Category Archives: Outdoors

Vote for Old Lyme as TripAdvisor’s “Best New England Fall Foliage Getaway”!

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Photo of Old Lyme from the Trip Advisor article on “Best New England Fall Foliage Getaways.”

We’re delighted to share the news with our readers that Ashlee Centrella of TripAdvisor has informed us that Old Lyme has been selected as one of their 16 Best New England Fall Foliage Getaways.  That’s good news in itself, but we also have the chance to vote for Old Lyme to be THE Best New England Fall Foliage Getaway!  This honor will be bestowed on the town in New England that offers, in Centrella’s words, “the best small-town charm vacations in New England,” combined with the best fall foliage.

You can read TripAdvisor’s article on the 16 candidates for the honor at this link and most importantly scroll to the bottom to vote (for Old Lyme, of course!) at the end of it.  You don’t have to give your email or register for anything so please, please help Old Lyme win this award.  We’re currently running second with 11 percent of the votes cast, significantly ahead of Essex, Mass. and Damariscotta, Maine, which both have precisely 0 percent of the votes, but way behind Millinocket, Maine, which has a whopping 63 percent of the vote.

So, dear readers, get your fingers to work, and let’s vote like crazy so Old Lyme not only overtakes Millinocket, Maine, but also goes on to win this contest!  We know the Lyme-Old Lyme Chamber of Commerce will be supporting this effort as it would obviously be extremely beneficial to all our tourist- and hospitality-based businesses to win this competition.  We thank the Florence Griswold Museum sincerely for already having highlighted the contest and voting option in their communications.  We are sure the Town of Old Lyme and other civic and community institutions in town will be putting out the word too. Let’s see if we can get some poster up around town publicizing the news.

And if YOU represent an organization that can share this news and the voting option with your members and supporters, then please go ahead and share, share, share via e-mail, social media, and even good old snail mail!

Thank you and VOTE OLD LYME!

Lyme Land Trust Celebrates Opening of Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve

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Explore the beautiful trails of the Brockway Hawthorne Preserve, Oct. 14.

The Lyme Land Trust hosts an opening celebration for its newest property, the Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve, at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 22.  Meet at the Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve Parking Lot, Brush Hill Rd. in Lyme.

This 82-acre nature preserve has been developed with hiking trails that traverse all the significant places from savannah-like terrain bordered by stone walls to some of the last remaining hemlock stands in Lyme. Parts of the trails meander along Whalebone Creek with wonderful rocky outcroppings and crossings on bridges built by Dominion Power Station volunteers.

See this stone wall in the Brockway Hawthorne Preserve.

The trails connect with the existing system at the Ravine Trail, which, in combination with Selden Creek Preserve, offers an extensive network of trails with many diverse habitats.

After the ribbon cutting, join Ralph Lewis former State of CT geologist and Tony Irving, forest ecologist for a short walk “Talk and Walk” looking at the long- and short-term land-use history of the preserve.  See how bedrock and glacial geology shaped the land, thus dictating how it has been worked over the centuries.

For more information, email Info@LymeLandTrust.org

Potapaug Audubon Presents ‘Birds: Their Side of The Story’

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Potapaug Audubon presents “Birds: Their Side of The Story” on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. at the Old Lyme Town Hall, 52 Lyme St. with guest speaker: John Himmelman, artist, author and naturalist.

Himmelman will offer fun facts and light-hearted stories. What are some of the crazy things they make us do? Why are there so many pigeons in cities? How adept are crows at using a screwdriver? What did Ben Franklin really think about Bald Eagles? John will share light- hearted stories of birds and bird watching – from cuisine to cartoons; ornaments to icons, murmurs to murders. You’ll be given a whole new look at the avian friends we so admire … and some not so much.

Himmelman will also show some amazing photos.

For more information, call 860-710-5811.

Lyme Land Trust Executive Director George Moore to Retire, Search for Replacement Underway

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George Moore, Lyme Land Trust Executive Director, has announced his retirement.

George Moore, the Land Trust’s Executive Director for the last five years, has announced that he will be retiring when his replacement can be brought on board.

Land Trust President John Pritchard made the announcement and said, “The Land Trust is deeply grateful for George’s service and dedication over the last 14 years. He was elected to the Land Trust Board as a volunteer director in 2003. In 2007, he was elected Board President, and in 2013 the Board appointed him as its first Executive Director. Through his vision and effective management, George has helped transform the Land Trust into one of the most active and successful in the State.”

Prichard noted that among his many accomplishments – in addition to the day-to-day management of the Land Trust — are building the Land Trust’s membership to the point that it represents half the households in Town; the acquisition of numerous preserves on his watch, including Chestnut Hill, Walbridge Woodlands, Banningwood and most recently, Brockway- Hawthorne; assisting with securing the coveted national accreditation from the Land Trust Alliance; initiating the President’s Circle composed of the Land Trust’s most generous supporters; arranging for the production of the PBS film on the Land Trust and conservation in Lyme, as well as its sequel, The Rest of the Story (both of which can be viewed here); and organizing and managing the Land Trust’s highly successful annual fundraiser, a regionally recognized, fun and scenic biking event for all ages and abilities: the Tour de Lyme.

The Land Trust has commenced a search for a new Executive Director. Potential applicants for the position can find the job description and application process at the following link: http://www.lymelandtrust.org/employment-opportunities/

Rogers Lake Drawdown to Begin After Labor Day

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Every leap year, Rogers Lake is scheduled to be lowered in the fall so that landowners can perform any maintenance at the waters edge. But this did not happen in 2016 due to the drought.

Because of this, the drawdown will take place this fall (2017) as follows:

  • The drawdown will start after Labor Day and the full drawdown of a maximum of 14 inches should occur by mid-September.
  • The drawdown will be maintained from mid-September to Nov. 1.

The Rogers Lake Authority can be contacted at Rogers-Lake-Authority@googlegroups.com