Look for Silver Linings: Go Hike and Seek

By Beth Sullivan

Even in the middle of a crisis, some things remain unchanged. What a difference in our outlook from a couple of weeks ago. At this point, there is no use in discussing how we got to this point in this public health crisis. But we can do our best to stay informed, take precautions seriously, and try to maintain as much normalcy as we possibly can, as a community and as individuals.

There are certainly things that are so totally impacted, that there is no way to avoid the consequences. Kids are out of school. Period. It is not like a vacation or summer break that was planned for. It is not like a snow day that was unplanned, but where playdates and special programs could keep groups of kids entertained and safe. Parents are home because their jobs disappeared, or because they don’t have child care. Maybe they are lucky and can actually work from home, if the kids will let them.

But here’s the good news, and we are all looking for that. We are heading into spring. We have really been lucky with good weather getting to this date and even if we get a late snow storm, we get over it quickly. Get those kids outside. Obviously, if they are ill, they need special attention, but getting them out into the air, roaming, running , being creative is one way to keep them engaged and happy as well as healthy.

Dirty feet don't need sanitizer.

Maybe you relax the rules a little. Or join the fun. Photograph by Emily Sullivan.

As we go through the flowering season, you can draw them, even dissect them. Get out the books to help.

Millipedes are easily found under leaves. They do not hurt. Check out those legs.

Be a teacher

Think of what great lessons, you, as an adult, can teach them about the new season. It is an opportunity to observe daily changes. Even the youngest ones can appreciate a new flower, or something getting bigger. Look for acorn caps; touch the moss. Let them pick a flower and then show them that you cherish it. Make it important. Slightly older children can do some drawing. Test their observation skills at their appropriate age level. Discuss color, texture, and comparative sizes. If they are ready to write, get them to use descriptive words. You can discuss weather conditions and keep a journal. Have them observe the sky, clouds, feeling of the ground, wet or dry.

Look at the differences in several kinds of plants. Are their stems hard or soft? Watch the changes in their leaf development. Pull a dandelion out of the ground and look at the roots. You probably don’t have to go very far to find a shrub with some buds already showing. Forsythia is everywhere. Before you know it, both of you will have become better botanists.

Then there are insects to watch for. Look under rocks and logs. Lift piles of leaves and see what’s under there. At this point in the year, there are already insects and their relatives, moving around. There are also amphibians to look for, and listen for. There are probably salamanders under those leaves. You can find a small wetland near your home and listen in the afternoon or early evening for frogs. Peepers and wood frogs are chorusing now.

And of course there are the birds. Spring is meant for birdsong. Kids never really like to sleep in, unless they are teenagers. Get up and sit outside on a nice morning and listen to the birds. Can you find them? Can your child describe them for you? Take notes together. Draw pictures.

This could also be the time to let them engage with a smart phone a bit more. There are so many wonderful apps available now that help you identify all sorts of wildlife, birds and their songs, and all aspects of plants. There are still amazing books.

No spring excursion is complete without checking out the skunk cabbage.  Watch as the plant changes through the season. 

Textures on tree bark can make great rubbings or abstract photos.

Trees have lovely flowers if you can look closely These are red maple.

Check out Avalonia’s Hike and Seek program

 Not every adult is really comfortable with all I have just suggested. Some people really want a guide. That’s what Hike and Seek is like. As a parent, take some time to review it. Find a preserve near you. Look at the preserve pages, maps and photos that are targets and clues. There is also a Resources section that allows you or your young student to look a bit deeper into a subject. It is all accessible on your smart phone. Take it with you on a hike. Take photos and write stories. Do it together. The trails are not crowded. The air is clean. It is almost spring. It is the very best way to stay physically and mentally healthy at a time of social distancing and isolation. Earth-Dirt doesn’t require sanitizer. Use this time with the child in your life, in a positive way and help them learn to look for that silver lining. It is a great de-stressor for grown-ups too.

We caught two wood frogs and a peeper recently. Keep them moist, observe them, then let them go.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan, unless otherwise indicated.

Finally June

By Beth Sullivan

Whichever way you choose to look at it, June signals the beginning of the summer season. Memorial Day has passed, the Solstice is still ahead, but the weather remains fickle. We are all ready for summer to get going so we can get out and enjoy it. It has been a long time coming.

Get up. Get out. Get Healthier.

