Let’s Go

East Haddam Land Trust
Goodwin Trail Challenge for Cyclists and Runners
Join the fun and meet the challenge—in just the way you choose! The 3rd annual Goodwin Trail Challenge, hosted by East Haddam Land Trust on Sunday, October 12, is designed for both off-road cyclists and trail runners. The course for all runners will be the 14-mile Goodwin Trail, traversing East Haddam, Lyme, Salem, and East Lyme. The cycling route will use 45 miles of often rugged trails through preserved land in Lyme and East Haddam, including the Goodwin Trail.

Last year, the 45-mile biking adventure loop drew riders from across Connecticut and other New England states, and even from out west. The route is designed by Ronnie Romance, an avid cyclist and East Haddam resident who owns several businesses, among them Ron’s Bikes.

For more information and important updates about registering for the challenge, visit East Haddam Land Trust’s website at: ehlt.org/outings-events.

Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments
Find a Farm to Visit
Are you interested in local farmers markets, buying local products, and supporting local farmers? Celebrate agriculture in the Lower Connecticut River valley this fall by visiting one of our many farms and farmers markets! The Lower CT River Valley Council of Governments has a Regional Agriculture Council (the only one in the state) that supports farmers in the region. Go to the regional agriculture website at www.knowyourfarmers.org to learn what local farms offer and where they are located, to find your favorite farmers market, and much more.

FloGris Museum
Enjoy Art With Your Five Senses
Inside Out: Contexts for American Art (September 27, 2025–January 4, 2026) investigates the power of context for selected artworks from the Florence Griswold Museum’s collection, turning them “inside out” so that viewers can engage with paintings, sculpture, prints, textiles, and photographs in creative new ways. Works of art will be placed in conversation with archival materials, period music, art-making tools, and interactive activities such as materials to smell, feel, play with, or manipulate. While traditional exhibitions use text labels to communicate information, Inside Out aims to experiment by considering the varied ways people learn. In addition to reading interpretative materials, audiences will be encouraged to use their five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—to understand art more holistically. The goal is to show the viewer the context of the work by engaging on a more personal, multi-sensory, and experiential level that brings art to life.

Find out more information about the FloGris Museum, Old Lyme, Connecticut, at florencegriswoldmuseum.org.

Audubon Vermont
Fall at Green Mountain Audubon Center
Fall is a wonderful time of year at the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington, Vermont! Audubon Vermont manages over 250 acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife. Five miles of trails traverse wetlands, meadows, forests, and its Bird-Friendly Sugarbush. See the landscape come alive with brilliant fall foliage! Bring your binoculars to view migratory birds before they journey south for the winter. Trails are free to visit and are open to the public seven days a week. Stop by the Visitor Center Monday to Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., to learn more about Audubon’s work and buy their very own Bird-Friendly Maple Syrup! You can also learn about guided programs and events hosted at the Audubon Center on its online events page (vt.audubon.org/events). Come visit this fall—all are welcome at Audubon!

Connecticut River Salmon Association
Save The Date! Saturday, January 24, 2026
Connecticut River Salmon Association (CRSA) has been busy. There were many “Salmon-in-Schools” fry stock-out field trips last spring; as an accredited NGO, CRSA attended the 42nd meeting of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO). Estuary’s own Steve Gephard, Working Group Chairman on Stock Rebuilding Programs, presented the group’s report, including guidelines for frozen gene banking, live gene banking, and in-stream live gene banking—and it was very well received. NASCO released its new interactive, “Wild Atlantic Salmon Atlas,” covering all of the wild salmon rivers of the North Atlantic. Find it at https://nasco.int>wildatlantic-salmon-atlas. To follow the migratory fish returns to the Connecticut River, visit “2025 River Runs” on CRSA’s homepage at www.ctriversalmon.org.

Connecticut Science Teachers can bring freshwater and saltwater ecosystems to LIFE for your students in your classroom! Study the anadromous life cycle of a threatened and endangered species by participating in Salmon-in-Schools—a scientific and environmental learning project. Students participate in all phases, from rearing salmon eggs in the classroom to calculating the Development Index to stocking rivers. CRSA provides teacher orientation, materials, and support from fisheries biologists at the Connecticut DEEP. For more information contact salmoninschools@ctriversalmon.org or visit ctriversalmon.org.

