APRIL 27, Saturday 10 to 11 AM Remember how much fun you had hooping as a kid? Well, hula hooping is back!  We will provide great tunes and heavy adult-sized hoops that are easier to keep spinning than the kid-sized ones. These are not your (grand)daughter's hula hoops! If you've ever wanted to try hooping again, this is your chance. Get your heart pumping, release stress, and have lots of laughs. No experience necessary. Why should kids have all the fun? Come play!! We’ll meet at the rail trail in Sterling and “hoop” beyond the Quag bridge. Contact Dotty at kormeluk@comcast.net or 978-422-7716 to sign up and reserve your hoop for this program for adults. Bring water.

 SPRING WILDFLOWERS on the  MOUNTAIN

MAY 3, Friday 10 AM to 12 noon.  Wachusett Mountain has some northern species of wildflowers that we don’t see in other parts of central MA.  Meet at the parking area on Westminster Rd.  We’ll hike up the Echo Lake trail and High Meadow trail to the peak. Bring your favorite wildflower guide and a camera.  Water, snack and sturdy shoes and maybe even walking poles would be helpful.  Contact Christy Barnes, 508-755-6322 bertinbarnes@verizon.net to sign up.

 BAY STATE BIKE WEEK: RIDE the LONGEST SECTION of the MASS CENTRAL RAIL TRAIL

MAY 12, Sunday, Mother’s Day, 1 to 3 (or 4) PM.  Join the movement across the state! At the end of Bay State Bike Week last year, Massachusetts was recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as the 3rd most "bicycle friendly" state. Let’s see if we can do better this year. Ride the MCRT Rutland, Oakham, and now Barre....nine continuous miles from Glenwood Road in Rutland downhill to the Ware River crossing in Barre. Quit at the Barre end, or ride back east, checking out WG's new welcome center.  Come on all you mothers (and fathers and children)! ALL are welcome. Contact Ed Yaglou, 978-355-2539 or  Christy Barnes to sign up 508-755-6321, bertinbarnes@verizon.net

 PADDLE  the LOVELY BROOKS POND

MAY 18, Saturday 1 to 4 PM.  Brooks Pond, in Oakham has beautiful, fishable water and is the kind of quiet setting for turtles and great blue herons.  Its natural banks are cloaked with blueberry bushes and native azaleas.  Join us for a relaxed paddle. Bring your family. Contact Christy Barnes at 508-755-6321 bertinbarnes@verizon.net  to sign up.

 WALK the TRAILS of COOK CANYON in BARRE.

MAY 22, Wednesday 10 AM to 12 noon. Cook Canyon is a Mass Audubon property that once was a summer camp. The buildings are gone, and trees are growing in the fields.  Stone walls, a waterfall, a variety of wildlife to be seen.  Bring a lunch or we’ll sit down in a Barre café. Contact Colleen Abrams 508-829-3954, colleen.abrams@verizon.net to sign up

 TRAIL CLEARING for NATIONAL TRAILS DAY

JUNE 1, Saturday 1 to 4 PM.  Celebrate National Trails day by clearing trails with Wachusett Greenways. Contact Colleen at 508-829-3954 or colleen.abrams@verizon.net to say you’ll join us for trail clearing on the MCRT or the White Oak Trail.  All ages welcome!

 BIKE RIDE the MASS CENTRAL RAIL TRAIL from RUTLAND to the WHITE VALLEY BRIDGE

JUNE 13, Thursday 10-12.  Join is for another opportunity to ride your bike to Barre; a casual bike ride along a favorite stretch of the rail trail and visit the newest section from Coldbrook Road to the Ware River. Bring a brown bag lunch. Contact Colleen Abrams to sign up, 508-829-3954, colleen.abrams@verizon.net

 HIKE the MASS CENTRAL RAIL TRAIL “OVER THE HILL” in HOLDEN

JUNE 21, Friday 10 AM. We’ll hike from Mill Street to Manning, then alongside the Quinapoxet River down to Canada Mills. Distance approximately 2-4 miles, depending on whether we drive or or hike back. Bring a snack, water, bug spray, and sturdy shoes. Walking poles are useful for scrambling down river banks. Contact Margaret Lock, (978-422-9720) to register and for details.

 FORAGING for WILD EDIBLES at SIBLEY FARM

JULY 18, Thursday 6 to 8 PM.  Worcester County is home to over 100 species of edible wild plants, many of which are more nutritious and/or flavorful than their cultivated counterparts. Join expert forager Russ Cohen, author of the book Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, on a two-hour ramble to learn about at least eighteen species of edible wild plants. Identification tips for each species will be provided, along with information on edible portion(s), season(s) of availability and preparation methods, as well as guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging.  Pending favorable weather conditions, several varieties of edible wild mushrooms may be encountered as well. Wear clothing for ticks. Contact Christy Barnes to sign up, 508-755-6321, bertinbarnes@verizon.net

FULL MOON HIKE UP MOUNT WACHUSETT

JULY 22, Monday 7 to 9 PM Meet at the park visitor center off Mountain Road for a hike from the Bicentennial Trail up to the top of the mountain to the light of the full moon.  Maybe owls will be calling but certainly crickets and katydids or, perhaps, just the wind… Contact Christy Barnes, 508-755-6321, bertinbarnes@verizon.net to sign up.

 SAVE THE DATE!

SPRINGDALE MILL CELEBRATION Saturday, September 28, 2013 11 AM to 2 PM Music…Food…Exploration for all ages.