RiverFest Event Types
Hike
Rail Trail Walk Along The Assabet River
Saturday, July 1, 2023, 4:00 pm
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 (Rt. 62). Pre-registration appreciated.
Natural History of the Sudbury River Walk
Sunday, July 9, 2023, 12:00 pm
Enjoy the wonderful vistas of the meandering Sudbury River at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge with Neela de Zoyso, 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.
Birding The Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
Friday, July 14, 2023, 8:00 am
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).
Wright Woods Walk
Sunday, July 16, 2023, 10:00 am
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.
Birding The Lincoln’s Codman Conservation Land And Farm Meadow
Tuesday, July 18, 2023, 8:00 am
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). Pre-registration required.
Walk with Thoreau Along the Middlesex Canal
Sunday, July 23, 2023, 10:00 am
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. Pre-registration required.