Connecticut River Conservancy
29th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup
Join the Connecticut River’s largest volunteer cleanup event of the year! Over 1,000 participants gather in over 100 groups across four states (New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut) to remove trash from rivers, riverbanks, parks, and communities.

Trash thrown on the ground often moves from streets to streams and ends up in our rivers, impacting water quality and habitats along the way. Together we can make a BIG difference in removing this waste from our waterways. The 29th annual Source to Sea Cleanup will take place on September 26 and 27, 2025 (or a date that works for you!). Visit sourcetoseacleanup.org to start or join a group today.

If you’re reading this after September has passed, visit ctriver.org/events for the latest virtual and in-person ways to learn and connect with the Connecticut River watershed.

Kestrel Land Trust
Films, Talks, and More
In the Connecticut River valley of Massachusetts, nature, culture, and community come together through public events designed for anyone who loves the land. Kestrel Land Trust offers nature walks on themes from birding to geology to native plants, and programs for well-being, like outdoor yoga or mindfulness in nature. In “Bringing Our Hearts to Climate Change: An In-Person Dialogue,” participants will work through climate anxiety together to find hope and support.

Kestrel’s “Voices for the Land” Online Speaker Series highlights diverse perspectives of the land. On October 1,
Forrest King-Cortes of the Land Trust Alliance will talk about community-centered conservation and prioritizing the creation of inclusive and inviting spaces for diverse communities.

On September 26, Kestrel is excited to cohost its first “Wild & Scenic Film Festival” in collaboration with Smith College, showing inspiring short films about land, nature, and community. Visit kestreltrust.org to learn more and register!

Connecticut River Museum
River Art, Fall Cruises, and Model Trains
There’s something for everyone this fall at the Connecticut River Museum in Essex, Connecticut! For art lovers, Watermark: Capturing the Connecticut features the work of four New England photographers. On view through October 19, visitors will rediscover the majestic beauty of the Connecticut River and connect with the surrounding landscapes.

Enjoy getting out on the water? Don’t miss the museum’s Swallow Cruises through September 28. Enjoy an intimate, 2-hour cruise to a special spot on the Connecticut River where thousands and thousands of tree swallows gather each evening. Fall foliage cruises continue through October.

Ready for the holidays? Artist and train enthusiast Steve Cryan unveils a new model train layout signaling the holiday season at the Connecticut River Museum. Each year his intricate miniature world of trains enthralls the crowds of people who make a visit to the train show an annual family tradition. The train exhibit opens in late November. Visit ctrivermuseum.org for more information.

Lyme Land Trust
Become Star Struck
The Lyme Land Trust (LLT) has something for everyone! Tuesday Treks led by staff and board members at a different preserve every week are for all ages: Wednesday Walks with Wendy are for Seniors, and Family Trail Time with Tori are for families with small children.

Monthly Astronomy sessions offer the opportunity to view the dark skies of Lyme at a private observatory. LLT offers a wide variety of presentations and expert-led hikes throughout the fall season. Visit lymelandtrust.org to learn more and sign up!

Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center
Connecticut River Lecture Series Continues
The Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center’s 2025 Connecticut River Lecture Series resumes this fall with two captivating programs exploring the delicate balance of marine ecosystems and the future of our coastal environments.

On Wednesday, October 23, at the Lyme Art Association, Emmy-nominated filmmaker Jacob Steinberg presents The Unsung Hero: Menhaden and the Marine Food Web, highlighting the vital, yet often overlooked, role of menhaden in sustaining ocean life.

On Wednesday, November 19, at Old Lyme Town Hall, climate scientist Dr. John Jasper discusses Climate Change and Coastal Connecticut: A Look Ahead, examining long-term climate trends and their impact on regional habitats, including the decline of eelgrass and implications for wildlife.