One bit of business to take care of first. Starting this month, Avalonia eTrails will be posted on the first and third Mondays of the month, not every week as it has been since we began this journal journey. We started in 2013 and, to date, we have posted 361 entries. Yes, I counted. All the entries are still archived on the Avalonia eTrails website http://avaloniaetrails.blogspot.com/ if you missed any from the beginning. I am so grateful for all of you who have followed and enjoyed these weekly musings. Early on, they filled a space in Avalonia’s social media presence. Now, we have some amazing writers and editors, and there are newsletters, updates, e-blasts, Facebook posts, and Instagram feeds. Communication with our members and friends continues on a greater scale than ever before.

Since I began writing, I have been blessed with two grandchildren, and another is on the way. One of my goals is to spend time with them and keep them well grounded in what I love: Nature. They are off to a great start, and readers have had glimpses of them in some of my photos. I will certainly continue to sneak them in. To cut back writing a little will give me a bit more time to be out and hike and explore myself, too.

Getting out in nature and getting children out to explore has been my primary passion for over three decades. Several years ago we developed Hike and Seek. In the past year, we have had some new volunteers and program development assistance to help move it to the next level. We have sent informational packets to several schools systems locally which will pass on the information to their students and families. Avalonia has so many wonderful properties, and offers opportunities to enjoy, explore and hike, all for free. The Hike and Seek program helps provide parents and kids with the added depth to look deeper and learn more. Check it out on line: avalonialandconservancy.org/hike-and-seek/ . Originally we made sure the targets were things that could be observed all year round, in all seasons. One of my goals for this summer is to get out on preserves and find some new targets, things that may be only seasonally visible, but worth looking for during the prime hiking season.

Everyone loves a lesson at Moore Woodlands. Photograph by Kent Fuller

Stop and Breath. Sometimes your view will be breathtaking. Photograph by Phil Sheffield.

Phil and Java enjoying Knox Preserve. Photograph by Nina Sheffield.

Not just for kids

This brings me to the next challenge. A number of adults have suggested that this Hike and Seek idea is not just for kids. They enjoy having a goal or a focus when they hike and it is an opportunity for adults to learn more too. At the same time, we all know that exercise is good for the heart ( both the physical heart and the spiritual heart) . Hiking in nature need not be strenuous to be beneficial, but a little cardio spurt on a trail never really hurt anyone who is healthy. Building up stamina, balance and some muscle can also be accomplished out on a trail.

One of our newer volunteers, Phil Sheffield, is always out hiking himself and has recognized this. He wants to take this passion that we both share and encourage others to do the same. He has created the Avalonia-Hikes Facebook page www.facebook.com/Avalonia-Hikes, and its purpose is described this way:

“Welcome to Avalonia Hikes! This page was created as a way for folks to find like-minded community members who are interested in taking walks on Avalonia's beautiful properties, either scheduled in advance or even last-minute. Want to go for a walk and looking for some company? Hoping to hike a new trail but don't want to go alone for the first time? Try creating a quick post on this page with the suggested date, time and place and perhaps others will be able to join you. Please use this page to set up hikes and walks on Avalonia properties.”

What a great idea to connect with old friends, or make new ones, to get out, explore, get healthy. And, if you use the Hike and Seek program, you might learn a thing or two in the process.

Watch out for poison ivy, use sunscreen if you are not in the woods, bring water if you will be out for a while in the heat, and check yourself for ticks at the end of the hike. Better yet: ask your friend to help do the tick check.

Have fun.

Poison Ivy can make a fun hike regrettable. 

Team work helps find these beasts.

You never know what beauty may await you around the next bend in the trail.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan unless otherwise indicated.

Getting oriented

By Beth Sullivan

Most people know left from right instinctively. I admit I have to think about it and sometimes look at my ring finger. Many people know North, South, East and West almost the same way; they just get it. Sometimes when I am outside I can feel it based on sun angle and position.

There are also those people who can look at a map whether on a trail, in a car, or on paper and know exactly where they are, which way they have come, and where they are going on the route or trail. I am definitely not one of those, and from what I hear from fellow hikers, I am not alone. When I see a trail map at an intersection in an unfamiliar woodland, it really takes me a while to sort out East and West, right and left,, and where I am. When I use my GPS or set my map on my car, I have to have my arrow going in the direction of travel pointing up. Can’t do that in the woods. Nor can I rotate the trail maps to get me headed correctly, so I am often found looking like I am standing on my head trying to figure it out. The easiest thing for me to do is to get to know the trails really well so I don’t have to consult the maps.

