Education

On January 1st, the Bethany Land Trust started the new year with a First Day Hike, guiding 27 hikers along newly rerouted trails in the Simpson Preserve and through Veterans Memorial Park. From there, we climbed into the woods above the lake to the Bethany Bog, enjoying a bright, sunny day despite chilly temperatures in the 20s. A recent snowfall made the hike especially fun, as we were rewarded with animal tracks in the snow. While areas of melting and refreezing blurred some prints, several tracks were fresh and clear enough to identify. Of particular interest were deer and coyote… Read more: Naturalist’s Notes February 2026

Citizen (or Community) Science invites people of all ages to contribute to real scientific research simply by observing and sharing what they see outdoors. Whether you’re spotting birds, tracking plants, or noticing changes in the environment, your observations help scientists monitor the health of our trails and natural areas. It’s a fun way to connect with local plants and wildlife while making a difference. You only need to get outside, explore and pay attention! There are thousands of projects listed on scistarter.org. Here are some projects to get you started that are perfect for people of all ages.  Budburst– Help track… Read more: September Naturalist’s Notes 9/7/25

On a recent hike along the Sisyphus Trail in the new Hidden Brook Preserve, I reached the top and was greeted by its most famous feature: a massive boulder, likely left behind thousands of years ago by the retreating glaciers of the last Ice Age. But what caught my attention wasn’t the boulder’s size; it was a tiny birch sapling clinging to its side! Its roots had managed to sprout in the smallest crack in the stone, drawing life from what little soil and moisture had collected in that tiny pocket. I scratched the young tree’s bark and caught that… Read more: August Notes

After a few weeks of bitter cold, it is nice to feel spring in the air on the Bethany trails! This weekend marks the start of Daylight Savings Time in Connecticut (and all states except Arizona and Hawaii). On the second Sunday in March, clocks spring forward by one hour, meaning more daylight hours in the evening (and more opportunities to get outside after work!). As we move into spring, the days naturally grow longer, and this time change helps us make the most of that extra daylight by shifting it to the evening hours. This practice, which has been… Read more: March Notes

Lovely morning walk with Stephen Paul Broker at the Mendell’s Folly Bethany Land Trust, Inc. parcel. We heard and/or saw sign of mammals: Beaver (feeding evidence), Bobcat (scat), and Red Fox (scat and the breeding season skunk-like scent marking at the trailhead to the meadow), and delightful birds: including Virginia Rail heard at the far end of the wetland, Great Blue Heron floating by overhead, Golden-crowned Kinglets hovering in the canopy, Swamp Sparrow, a Cooper’s Hawk that lifted up into the trees from the forest floor, and my favorite song and sight of the morning: a diminutive but energetic Winter Wren singing its high… Read more: January Naturalist’s Notes

Take a walk on our land trust trails this winter, and you will notice evergreen clups of Princess Pine, also known as flat-branched club moss (Dendrolycopodium obscurum). This low-growing, ancient plant is native to the northeastern United States, including Connecticut, and thrives in shaded, acidic soils, often beneath pine and mixed hardwood forests. In the starkness of winter, its vibrant green foliage stands out against the leaf-littered forest floor, making it easy to spot. Princess Pine is a relic of prehistoric times, representing the Lycopodiophyta group, which includes some of the first vascular plants to evolve. Despite its common name,… Read more: Princess Pine (Dendrolycopodium obscurum)

Lakeview Lodge Veterans Memorial Park Bethany