Both lectures begin at 5 p.m., are free and open to the public, and aim to spark meaningful dialogue about conservation and climate action. RSVP at ctaudubon.org/rtp-programs-events or call (860) 598-4218.

Rivers Alliance of Connecticut
Do You Know Your Flow?
Information about ground and surface water is valuable for everyone. If you’re an angler or a paddler, you probably already check streamflow data to decide if today is a good day to get on the water or if it’s better to wait. But this information isn’t just for recreation. It’s also essential for decision-makers—from local water utilities managing your drinking water supply to state officials keeping an eye on drought conditions.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains stream and groundwater gages (yes, that’s the official USGS spelling) throughout Connecticut. Water companies also closely monitor reservoir and well levels to help ensure a reliable water supply.

Want to see for yourself and explore information about the status of water around your home and other places you cherish? Visit Rivers Alliance of Connecticut’s Know Your Flow page at www.riversalliance.org. Hover over Programs and Events, then click on Know Your Flow to explore real-time water data across the state!

The Rockfall Foundation
90th Anniversary Celebration
You’re invited to celebrate The Rockfall Foundation’s 90th anniversary on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown, Connecticut. This special evening will honor Rockfall’s 2025 Environmental Champions and Environmental Grant Recipients—individuals and organizations making meaningful contributions to conservation, education, and environmental stewardship in the Lower Connecticut River valley. Guests will enjoy catered food, beer, wine, and mocktails; hear from a keynote speaker; and connect with others who care deeply about our environment. For more information, visit rockfallfoundation.org.

Save the Sound
Time to Clean Up!
Every year Save the Sound brings thousands of volunteers together for the CT Cleanup guided by two principles. One is that what goes on the ground, goes in the sound. Every drop of rain that falls on Connecticut’s lands eventually flows to Long Island Sound—and that goes for trash, too. The second principle is that wherever you live and whoever you are, you deserve safe places to swim, fish, walk, boat, and play. It’s important to clean up not only our state’s beaches, but also inland parks, marshes, riverbanks, and more.

That’s why, from mid-August through mid-October, Save the Sound coordinates dozens of cleanups across Connecticut with local partners: Cleanup Captains who take the lead for a given site; and clubs, churches, scout troops, and other community groups who gather neighbors to make a difference.

You can make YOUR favorite spot safer and healthier! Find a cleanup event near you at www.SaveTheSound.org/cleanup.

Great Meadows Conservation Trust
Trail Cameras Reveal Wildlife Activity
Great Meadows Conservation Trust (GMCT) is again participating with the Connecticut River Conservancy in the 29th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup. Join GMCT at Wethersfield Cove, 533 Main Street, Wethersfield, Connecticut on Saturday, September 27, at 9 a.m. Wethersfield Cove is a real treasure! Join in and gain a sense of satisfaction knowing you have helped keep the cove clean. Bring gloves if you have them; if not, gloves will be supplied. Volunteers will use repurposed feed and grain bags to gather trash—no plastic bags will be added to the waste stream.

GMCT, through the generosity of one of its directors, has strategically located trail cams at its Wood parcel. The cameras have shown beavers in action, mother ducks with ducklings, deer with fawn, and even coyotes at night. Want to see? Go to GMCT’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/gmctorg where you will find helpful news, events, highlights, and important information about its work.

Connecticut Land Conservation Council
Find a Connecticut Land Trust
This fall find your local Connecticut land trust, get outside, and explore our state’s beautiful open spaces. Connecticut boasts 120 land trusts that protect more than 200,000 acres of conservation land. Most of these land trusts focus their efforts at the town level, some work across several municipalities, and some protect land statewide. They all have one thing in common: a passion for protecting open space and making it accessible for all to enjoy.

From the Northwest Hills to the Connecticut River valley and the shoreline of Long Island Sound, to city parks and fields of farmland, Connecticut is a beautiful state. Find your local land trust; locate their preserves, community gardens, and trails; and be sure to spend some time this fall exploring Connecticut’s woodlands, meadows, and marshes. Learn more and find your local land trust at ctconservation.org/find-a-land-trust/.