The Great Meadows Conservation Trust is offering guided winter nature walks in the Meadows along the Connecticut River in Glastonbury, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and East Hartford through the end of February. Two of the walks, February 21 and 28, will feature Goodwin College’s Bruce Morton, Program Director of Environmental Studies.
Jim Woodworth, the trust’s stewardship chairman, urged people to take advantage of the opportunity to learn about and appreciate the Meadows area. Bald eagles are common in the area, so a sighting is likely, he said. “It’s just great to be out in nature and the fresh air, especially in winter when you just don’t get out as much,” Woodworth said. “It can be beautiful if the sun is shining.”
The Meadows is a low-lying area along the Connecticut River just south of Hartford that remains largely undeveloped because of frequent flooding. The Great Meadows Trust is a nonprofit group that owns parts of the Meadows. It educates residents about the area and advocates for its preservation.
Walk schedule:
Saturday, Jan. 31, 10 a.m., Rocky Hill
Hikers should meet at 78 Goff Brook La, off of Old Main St. The walk is expected to be about two hours.
Sunday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m, in Glastonbury
Walkers will meet behind Glastonbury Town Hall, at 2143 Main St.
Saturday, Feb. 14, 10:30 a.m., Glastonbury
Meet at the Connecticut Audubon Center at 1361 Main St.
Saturday, Feb. 21, 9 a.m., Wethersfield
Meet Jim Woodworth and Bruce Morton at the Putnam Park parking lot, 100 Great Meadow Road, just north of the Putnam Bridge. We’ll peel away the centuries to imagine the river bank before the bridge, and explore the 300+ acre Crow Point property owned by Goodwin College. We’ll observe the process of nature reclaiming the land and waterways excavated for fill to build the highway across the ancient farmland and wetlands of the great meadows.
Saturday, Feb 28, at 9 a.m. in East Hartford
Meet Jim Woodworth and Bruce Morton at Hockanum Park, 324 High St. Explore our Wilson-Carvalho and Hockanum Meadows parcels in the “Wethersfield Triangle” of land marooned on the east side by the meandering of the river. Goodwin College students are studying environmental science here, experimenting with invasive species control and habitat enhancement.’
For more information, please contact Bruce Morton at BMorton@goodwin.edu.
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.