connection to nature. Reservation required; limit to 15 participants.

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 boat launch in Wayland. Bring your canoe or kayak and life jacket (required). Cars will be available at Sherman's Bridge Rd. to shuttle you back. For more information: (508)-358-2980.

Enjoy a calm 2-hour paddle and learn some history of the river in Saxonville and current threats from invasive aquatic vegetation. You are likely to spot a great blue heron, a kingfisher, a myriad of ducks and geese with chicks, and turtles sunning themselves, and maybe a bald eagle! There’s also the option of leisurely picking up shoreline debris and observing an invasive water chestnut hand-pulling removal demonstration. Please RSVP and indicate if you need to reserve a canoe for this event via the registration form. Contact for any questions about the paddle.

Join experienced guide Marlies Henderson, CIG, to explore extant portions of the Middlesex Canal, reading passages from Henry David Thoreau describing the towpath, from the Billerica Falls towards Middlesex Village. Focus will be on camaraderie and local history. Meet at the gazebo at the falls for a three hour easy walk. Knee high boots recommended if extending the walk beyond a flooded 500 foot section. 

Location: Meet at North Billerica Historic Mills District (71 Faulkner St, N. Billerica).

Join the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust for a tour of the Centennial Island Fish Ladder. Learn about recent efforts by citizen scientists to restore anadromous fish. Wear comfortable shoes. Please park along Lawrence St, Lowell, near the entrance to the Waterhead Apartments (850 Lawrence St). Walk over the small bridge over the canal that leads to the apartments. We’ll meet in front of the apartments and then walk to the fish ladder at the southern end of the island. More info at lowelllandtrust.org, 978-934-0030. Rain or shine.

Join us on Saturday, June 18 from 10:00am to 3:00pm for a multicultural festival celebrating the artistic and ethnic diversity of Framingham! “Many Cultures, One Heart” is a public art project designed to highlight the artistic and ethnic diversity of Framingham through a series of heart sculptures painted by local artists and placed around the Cultural District and the City of Framingham. The artists on this project represent the many communities that call Framingham home, and include Black, Indigenous, Asian, Brazilian, Latino, white, multiracial, Jewish, LGBTQ+, and disabled artists from all walks of life, ranging from teens to seniors. All of the new public art statues will be unveiled during the “Many Cultures, One Heart” Festival, giving attendees an opportunity to see each up close and personal! Plus, you can wander dozens of arts & crafts booths, and watch a series of multicultural performances by Performing Arts Center of MetroWest, CJT Dream Dance, Kasibahagua Indigenous Dancers, The Brothers Walk Band, MOHI Parivar, Ezekiel's Wheels Klezmer Band, Tarciso Alves Band, Los Sugar Kings, and Heavey Quinn Academy of Irish Dance. For more information and to see the festival schedule, please visit https://bit.ly/FCCCDfestival. This event is free and open to the public, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, including the River Stewardship Council.

Enjoy a Self-guided Nature Hike and Seek and Nature Crafts in the orchard with The Trustees. The Old Manse will be open for house tours throughout the day as well. Learn more and book advanced passes at
The Old Manse - The Trustees of Reservations

Guided Walk.  At 11:00 a.m. meet a Park Ranger at the benches by the North Bridge for this daily 30 minute program. Learn about the momentous battle at Concord’s North Bridge, where the British Army suffered its first casualties of the war, and the legacy of this event in American History. For more information click the link below. Walks are happening both Saturday and Sunday.

Minute Man National Historical Park

See a variety of local snakes close-up and a few exotic ones too. Rick Roth, Director of the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team, will bring some of his favorites and talk about their lives and habitats.

Join Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm naturalist for a family-friendly visit with native wildlife, that live along the banks of rivers and depend on a healthy habitat.

Enjoy a calm 2-hour paddle and learn some history of the river in Saxonville and current threats from invasive aquatic vegetation. You are likely to spot a great blue heron, a kingfisher, a myriad of ducks and geese with chicks, and turtles sunning themselves, and maybe a bald eagle! There’s also the option of leisurely picking up shoreline debris and observing an invasive water chestnut hand-pulling removal demonstration. Please RSVP and indicate if you need to reserve a canoe for this event via the registration form. Contact for any questions about the paddle.

Learn about the Middlesex Canal, the greatest work of its kind in the United States until the Erie Canal. Kayakers can take out above the Billerica Falls Dam at the canal entrance/parking lot at 2 Old Elm Street and walk part of the canal that Henry Thoreau traveled between the Merrimack and Concord Rivers. For children, a Leggo canal playground, a watered model lock, and a scavenger hunt. Free Middlesex Canal Museum, 71 Faulkner St, 12-4 pm. 

A pair of large, live oxen will visit the Middlesex Canal at 2 Old Elm St, Billerica, 12-4 pm, Saturday.

