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