But that doesn’t help our visitors and our occasional hikers. In the town of Stonington, we have quite a number of beautiful properties with intersecting trails. As a steward, I am the one who gets the complaints from people saying that several of our maps in certain preserves are difficult to figure out. Maybe they were placed by those lucky folks who really know their directions. One problem we have is that we often do not have easy choices about where to actually place the posts for these maps. Our soil is so rocky, and in some places pure ledge. The volunteers who put up the signs in many of our preserves had to take that into mind too. A map on one side of the trail makes sense, that same map on the other side of the trail, facing opposite, makes no sense at all ( to me).

The map of Paffard Woods, when on one side of the trail was not oriented to East and West properly. On the other side of the trail it worked for me.

From our website, the trail map for Paffard Woods is available for viewing on your phone or can be downloaded and printed. It matches the signs found on the preserve.

The smartphone app opens with the entire area covered by Avalonia and dotted by all the preserves.

You are here  

We had noticed that some visitors had taken to printing “You are here” on some signs. Some had posted stick-on stars, which also works. It is hard and expensive to have truly individualized maps printed that designate individual intersections. Recently a couple of our town stewards decided to take matters seriously and assessed a few of the more complex trails in town and re-oriented the maps as best as they could considering conditions. In many places, simply placing the signs on the other side of a trail made it work. The positioning may not look as convenient or intuitive on first sight. But once you face the sign it is apparent that it is easier to get oriented. No uncomfortable head turning and consulting ring fingers for left and right, East and West.

Avalonia has all of our trail maps on our website. They are easy to download and print at home, if you want to have a paper map in hand. But they are also easy to access on your smart phone as you walk. And you can turn your phone any way you choose. You can find the maps here. 

Technology is changing and improving so rapidly that it is now possible to find our maps on-line in an interactive format, that not only shows you the preserve’s trails and some features such as stone walls as land marks, it also follows you along with GPS as you navigate the trail itself. No longer do you have to wonder where you are in relation to the next intersection, or try to figure out how much farther you have to go on a loop. You can see it in hand. For a better idea of how to use this map and download the app, visit our website page  here. There you will get a demo on how to use the maps on the app and you can then download it to your phone. You will have all the Avalonia trails in the palm of your hand.

Avalonia Land Conservancy recently received a generous grant from Chelsea Groton Bank. One goal of this grant is to create new trail signs for several properties where we have added trails and also create signage for some of our new properties. People will always welcome a map at a trail head and kids will need to learn maps skills too. But the present is in the palm of our hand.

And while you are hiking with your smart phone, be sure to try out Hike and Seek for some added fun. Find out more here.

We have weeks of lovely hiking weather ahead. Enjoy!

Zooming in lets you pick the preserve you want to explore. 

A closer zoom will reveal details like stone walls and wetlands. At this scale you can follow your movement along the trails.

Another helpful background shows the landscape.

You can also change the background to see the topography.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan.

Summer Hikes

Here's a reminder about our Hike and Seek adventures as a way to lead you to the many Avalonia Preserves and their miles of hiking trails. Check out our web page for information about scheduled guided hikes here.

By Beth Sullivan

We have passed the Solstice. The kids are out of school. For some families it will mean camps, vacations away and planned activities. For some it will mean a lot of home time and opportunities to plan things together as families. The days are longer, there are places to explore, the great outdoors beckons. But sometimes the kids (or parents) just don’t want to let go of their phones. Sometimes kids need a bigger incentive. Sometimes parents need a little help. Sometimes all you need is a good place to start, and you can take those phones with you!

Low tide at Knox Preserve reveals a lot of fun treasures.

Welcome to Hike and Seek

We have been working on this project for a couple of years. Different than every other summer scavenger hunt, this one will keep interest all year round and for many years. It is not a contest.  Educators love it. We also do not have a big budget to do advertising, so it is spreading by word of mouth, presentations and website links. 

From the Avalonia home page follow the links to adventure.

We know that kids in school have had fewer opportunities for field trips as budgets get cut. Now, more than ever, it is so important for us to teach our children the importance of our natural world: habitats, the web of life, how we are all inter-related, and how our every action can have a significant impact on other parts of our world. Kids need to develop curiosity. From there respect will grow and a desire to learn more. That is how new stewards of the land are made.

Hiking with children can give them a greater sense of self confidence and a willingness to explore.