MCA Flyer 2022

Meet at 1:00 PM at Foss Farm parking area off rt. 225 just west of the Concord River bridge. Walk to Sudbury Valley Trustees' Elliott Concord River Preserve, with views over the river, total distance about 3 miles. The walk will last about two hours. Be prepared for wet conditions underfoot, bring drinking water and insect repellent. Light refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the walk.

EVENT REGISTRATION FULL

Join Dr. Amity Wilczek, an evolutionary ecologist, and Richard Smith, an historian, for a walk through Simon Willard Woods and along the Assabet River to Egg Rock, where the confluence of the Assabet and Sudbury Rivers form the Concord River. Along the way they will explore the ecological and historical importance of the area and discuss the changes that have occurred over the last 400 years. The three rivers that flow through Concord have played an important role in the history of the town, from the Native Americans who once fished here up to the recreational kayakers of the present day. Henry Thoreau was a frequent visitor to the rivers. Traveling by both land and water, he was always on the lookout for "Wild and noble sites...such as they who sit in parlors never dream of." And he usually found such sites. Join us and we may even see some ‘wild and noble’ sites, too! Meet at Simon Willard Woods. Parking is near the end of Simon Willard Road in Concord. Reservation required; limit to 15 people. https://www.concordland.org/

Moments of great importance often hinge upon individuals making decisions in the heat of the moment. At Concord’s North Bridge on April 19, 1775 soldiers on both sides made decisions that changed the course of history. Meet a park ranger at North Bridge Visitor Center for a 40 minute walking tour from the visitor center to the North Bridge battle site. Learn about the battle from the perspective of the participants. Along the way, the 18th century battlefield and landscape will be revealed as you walk in the footsteps of the minute men. Walks will happen both Saturday and Sunday. Click the link below for more information.

North Bridge Battlefield Walk

An approximately 4 hour flat water paddle to Lowell and back, using the North Billerica Fire Station ramp to put-in and take out. Despite the fact that this section is not designated "Wild & Scenic" (due to the dam impoundments), it is an absolutely scenic paddle! Meet at the North Billerica Fire Station, 21 Lowell Street, North Billerica, MA.

Join Wayland photographer Hendrik 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. Meet at the parking lot at the end of Heard Road off Pelham Island Rd. Questions: (508)-358-2980.

A sunrise 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. Meet at 5:15 AM at the Bedford Boat Launch on Rt. 225 at the Bedford/Carlisle town line. Bring your own canoe or kayak and a wearable PFD in good condition, appropriate clothing for a 2-3 hour paddle, binoculars if you have them, and drinking water.

This is a ~30 mile bike ride sponsored by OARS, ( expect 3-4 hours or so, including a stop for ice cream at Erickson’s in Maynard ! ) on roads criss-crossing our Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord, Helmets required. Email Mike at 978-793-3189 for more information, and/or questions. A forecast of steady rain will cancel the event, email or call Mike before 8 AM Sunday if in doubt. We depart promptly at 10 am. RSVP is appreciated, but not required. Please bring a mask, just in case. 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...

We start from the Robbins House parking lot on Monument St, Concord, MA, across the street from the Old Manse & Old North Bridge: https://goo.gl/maps/u92Ve3hGQg...

Join us for the ceremonial unveiling of a wayside exhibit at a canoe & kayak access point along the Concord River. The panel was funded by the SuAsCo W&S River Stewardship Council, and it highlights the outstandingly remarkable recreational values of the river, this beach once sported a popular boat house!

Learn about the Middlesex Canal, the greatest work of its kind in the United States until the Erie Canal. Kayakers can take out above the Billerica Falls Dam at the canal entrance/parking lot at 2 Old Elm Street and walk part of the canal that Henry Thoreau traveled between the Merrimack and Concord Rivers. For children, a Leggo canal playground, a watered model lock, and a scavenger hunt. Free Middlesex Canal Museum, 71 Faulkner St, 12-4 pm.

Join instructor Ashley Nichols for a gentle hour of relaxing yoga out on the lawn. This class is welcome to all ages and levels. Please bring your own mat or towel to use along with water and any other props you wish to use. No pre- sign up required so please just show up as you are. Namaste.

Location: The Old Manse, Concord

End Riverfest on Sunday by celebrating the arrival of summer with Musketaquid and OARS at The Old Manse. Whether you walk, ride or paddle to the event, bring a picnic and enjoy live music in the orchard starting at 6pm!

Live Music - Enjoy songs by Sawyer Lawson & Greg Blair

Earth Floats - Add natural materials to Earth Floats and help launch them down the river!

Summer Solstice Flyer 2022

Join a paddle on the Concord River, explore the Middlesex Canal Museum, walk with Henry David Thoreau, and learn all about Billerica's River History from the comfort of your own home! Click the button below to watch the welcome video (2 min) then do some virtual exploring in Billerica!