Nature center to hold Connecticut Trails Day hike

 ANSONIA - The Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center and the Connecticut Forest and Park Association are sponsoring a free educational hike to identify trees by their bark from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, rain or shine.
    Saturday is Connecticut Trails Day.
    WalkCT Family Guides Peter and Barbara Rzasa will lead hikers on a two-mile journey through the nature center’s woodland trails, which include a large variety of hardwoods and softwoods.
    The traits most often used to describe tree species - leaves, buds, and twigs- are often not clearly visible or seasonally absent. However, bark is a tree characteristic that is visible in every season.
    Participants will learn about a system for classifying bark characteristics into different types , and for using bark to identify species.
    Hikers will begin to discover why such a variety of bark characteristics exists - and why some species have smooth bark, while on others it is thick and broken. Participants will learn different patterns in bark as trees age.
    This hike is open to naturalists at all levels of experience. Hikers are asked to meet at 8:45 a.m. at the nature center, 10 Deerfield Road, and to bring water and insect protection.
    For information and to register, call the nature center, 203-736-1053.