Avalonia Land Conservancy owns and stewards close to 4000 acres in Southeastern CT. Many properties are trailed, open to the public, and just waiting to be explored. For many years I was lucky to be involved with environmental education for kids in this area doing school programs and field trips. I got to witness the excitement and awe as school-age kids walked in woods, stood at a pond side, touched something “scary” or learned a really cool new fact about something outdoors. It was wonderful.

A group from Pine Point School found the big erratic boulder at Paffard Woods.

I also came to realize that not all parents or group leaders are totally comfortable trying to understand or teach this kind of information. They needed some help. A trip leader or naturalist is not always available when you need them. But with Hike and Seek, we hope to offer some insight into those special things you will encounter along the trails, and give parents, leaders and older school kids an opportunity to use their phones and media to enhance their excursions.

Journaling and recording your reflections can be a great follow up to a Hike and Seek learning adventure.

Information on-line

Please take some time to look at the project on-line here.  It has expanded since last summer when we were experimenting with the concept. It will continue to grow as Avalonia grows and offers more places for our members and friends to hike. The local libraries are embracing the program, as is the Stonington COMO.

Find a preserve you want to explore and get out at any time of the year.

If your group would like a presentation, introduction, or materials about Hike and Seek, please contact the Avalonia office or use the Hike and Seek email: hikeandseek@avalonialc.org  We will be looking forward to your posts on Instagram or Facebook or via email. We will post the photos you send to the Hike and Seek email address.

But mostly we want you all to get out and enjoy the lovely land we have preserved together. Why hide it? Share it!

Photographs by Avalonia friends.

Sharing Fall Hiking

By Beth Sullivan

We are coming into a beautiful time of year. I guess every time has a special beauty, but the changing colors of late summer into early fall are inspiring. Meadows are showing golds and pinks of the taller meadow flowers; grasses wave. The woodlands are beginning to show different hues of green, more varied, deeper.

Expanses of salt marsh are absolutely the most beautiful as the salt marsh grasses settle into swirls and swaths of colors as seeds form. Soon the edges, the coastal woodlands, will begin to show the first colors in the Black Gum trees whose leaves go red early in the season.
An artist’s eye does not always go just to the large view of the landscape. It is also a time to look closely. Insects are phenomenal at this time of year. They may not sit still for portraits, but a camera can catch them in an instant.
Birds have fledged; many are gathering in large flocks, preparing for the changing season. Many young are still learning the ropes from parents, and many osprey are still returning to nest sites. Soon they will leave.

Time to get outside

It is also a time of renewed energy after the heat of the summer. Time to get out and hike. Kids, especially, have been confined all week at school; they need to stretch, to run, to use different muscles. We all know, though, that being in nature stimulates different thought processes, different senses and enhances so many educational processes.

I invite you all to re-investigate Avalonia’s Hike and Seek program. It is more than a game, it is not a competition, but an enjoyable educational challenge for kids of all ages. Each of Avalonia’s trailed preserves has something special to offer, different features, different vistas. Hike and Seek gives the visitor some guidelines for walking a trail, goals for observations, targets to find, making the journey more enjoyable and meaningful. And it is free.

As Avalonia moves into our next 50 years we need to build a conservation ethic in our next generation (Yes, we will be fifty next year. More about that in another post.). It is our mission. That generation will replace us. What better way than to make the outdoors fun and safe and inspiring.

In order to highlight different preserves, I will re-run a few past blogs of some of the special ones. I will get out hiking too and look with new eyes. Also, please take a look at the web site Preserves pages to find a hike that suits you. There are so very many places to enjoy.

Capture someone really making a connection with nature. Photograph by Kent Fuller 

Find the beauty in all seasons.

Get real close to see the details.

You never know when a pattern in nature will catch your eye.

Share what you find

But, we do have a favor to ask: show us what you find. We have added a special link on our website just for this purpose. Please send your high resolution photos via the on-line form located here. Please include your name, date and location of the picture. Also, add any pertinent information you might like to share. We will review all submissions. Some may go on our members’ photo page, and we may use some for Avalonia social media and publications. Won’t that be fun to see.

You can also post to Facebook yourself using the #avalonialandconservancy or #avaloniahikeandseek hashtags.

We are also starting a video archive. It really isn’t scary or hard to push the video button on your camera or phone and take some wonderful videos while out on the preserves. Send those too! Just hold the camera steady on one subject; don’t pan. Take several clips. It really is fun.

So now, while the light is clear and crisp, the colors are brightest in the angles of the sun, get outdoors. Take a child with you if possible and pass on your knowledge and enthusiasm.
Take your camera. Get up close or take the distant view. Pay attention to what you see. Get into the story of the scene before you whether it is a far horizon, a single standing tree, or the center of a flower and-when you have something special-share it!

