Celebrate May Day and the launch of our Hike Barnstable 2-month celebration and join Barnstable Land Trust with walk leader and ornithology educator, Tommy Burgess, to explore a local birding spot and take in the fresh morning air. This is on an easy trail that is about ¼ mile in length, and will include a number of stops and starts to listen and look for birds. Please bring binnoculars. Event will be cancelled in the case of rain or severe weather. Registration is required, and there is a limit of 10 participants. Hike Barnstable is generously supported in part by Cape Cod Healthcare.

For 2-hours this month, you can join BLT’s “green team” by volunteering at Fuller Farm, a 22-acre signature property with a short woodland loop overlooking cranberry bogs and an open meadow trail following the field edge of a former dairy farm. The volunteer project might include trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, pollinator garden weeding, and something related. This program is supported in part by the Cape and Islands United Way. Note: Registration is required for each individual First Friday project. Volunteers should be prepared for physical activity including lifting, kneeling, digging, and cutting brush. BYO water, work gloves, and wear pants and closed-toe shoes. Training will be provided. Limited tools will be provided. If you prefer to bring your own – shovels, loppers, hand saws, and/or rakes are recommended. Project Leader Kelly Barber, Director of Land Stewardship, will send out specific project details the day before the volunteer day. We look forward to your help in stewarding this community gem!

Join Barnstable Land Trust and Whelden Library for a talk by Azzedine Downes, the CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Azzedine will discuss transformative approaches to species conservation and ecosystem protection in conjunction with partnerships and initiatives that foster community engagement. He will also talk about how to preserve a legacy of hope for all generations in the aftermath of the passing of his close friend and mentor, Dr. Jane Goodall. Preregistration required at wheldonlibrary.org/events

Calling all green thumb gardeners, weed whackers, and pollinator plant proponents! For 2-hours this month, you can join BLT’s Weeding Wednesday crew at the BLT Office and Conservation Center on Route 6A to help maintain our native landscape gardens. Weeding Wednesday projects might include invasive plant removal, pollinator garden weeding, seed saving, and general property maintenance projects. Note: Registration is required for each individual Weeding Wednesday project. Volunteers should be prepared for physical activity including lifting, kneeling, digging, and cutting brush. BYO water, work gloves, kneeling pads (if preferred), and wear pants and closed-toe shoes. Training will be provided. Limited tools will be provided although you can also bring your own. A BLT staff member will send out specific project details the day before the volunteer day.

Join Barnstable Land Trust with walk leader and ornithology educator, Tommy Burgess, to explore a local birding spot and take in the fresh morning air. This is on an easy trail that is about ¼ mile in length, and will include a number of stops and starts to listen and look for birds. Please bring binnoculars. Event will be cancelled in the case of rain or severe weather. Registration is required, and there is a limit of 10 participants. This program is part of Hike Barnstable which is generously supported in part by Cape Cod Healthcare.

Join the Town of Barnstable Marine and Environmental Affairs department, AmeriCorps Cape Cod, Keep Barnstable Beautiful, Barnstable Clean Water Coalition, BARS, Barnstable Ponds Association, CARE for the Cape and Islands, the Cape Cod Maritime Museum, and BLT's volunteer teams by helping to clean-up Keyes Beach in Hyannis. Just bring yourself - gloves and trash bags are provided. Pre-registration suggested but not required. Weather permitting - no rain date. Questions? Call Barnstable Natural Resources: 508-790-6272

Barnstable Land Trust and the Cape Cod Maritime Museum invite you for a field walk with naturalist Gil Newton on May 9 that will introduce participants to the variety of marine plants and animals along the sandy shore and dune system of Kalmus Beach in Hyannis. The walk will include a survey of marine mollusks, crabs, echinoderms, sponges, horseshoe crabs, seaweeds and other common species that we find. Mr. Newton will share his knowledge of coastal systems and their importance in conservation while exploring the ecology and the diverse habitats of this popular beach. This program is part of Hike Barnstable which is generously supported in part by Cape Cod Healthcare.

You’ll be happy as a clam when you join the Barnstable Association of Recreational Shellfishing (BARS) as they celebrate their 25th Anniversary with Barnstable Land Trust for their Annual Blessing of the Rakes ceremony. Bring your shellfish rakes, and have them blessed for a bountiful harvest by a local clergy member. Immediately following at the same location, attendees who bring their own equipment and have a valid shellfishing license are invited to join BARS members for a low-tide quahog harvest. With or without a rake, everyone is invited to go with the flow and enjoy being part of this unique Cape Cod tradition. Car pooling encouraged; Parking information will be sent with pre-registration.

