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Check out these upcoming fun and entertaining Greenways events! |
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Also in December
Sunday, Dec. 7, 1 PM
Meet at the Echo Lake trailhead on Mountain Road in Princeton at 1:00 PM for a two-hour hike on the trails behind Wachusett Mountain. Dress for the weather and bring water and a snack. Stabilizers are recommended if there is snow or ice on the trails. To register, contact Dottie Kormeluk at kormeluk@comcast.net or 978-422-7716.
Sunday, Dec. 14
Explore Mass Audubon's Burncoat Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in Spencer. Sanctuary Director Ron Wolanin will give us a guided tour of this new property. Contact Ida Nystrom at 508-829-9709 or inystrom@earthlink.net for directions and to register.
Thursday, Dec. 18, 1:30 PM
Visit the new Hubbardston Open Space area on Malone Rd., off Mt. Jefferson Rd., with Sue Hall and Paul Miller. The walk is 2 to 3 miles round trip in a fairly flat area. Reward your walk with a picturesque view of Mt. Wachusett, the surrounding hills and the church steeple in Hubbardston. Meet at the Rail Trail parking lot at Wachusett St., Rutland. Contact Sue Hall (508-886-4061) for details.
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Looking for a great Day-After-Thanksgiving occasion for the entire family?
Please join your Greenways friends on Friday, Nov. 28, from 6-8 PM, for our New Moon Walk with Luminaria on the Rail Trail in Holden. Stroll 0.2 mile from the River Street entrance to the Jeremiah Kaplan Bridge (1st bridge), where you can warm up with hot chocolate or cider and enjoy the music. Later, walk a bit farther if you like.
The forecast calls for partly cloudy weather with temps around freezing. And the new moon will help bring out the beauty of our luminaria display.
Hope you can join in!
Questions? Call Pat Charbonneau at 508-856-0180.
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New 'StoryWalk' Coming in December!
StoryWalk (TM) combines wonderful children's books
with the pleasure of walking.
The Mitten: A Ukrainian Folktale
By Jan Brett
When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing. One by one, woodland animals find the mitten and crawl in; first a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse, and what happens next makes a wonderfully funny climax.
As the story of the animals in the mitten unfolds, the reader can see Nicki in the borders of each page, walking through the woods unaware of what is going on.
Once again Jan Brett has created a dramatic and beautiful picture book in her distinctive style. She brings the animals to life with warmth and humor, and her illustrations are full of visual delights and details faithful to the Ukrainian tradition, from which the story comes.
The Mitten will be posted on the Rail Trail in Sterling, from the Quag Bridge, near Gates Road, north toward the Cider Mill in Sterling Center.
Free !
Here's one delighted reader's review of The Mitten from Amazon.com:
"The Mitten scores on several levels. First, the art is wonderful. Seven or eight animals are pictured in the book (and very well drawn) which makes it a visual feast. Each two-page spread also includes two smaller 'summary' and 'foreshadowing' pictures that relate to the previous and following pages. It makes for a spread that has a lot of possibilities for young pre-readers in terms of connecting the story and describing what each character has done and will be doing. The tale itself is whimsical and amuses the pre-school set. A fine children's book."
Earlier this fall, Leaves, by David Ezra Stein, was the book choice for Wachusett Greenways' very first StoryWalk. The pages were posted along the Rail Trail in West Boylston.
Through the eyes of a young bear, David Ezra Stein captures the bittersweet feelings of autumn. With the heart and vocabulary that a toddler will understand, the bear expresses wonder and concern for the falling leaves. It is a simple story, beautifully written and illustrated.
The story was aimed at young readers, but a glance at the overflowing Guest Book revealed that children of all ages enjoyed it. One comment among many summed it up: "...It reminded me of my childhood heart, the heart I seek each time I'm on this trail."
StoryWalk (TM) is brought to you by Wachusett Greenways.
The StoryWalk concept was developed by Anne Ferguson in cooperation with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition and the Kellogg Hubbard Library of Montpelier. |
Who We Are
Wachusett Greenways is a nonprofit, grassroots team of volunteers working to expand a network of trails and green spaces linking the communities of the Wachusett region of Central Massachusetts. Our mission includes building and maintaining trails, improving open spaces, preserving historic sites and promoting sustainable and environmentally-sensitive use of these resources.
We envision an expanded network of trails and greenways for non-motorized recreation and transportation in the towns we serve. The largest project currently under our auspices is the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT), of which approximately 13 miles have been completed and 30 miles are under development. We have reclaimed miles of abandoned rail beds, and cleared and resurfaced them for walking, jogging, cycling, cross country skiing and other uses. Eventually, the vision is to extend the MCRT over the entire 104-mile route of the old Mass Central Railroad between Boston and Northampton, MA.
New volunteers are welcome to help with trail work or become involved in the many other diverse activities required to further our mission, from fund raising and communications, to grant writing, to organizing or leading the dozens of outdoor activities Greenways sponsors each year.
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