Somethings can be hard to find.

But maybe you will find a gem.

Step back to take a long view and tell a story.

You may be in the right place at the right time.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan, unless otherwise indicated.

Are you ready for Summer fun?

By Beth Sullivan

We have passed the Solstice. The kids are out of school. For some families it will mean camps, vacations away and planned activities. For some it will mean a lot of home time and opportunities to plan things together as families. The days are longer, there are places to explore, the great outdoors beckons. But sometimes the kids (or parents) just don’t want to let go of their phones. Sometimes kids need a bigger incentive. Sometimes parents need a little help. Sometimes all you need is a good place to start, and you can take those phones with you!

Low tide at Knox Preserve reveals a lot of fun treasures.

Welcome to Hike and Seek

We have been working on this project for a couple of years. Different than every other summer scavenger hunt, this one will keep interest all year round and for many years. It is not a contest.  Educators love it. We also do not have a big budget to do advertising, so it is spreading by word of mouth, presentations and website links. 

From the Avalonia home page follow the links to adventure.

We know that kids in school have had fewer opportunities for field trips as budgets get cut. Now, more than ever, it is so important for us to teach our children the importance of our natural world: habitats, the web of life, how we are all inter-related, and how our every action can have a significant impact on other parts of our world. Kids need to develop curiosity. From there respect will grow and a desire to learn more. That is how new stewards of the land are made.

Hiking with children can give them a greater sense of self confidence and a willingness to explore.

Avalonia Land Conservancy owns and stewards close to 4000 acres in Southeastern CT. Many properties are trailed, open to the public, and just waiting to be explored. For many years I was lucky to be involved with environmental education for kids in this area doing school programs and field trips. I got to witness the excitement and awe as school-age kids walked in woods, stood at a pond side, touched something “scary” or learned a really cool new fact about something outdoors. It was wonderful.

A group from Pine Point School found the big erratic boulder at Paffard Woods.

I also came to realize that not all parents or group leaders are totally comfortable trying to understand or teach this kind of information. They needed some help. A trip leader or naturalist is not always available when you need them. But with Hike and Seek, we hope to offer some insight into those special things you will encounter along the trails, and give parents, leaders and older school kids an opportunity to use their phones and media to enhance their excursions.

Journaling and recording your reflections can be a great follow up to a Hike and Seek learning adventure.

Information on-line

Please take some time to look at the project on-line here.  It has expanded since last summer when we were experimenting with the concept. It will continue to grow as Avalonia grows and offers more places for our members and friends to hike. The local libraries are embracing the program, as is the Stonington COMO.

Find a preserve you want to explore and get out at any time of the year.

If your group would like a presentation, introduction, or materials about Hike and Seek, please contact the Avalonia office or use the Hike and Seek email: hikeandseek@avalonialc.org  We will be looking forward to your posts on Instagram or Facebook or via email. We will post the photos you send to the Hike and Seek email address.

But mostly we want you all to get out and enjoy the lovely land we have preserved together. Why hide it? Share it!

Photographs by Avalonia friends.

Some goals for this new year

January is a good time for reflection. Where have we been? How did we get here? What could we have done differently? What have we learned?

From David Allen’s blog post “Development for Conservation”

By Beth Sullivan

Sitting on the couch, cuddled into a down blanket with a cup of tea, some throat drops and a box of tissues, and a couple of dogs that just don’t understand-that’s where I have been for the last week. How did I get here? Way too much wonderful Christmas affection that I wouldn’t change for the world. But it has made me sit a bit more and think about that quote above. 

To get very close to see details

Reflecting back on my past New Years’ resolutions , as far as I can remember, they all involve getting out, exploring, looking more closely and appreciating the outdoors. If I do that, it will take care of my secondary resolution to get more exercise.

Being involved with Avalonia, and wanting to get more knowledgeable about the preserves and trails, has given me a lot more incentive to roam. In the past year I enjoyed getting out of my backyard and getting to properties in other towns, properties with trails to explore so I can share them in this blog and on the website. 

To help overcome fears.

