Sudbury Valley TrusteesConservation, Collaboration, and Community since 1953

We often think of winter as a time when most animals are less active. However, winter marks the beginning of the breeding season for owls! During this time, you are most likely to hear their “hoots” as they defend their territory. We will spend the evening hours bisecting Upper Mill Brook Reservation for owls that winter in the nearby forests.

Meet at the Nobscot Conservation Land parking lot on Brimstone Lane in Sudbury for a loop through Framingham and Sudbury Conservation lands, including Ford's Folly, Nobscot Boy Scout Reservation and State Park, and SVT's Henry's Hill and Gross Tract. Bring a lunch. Total trip about five miles and >300' elevation change.

For much of the 19th century Boston was the hub of the ice export business, shipping ice as far as India. Thoreau writes in Walden of 100 men descending on Walden Pond the winter of 1846-47. Co-sponsored by OAR (Organization for the Assabet River), this talk will give you an in-depth history of the ice trade and ice houses on the Assabet River.
SVT/OAR Members: Free

Shortly after 1704 Joseph Marble relocated from Andover to Sudbury to take up farming. His descendants owned the farm until 1924. The talk will be on the history of the descendants who lived at the site, followed by a walk to the site to see the still-standing stone foundation and walls.
Maynard Residents and SVT Members: Free

The Story: “A Woodland Cinderella.” In this variation on the classic story, the rude stepsister thinks the prince will choose her because she has the most “stuff.” But the prince is interested in someone with true “goodness.” This story uses traditional hand puppets in a stage that looks like a tree! Cost $5 per person. Maximum cost: $15 per family for SVT Members, $20 for Non-Members (Limited to 40 people, ages 3 and older)

Enjoy a beautiful spring sunset while listening and watching for the incredible woodcock flight at Greenways Reservation. Male woodcocks fly in an upward spiral and make a distinctive call to attract females. Don’t let this wonderful spring experience pass you by.

Enjoy a beautiful spring sunset while listening and watching for the incredible woodcock flight at Greenways Reservation. Male woodcocks fly in an upward spiral and make a distinctive call to attract females. Don’t let this wonderful spring experience pass you by.

Appreciating Nature enhances our powers of observation, our joy in being present in nature, and our artistic eye for the natural world. You will share in activities that enable you to observe more effectively, experience the exceptional beauty that is all around us, deepen your spiritual connection with the natural world, and gain an appreciation for the living things around us. Co-sponsored by Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Sudbury.
Rain date: Saturday May 8.

Paddle the Sudbury River from Shermans Bridge Road, past Fairhaven Bay ending at Lowell Road in Concord where the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rives meet. Participants must provide their own boat and proper paddling equipment.

Please come help us eradicate garlic mustard from the woods at Wolbach Farm.  This invasive plant is particularly noxious because it disrupts soil microbial processes in addition to displacing native plants. You are welcome to attend all or part of this workday.
Registration required directly with Laura Mattei at lmattei@svtweb.org.

SVT’s SEVENTH ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST
Drop off at SVT headquarters from May 10 through June 4 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm only or by appointment).

SVT Executive Director Ron McAdow, who has been a novice birder for thirty years, is leading this three-session mini-course. He will teach beginners how to identify the groups of birds commonly seen in Eastern Massachusetts west of Boston.  In the two evening sessions, held at Wolbach Farm, (Tuesday May 11 and Thursday May 13, 7:00-9:00pm), participants will practice identifying birds from slides.  On Saturday morning (Saturday May 15, 6:30-9:30am), we will take our new skills into the field, to try out on real birds. This walk will take place at Heard Farm in Wayland.

