Springtime Walks For Bird

And Flower Lovers

WOODBURY — For outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes, warm weather marks the return of the annual “Bird and Botany Walks” at Flanders Nature Center. On Sundays throughout the month of May, the beauty of the Van Vleck  Sanctuary will offer something to please everyone.

The Western Connecticut Bird Club is gearing up for the season with a series of early morning bird walks each Sunday this month. An experienced birder will lead guided walks through trails and fields, representing a wide variety of natural habitats. Participants will discover which species make their home in these habitats, and which ones are heading further north for the summer.

The Pomperaug Valley Garden Club will lead guided walks on the Botany Trail at the Van Vleck Sanctuary on Sunday afternoons in May. Featuring over 250 species of native wildflowers, trees, shrubs and ferns, the trail is at its loveliest in the spring. Participants will also be able to enjoy the fruits of a major dredging and planting project completed last fall, including 800 plants that were placed around the edge of the pond.

All walks take place over a gentle terrain, and are suitable for all ages. Bird walk participants will meet at 7:30 am at the Trail House parking for (1/4  mile east of the intersection of Flanders and Church Hill Roads), and Botany Trail walkers meet at the same spot at 1 pm.

All programs are free of charge; no registration is necessary. For additional information call Flanders at 203-263-3711.