Enjoying the Outdoors

Happy Thursday, everyone! Hasn’t this week’s weather been glorious? The mornings, crisp and cool, the sky clear blue, the sun (mostly) keeping everything nicely warm – I do love this time of year. It’s been perfect for exercising outdoors, which for me means biking and walking.

Speaking of walking, a few months ago I mentioned that the by the NRC, and that the path came out next to the Concord Ice Company. Well, my recent ramblings have led me to discover that the rest of the Amble has been cleared, and you can now follow the trail all the way to the Concord Gun House – yes we have one of those – on Lexington Road. Last time I had followed this trail, while walking with Lydia and her dog Lady, we had to bushwhack our way through overgrown brush. Now there’s a nice, wide trail, marked with small white signs and arrows.

How do you find it? When you come to the end of Concord Ice’s driveway, simply stay right, and you’ll see a small sign indicating a path that runs next to the field there. Keep following it; it will take you behind the police station, through the woods, and out into the field. It makes for a nice walk, and you don’t have to walk on the scary side of the road. Check it out.

More nature

Apparently I’m not the only one who likes to walk outdoors: the very knowledgeable Cherrie Corey is offering two different programs for getting close to nature. The first is for homeschooled children, those lucky children (if you ask my son) who don’t go to a formal school but instead are schooled at home by their intrepid – and brave, if you ask me – mothers and/or tutors. Cherrie’s program runs four Fridays – Sept. 28, Oct. 26, Nov. 16, and Dec. 14 – from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – and takes up to 12 children, ages 9 to 13. They’ll explore Great Meadows, Gowing’s Swamp, Estabrook Woods, and the , learning to recognize habitats and pay attention to the details of life outdoors. What a great way to get out and get learning!

Cherrie is a long-time Concord resident with a passion for the outdoors, particularly our historic bogs, wetlands, and environmental and philosophical roots. She’s a photographer as well, so brings a creative eye to her talks.

If you have questions, want more information, or just want to sign up, contact Cherrie at cherrie.corey@verizon.net, or call 978-369-4289.

And for the grown-up set

You don’t have to be a homeschooled kiddo to learn about the outdoors with Cherrie: Once again, she’s hosting monthly autumn walks at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, on Monsen Road. The first one is this Saturday, Sept. 15 from 3 to 5 p.m.; the others will be Saturday, Oct. 20, from 2 to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 11, from 3:30 to 5:45 p.m. That last one will dazzle you with a November sunset over the marsh.

No registration is required; just show up at the information kiosk at the beginning of the Dike Trail, in the parking lot at Great Meadows. It’s free, though a $5 donation is always welcome. And if you’d like to read more about the goings-on nature-wise, check this out.

While we’re on the subject

One of my favorite things about nature is that you can EAT some of it, specifically the produce locally grown and sold right here in town. And to celebrate that, the 5th annual Stone Soup Dinner is happening Sunday, Sept. 30 at 4 p.m. over at Verrill Farm.

Here’s how it works: Farms and food establishments of Concord donate their food and produce, and then the profits from the sale of the tickets -- $40 per person – goes to help young farmers. It’s delicious and wonderful and a great way to support local concerns.

But the tickets go fast, so don’t wait: you can get yours at Verrill Farm, The Concord Cheese Shop, and Debra’s Natural Gourmet.

Enjoy the outdoors!

Do you have something you would like to share? Contact me at stefanieac@comcast.net and I will be happy to help you spread the good news. And follow me on Twitter: @stefanie3131.