Hop on your bike for a tour of Stow’s many conservation lands. We will ride about 25 miles at a moderate pace, visiting nearly every major conservation parcel in town, with stops for several short explorations on foot. Terrain is mainly paved roads, with a few broken-pavement/dirt miles through the Assabet River NWR, so a hybrid bike might be preferable.
Maximum 10 riders; pre-registration required; bring a lunch.
SVT/SCT Members: Free, Non-Member: $10.
Rain date: Sunday May 16, 9:00 am)

For those of you wishing to attend the Heard Farm birding program without the classes

Invasive species are the second greatest threat to biodiversity, just behind habitat destruction from development. Learn how to identify our top 10 invaders and how to control them—in your backyard or on conservation land. This will be a hands-on outdoor workshop. REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Free

Come enjoy an afternoon of old-time fun with your family while getting to know the treasures of Wolbach Farm.  Included in this Country Fair will be scavenger hunts, raffles, a pie bake-off, and more! Free. Rain or Shine.
Calling all bakers: Enter your yummy pie in our pie-tasting contest!

SVT was recently gifted a beautiful wooded tract of land in Westford, with trails managed by the Westford Conservation Trust. We'd like to show it off to you when the wildflowers are blooming, with a focus on trees and birds as well. Come join us for a mid-afternoon walk co-hosted with WCT. SVT Members, Westford Residents: Free, Non-Members: $10

In memory of former SVT Director Eric Menoyo, come to Wolbach Farm to give the gift of life. Help SVT collect over 40 pints of blood. Signups are every fifteen minutes. Register early to get your preferred time slot. For more details contact Michael Sanders, msanders@svtweb.org

In 2008, SVT combined with the Knox Trail Council and the Town of Sudbury helped permanently conserve over 300 acres of the Nobscot Scout Reservation. Celebrate this achievement on National Trails Day by hiking the region. Nobscot offers and enjoyable hike up to Tippling Rock, one of the highest points in Eastern Massachusetts! On a clear day, there are views of three states, Boston's towers, Mt. Monadnock, and more. Park in the outer parking lot and meet at the porch of white lodge. Members: Free, Non-Members: $10

Canoe/kayak the Sudbury from Framingham to Concord with camping at Fairhaven Bay. Meet at 10:00am to spot cars. New moon should permit good stargazing if the weather cooperates. Bring food and camping equipment. Total trip about 12 miles. Leader will supply s'mores and sanitary facilities at the campsite. Free, registration required

In this simple introduction to frogs and ecology, Melissa Stewart shares with young readers the behavior and beauty of frogs and describes specific ways people can protect them. Children will learn basic facts about frogs, where they live, what they eat, and how they benefit other plants and animals. Free, registration required

End Riverfest weekend with a paddle along the Sudbury River as the sun sets and the moon rises. We plan to do an easy paddle and then raft together under the starlight. Feel free to bring and share a dessert, a suitable cold beverage. Cameras are recommended. Limited to 16 persons. Free, registration required

Learn more about the ways of pencil and paper or watercolor paint and paper. Participants should bring their own drawing or painting supplies, depending on the medium they wish to use. Please dress appropriately for the weather and bring insect repellent. A materials list will be available. Drawing artists need no experience. Watercolorists should have some experience with that medium. Limited to ten people, ages 12 and up.
(Rain date, Friday June 25)

Join SVT and OAR on a Concord River paddle. Starting and ending at Route 3A/129 in Billerica, we’ll paddle upstream to SVT’s Ralph Hill Conservation Area. We’ll enjoy a leisurely walk around some of the back end trails at Ralph Hill before paddling back to the put-in. Participants will learn from OAR about its water quality program on the Concord River and then from SVT about its conservation efforts in the region.
SVT/OAR Members: Free, Non-Members: $10
(Rain date, Sunday July 11)

The abundant milkweed and other field flowers in the fields at Cedar Hill Reservation provide a great place to see and learn about butterflies.  Many varieties are predictably present in early July, from showy Monarchs and Swallowtails to smaller Browns and Skippers.  Some of the best viewing opportunities are an additional reward for those ready for a half-mile hike up the steep slope to the top of the hill.