Take a hike Saturday at Ansonia Nature Center

To celebrate CT Trails Day
ANSONIA - Take a hike at the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center’s Raptor Woods Trail from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Connecticut Trails Day.

Get acquainted with the park’s trail system and the extension onto adjacent state forest land.
Join naturalist/guide Alison Rubelmann, nature center director, for an educational and entertaining hike to identify nature along the way.

Participants should prepare for hiking with sturdy shoes, long pants, and water. The hike is two to three miles over moderate terrain.

This program is free; call 203-736-1053 to register.

Permaculture Workshop
Also on Saturday, the nature center has scheduled a third Permaculture Workshop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This session will include an introduction to planting Connecticut native species and physical clearing of large areas of invasive species.

It also will feature an introduction to basic grafting, learning how to create an air-layer, and further development of swales.
Registration requested; call 203-736-1053.

The nature center is at 10 Deerfield Road.


Note: this information is taken from the nature center's calendar.

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.