For the next generation

Lately, I am feeling a greater sense of urgency in helping the next generations get out and look closely and appreciate the natural world around us. Working on the Hike and Seek project gave me an outlet to accomplish more of that mission. As I walk and wander, I am now thinking about how I would show things to a child by my side. I try to get down lower, look up higher and think with an open curious mind. I am trying to take photos that will help inspire or explain or create curiosity. We started this project as a challenge to find a target or goal, a personal challenge, not a contest, but it has evolved into more of an educational project. People have responded that they enjoy having the photos and explanations to help guide their walk. We are adding educational resources and links as we go along now. Parents have enjoyed looking ahead so they can point things out to their kids, and some of those parents have written back and said they have learned a lot as well. This gives me great hope because I realize more people are actually using the project site to give greater depth to their own outdoor explorations. 

To know where to find something unusual.

There so many distractions, responsibilities and various dangers out in the rest of the world. To me one of the biggest dangers is that we are losing open space with its beauty and diversity, where we can find peace and get away from the distractions and responsibilities of the other lives we have to lead. Our mission as a land trust is to continue to preserve these beautiful and valuable spaces so everyone can continue to find respite. My goal is to help provide the insight into some of these places and the treasures hidden in plain sight, so everyone can understand the importance of our conservation mission and share it with their own children. It is preserved for them and the generations to follow.

To look at ordinary and see extraordinary. 

Direction is clear

So, I know where I have been and I know where I want to go. I have learned a lot, and I have a good idea of what I want to do in the next year: I want to be able to share this even more. 

To look up high for a new view.

To see beauty in soft landscapes.

To spot a jewel.

I ask you to help me. Send your photos and thoughts about the places you wander to hikeandseek@avalonialc.org. I would love to be able to use them to help encourage others to do the same.



I look forward to hearing from you. Happy New Year!

Getting Real with Hike and Seek!

By Beth Sullivan

As part of Avalonia’s Mission Statement, we strive to foster appreciation for our wonderful natural resources though education in various ways. Because we are an all-volunteer organization, whose members have busy active lives, we cannot always be where we want to be-to lead hikes, present programs, or offer classes the way other organizations can do so well with their dedicated staff.

So, we brainstormed. We are beginning to employ educational signage on some of our preserves in addition to the historical signs that have been on several properties for years. This allows visitors a chance to get a better understanding of the area they are exploring. We have also expanded our website to include so much more information about the preserves, such as photos, maps, and descriptions. However, we wanted to give people a reason to explore, a motive or goal to really look at things as they hike.

A big hole in a tree can have many uses. This one is at Simmons Preserve.

Last year my goal was to walk all the trailed properties Avalonia has to offer. I hiked, photographed and enjoyed all the unique details of each preserve. Then it was a natural progression to see how we could encourage others to do the same. With major technical IT help ( thank you Kent), an area where I am sorely lacking, we developed an idea to point out real elements in nature.

So, as part of our Discover Avalonia initiative: Get ready to Hike and Seek!

Let us guide you in a unique way, on journeys of your own choosing.

At Fennerswoods, a tree seedling took root in a crack in a rock and grew

Showcasing 24 preserves in 5 towns and with the website to guide you, we challenge one and all to explore with the goal of learning a bit more, thinking deeper, pondering and perusing, and then, documenting your found clues with photos and your smart phone.

Ideally created for those who have social media and technology at their fingertips, it is also great for families. Parents can help children explore the photo clues then encourage them to find the targets along the trail. Sharing can be done by using the #avaloniahikeandseek hashtag for Instagram and Facebook, or by posting your photos in the photo album for each preserve on Avalonia’s Facebook page. Instructions and clues are all in one place on the Hike and Seek web page, here. More information and maps are readily available through links to the main Avalonia website. All are mobile friendly. The program is free to all, and registration is optional but will allow us to contact parents or leaders with updates and notify participants of occasional seasonal celebrations for all Seekers.

At Knox Preserve, new signs help teach and inspire.

There is no real beginning, no end, no competition, and no stress.

If you are tired of watching people, young and old, walk around glued to their phones, looking for imaginary creatures and totally ignoring their natural surroundings, this is for you.

Looking for real things in nature is ever so much better than looking for virtual creatures. Photograph by Heather Milardo.

Beautiful hiking weather is finally here. There are targets to be found now. Over time we will add more goals that may be seasonally dependent to keep every trip interesting and new.

We look forward to seeing your submissions and hearing your comments.

Avalonia has worked hard to acquire and protect so much beautiful land here in SE CT. Our mission is to help you learn about it and appreciate it so that you and your families will help us carry the effort forward into the next generations.

Have fun.

There are many different wetlands on Pine Swamp Preserve. 

Photographs by Beth Sullivan unless otherwise noted.