Many Outdoor Events In Berlin On Trails Day Weekend, June 1 and 2

Berlin Mayor Adam Salina announced that, local volunteers, the Town of Berlin, Berlin Conservation Commission, Berlin Parks and Recreation Department, Berlin Land Trust, New Britain Youth Museum, Berlin Lions Club, The Central CT Health District (CCHD), Berlin Historical Society, StanChem and the Hatchery Brook Community Garden are teaming up to offer outdoor events as part of the 2013 Connecticut Trails Day Weekend, June 1 and 2.

Connecticut Forest and Park Association is the coordinator of Connecticut Trails Day Weekend and over 259 events are being offered statewide. In Berlin there will be six hikes or walks, five on Saturday and one on Sunday.

The Town and Land Trust are sponsoring hikes at the Blue Hills Conservation Area and the Hatchery Brook Conservation Area on Saturday at 9 AM, a walk at Pistol Creek on Saturday at 1:30 and a Ragged Mountain hike on Sunday the 2nd at 1 PM. In addition the New Britain Youth Museum will be hosting two nature walks at Hungerford Park; a “Sensory Walk” at 10 AM and a “Habitat Walk” at 3 PM.   

Additional activities are being offered to supplement the hikes and walks in order to give individuals and families a broader experience and a range of choices for Trails Day activities in Berlin. Pat Bigelow will be on hand before the Hatchery Brook hike to provide information on the Community Garden. The meeting place for the Blue Hills Conservation Area hike is at Sunny Border Nursery on Chamberlain Highway and Marc Laviana, President of Sunny Border will kick off the event with a talk about the green roof systems that they produce at the site.

The Pistol Creek walk will be augmented by contributions from bird watching enthusiast Andrea Thiede and historians Mary Jane Dapkus and Lorraine Stub. In addition the Ragged Mountain hike will include a stream crossing on the bridge recently completed by Eagle Scout Collin Brown.  

From 10-2 on Saturday Dave Alkas of the Berlin Lions Club will open their farm museum at the Berlin Fairgrounds on Beckley Road and Stanchem will offer public viewing at the new fishway on Berlin Street from 11-1. Families and groups can also bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at the pavilion at Timberlin or the patio at rear of the Pistol Creek Clubhouse between 11 and 2 on Saturday. Also on Saturday the Berlin Historical Society will be having a tag sale from 8-1 at the Museum on Peck Street and they will open the Museum from 1-4.  

A limited supply of trails maps for Berlin’s conservation areas are being made available through a grant from CCHD and will be handed out at the events.  

“The Town of Berlin has wonderful open spaces and recreational opportunities," said CFPA’s Connecticut Trails Day Coordinator Jennifer Benner. "They have been great CT Trails Day Weekend supporters over the years, offering fantastic events for all to enjoy. Their enthusiasm for this celebration is a great model for other communities to help get their residents outdoors and enjoying nature."

For details on the Trails Day Weekend hikes and walks use the link on the Town of Berlin web site at www.town.berlin.ct.us or look for booklets at the Peck Memorial Library or the Town Planning office at Room 7 of Town Hall. The Ragged Mountain hike was added after the Trails Day booklet was published so information can be found on the Connecticut Forest and Park Association web site, http://ctwoodlands.org/CT-TrailsDayWeekend2013 , under “View Additional Events and Updates.”    

For more information contact Berlin Economic Development Director Jim Mahoney at 860-828-7005.