Category Archives: Outdoors

Stroll Gil Boro’s Sculpture Grounds to Celebrate International Sculpture Day

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A view across Gil Boro’s Sculpture Grounds looking towards Studio 80.

OLD LYME — This Saturday, April 24, the world will join in celebration of sculpture during the 7th annual International Sculpture Day, or ISDay.

The International Sculpture Center (ISC) invites artists, educators, collectors, curators and art enthusiasts across the globe to join in celebrating sculpture virtually. Take a minute to share images of your work, a favorite work by another sculptor, exhibitions, and any other way you celebrate sculpture.

Be sure to share the #ISDay hashtag on social media to be featured on sculpture.org and the ISC Instagram pages.

Three works by Gilbert Boro can be seen in this photo.

Here in Old Lyme, you will find Studio 80 + Sculpture Grounds, where nationally- and internationally-renowned sculptor Gilbert Boro lives and works. His beautiful property at 80-1 Lyme St. comprises 4.5 acres that roll gently down to the Lieutenant River.

There are more than 120 sculptures on display in the grounds, the majority created by Boro himself. It would be the perfect place to visit on ISDay.

Sculptor Gil Boro in his studio in Old Lyme.

The studio and indoor facilities are closed to the public until further notice due to Covid-19, but individuals are still welcome to stroll the grounds, enjoy nature and view the public artwork outdoors.

Admission is free from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily but visitors must practice social distancing and other infection reduction strategies as outlined by the CDC. 

Sculptor Gil Boro has always encouraged visitors to touch and engage with the artwork, however, at this time, he asks that you refrain from all physical contact with the sculptures.

For more information on Studio 80 + Sculpture Grounds, visit this link.

Celebrate Earth Day by Participating in the 2021 Earth Day Backyard Bioblitz

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The Earth Day Backyard Bioblitz is an opportunity to celebrate the natural world all around us.

LYME/OLD LYME — Today is Earth Day! Why not celebrate all that nature offers here in southeastern Connecticut by participating in the Earth Day Backyard Bioblitz?
The Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center of Old Lyme invites you to consider spending an hour or two today at your convenience participating in this year’s Bioblitz.
A bioblitz is simply an effort to find as many living things as possible within a specific time period. It is free and you can take part any time today from midnight to midnight.
You do not need any particular expertise. All you need is a smart phone and the free iNaturalist app, and then follow the directions on this bioblitz webpage.
People around Connecticut will be searching in their yards, neighborhood parks, nearby nature preserves — pretty much anywhere outside. They will be spending time outdoors observing plants, insects, birds, and other living things … and you can too!

Old Lyme Open Space Commission Launches Beaver, Bird Conservation Program, Sponsored by Two Grants

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Beaver activity can result in a host of beneficial impacts. Photo by Niklas Hamann on Unsplash.

OLD LYME — Earth Day 2021 is Thursday, April 22.

In celebration, the Old Lyme Open Space Commission is launching a beavers and birds conservation/education program in the town’s Ames Open Space.

The program is sponsored by grants from The Rockfall Foundation and the Hartford Audubon Society.

The Commission’s slogan is “Let Nature Be.”

In the case of beavers, allowing their activity results in a host of beneficial impacts. Beavers are one of only a few animals that create their own habitat, which is then shared with an amazing variety of birds, plants, and wildlife.

Beaver ponds improve aquifer quality through natural filtration and regulate flow so downstream areas do not run dry in summer months.

The commission, through this program, will give beavers free reign where their activity is confined to town open space. At the same time, commission members will educationally explain the ecology of beaver ponds, which encompass so much more than dams and lodges.

Visitors, bird watchers and students will have a wonderful opportunity to observe nature in action with natural amenities at two observation sites.

Specifically, the Open Space Commission project will:

  • Use drones to aerially survey the Ames Open Space boundaries to determine if beaver activity is adversely affecting private property and seek solutions to problems, as needed.
  • Protect non-nuisance beaver activity on open space land and deter illegal vandalism.
  • Offer a wildlife educational program centered on the unique features of beaver ponds. High Definition (HD) cameras with remote access will capture wildlife activity for web-posting with help from Lyme-Old Lyme High School.
  • Create two wildlife observational areas with native-wood benches and interpretive signs on the Ames “blue” trail. QR codes will link to video footage, so visitors can watch beaver and bird activity where it was recorded and perhaps even see similar activity live.

Visit the commission’s website later this spring and summer for news of the program’s progress.

FloGris Museum Offers ‘Forest Bathing/Mindfulness’ Event Along ‘The Artists’ Trail,’ Tomorrow

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Jon a Forest Bathing/Mindfulness Event along the Artist’s Trail at the Florence Griswold Museum, Saturday. Photo by Ian Dobbins.

OLD LYME — Awaken your senses tomorrow, Saturday, April 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. through a guided ‘Forest Bathing’ mindfulness experience along the Florence Griswold Museum’s Artists’ Trail. The session feature slow walking, sensory immersion, and experiential sharing. This event will be held rain or shine (dress accordingly).

Face masks and physical distancing required.

Forest Therapy fosters a reconnection with nature through a slow-paced walk, punctuated with invitations that open your senses to engage with the natural world. As a certified Forest Therapy Guide, Regan Stacey designs and facilitates forest bathing experiences to be in rhythm with the seasonal landscape, thus offering you an optimum opportunity to reconnect to nature and yourself.

Stacey is an artist, environmentalist, and the founder of Awaken the Forest Within, a nature-connected practice that reconnects humans to nature to heal themselves, their communities, and the earth.

Stacey holds a BS in biology from the Pennsylvania State University and an MFA from Lesley University. She lives among the hills and forests of Lyme, Conn.

Visit this link to learn more about this nature-centered experience.

The fee for this event is $40 for Museum members and $45 for non-members. Reservations are required.

Questions? Call the Front Desk at (860) 434-5542 ext. 111, or frontdesk@flogris.org.

To visit the Museum the same day, Forest Bathing participants must book a separate admission ticket, selecting “Be Our Guest” as the ticket type. Proceed all the way through the admission booking process — the total will be $0 but must be booked and confirmed separately from the Forest Bathing ticket.

All Welcome to Free Presentation via Zoom on Pollinator-Friendly Lawns, Tonight; Hosted by ‘Pollinate Old Lyme!’

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Learn how to create a pollinator-friendly lawn on Wednesday with Tom Christopher. Photo by Petar Tonchev on Unsplash.

OLD LYME — Zoom signups are now open for a free presentation on Pollinator-Friendly Lawns with Tom Christopher. All are welcome to the presentation, which begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14.

Email PollinateOldLyme@gmail.com to request the Zoom link.

Pollinate Old Lyme! presents gardener, author, and podcast host Tom Christopher. Christopher will give practical advice about sustainable lawns, including different grasses, clover and grass mixes, how to reduce chemical inputs and change mowing practices.
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A.
A graduate of the New York Botanical Garden’s School of Professional Horticulture, Christopher has spent the last 45 years designing and tending gardens, authoring and editing gardening books, magazine features and giving talks. Most recently he launched the Growing Greener weekly podcast. Having lived for years in Middletown, Conn., Christopher and his wife Suzanne now do most of their gardening in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts.
Learn more about Christopher at https://www.thomaschristophergardens.com