Celebrate the Town of Barnstable's Spring Walking Weekend and join Barnstable Land Trust with walk leader and ornithology educator, Tommy Burgess, to explore a local birding spot and take in the fresh morning air. This is on an easy trail that is about ¼ mile in length, and will include a number of stops and starts to listen and look for birds. Please bring binoculars. Event will be cancelled in the case of rain or severe weather. Registration is required, and there is a limit of 10 participants. This program is part of Hike Barnstable which is generously supported in part by Cape Cod Healthcare.

Celebrate Barnstable's Spring Walking Weekend by joining BLT's Director of Land Stewardship, Kelly Barber, as you explore BLT's Fuller Farm in Marstons Mills. The trail is a combination of a short woodland loop overlooking cranberry bogs, an open meadow trail, and a new Holly Loop Trail through the Wheeler Holly Preserve. Meeting at the Michael R. Kramer Center, a beautiful post and beam barn, participants will also get a behind the scenes look at the lower level land stewardship space. Pre-registration required. This program is part of Hike Barnstable which is generously supported in part by Cape Cod Healthcare.

Please join Whelden Library and Barnstable Land Trust for a program with Gil Newton, one of BLT's founders to learn about the great diversity in our local waters. Explore the variety of marine plants and animals along the Cape shoreline, their ecology, and the diverse habitats in which they are found. The presentation will include a survey of marine mollusks, crabs, echinoderms, sponges, horseshoe crabs, seaweeds and other common species. This event is free and open to the public but pre-registration is suggested. This program is part of Hike Barnstable which is generously supported in part by Cape Cod Healthcare.

Join Barnstable Land Trust and Barnstable Clean Water Coalition (BCWC) staff on a tour of BCWC's historic 1800's cranberry bogs at the headwaters of the Marstons Mills River. Learn about BCWC's ongoing wetlands restoration work to remove nitrogen flowing downriver through 64 acres of bogs and how this bog system provides an opportunity to improve water quality and create a climate resilient landscape in the Three Bays estuary. Pre-registration is required. This program is part of Hike Barnstable which is generously supported in part by Cape Cod Healthcare.

Renewed and new members are invited to join BLT walk leader and ornithology educator, Tommy Burgess, to explore a special bird walk at Fuller Farm. Stroll along our meadow and woodland trails to listen and look for birds of all kinds. Please bring binoculars. This special Program is free for renewed and new members but registration is limited.

Celebrate National Trails Day and join Barnstable Land Trust and Professor Gil Newton on walk through the diverse ecosystems of Crocker Neck in search of spring's most glamorous flower: the pink lady slipper! Gil, a local ecologist and author, will help us search for these delicate wild orchids that thrive in pine and pine/oak woodlands, while also exploring the wonders of a salt marsh and estuary as well. Learn all about these ecosystems and the flora and fauna that thrive here. This trail is about 1.5 miles long and classified as easy based on a generally flat, wide trail. Location provided to registrants, event will be cancelled or postponed in the case of rain or severe weather. This program is part of Hike Barnstable Month and supported in part by Cape Cod Healthcare. 

Learn how you can help prevent the spread of invasive weeds in Cape Cod’s freshwater ponds at this workshop offered by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation Lakes and Ponds Program. Early identification and intervention of invasive plant species is key before it becomes established in a lake or pond. Hosted by the Barnstable Ponds Coalition and Barnstable Land Trust, this hands-on aquatic plant identification workshop is designed to assist and encourage local pond groups to monitor their ponds for the presence of invasive plants and to develop a removal plan if an infestation is found. Pre-registration is required.

As a BLT partner, Appalachian Mountain Club’s Southeastern MA chapter, Cape Hikes, will be doing a brief tutorial and 3+-mile hike in the Eagle Pond conservation area in Cotuit. This FREE event will be approximately 2 hours in length. The tutorial will provide an introduction on how to use a trail map and/or trail app on your phone to map out a hike and keep track of where you are from the start of the hike. If you plan to use an app, please download AllTrails on your phone prior to the hike. After the tutorial, we will hike around Eagle Pond and a white cedar swamp which will allow participants to use their new skills. The hike will be on fairly flat wooded trails with lots of uneven terrain. Participants must wear sturdy shoes/sneakers and protect themselves against ticks. Bring fluids for hydration. Registration is required via AMC here--Cape Hikes--Eagle Pond Cotuit in partnership with Barnstable Land Trust | AMC. NOTE: You do not need to be an AMC member to participate. BLT’s Hike Barnstable 2-month celebration is partially supported by Cape Cod Healthcare. Rain may cancel the event--you will be notified by email.

Hosted by Whelden Library on Barnstable Land Trust trails, toddlers and their designated adults are invited to enjoy group walks on local trails. These slow-paced outings allow plenty of time to wander, observe, and snack while exploring nature together. Siblings welcome. Furry friends, please stay home, dogs not permitted at this location. Registration encouraged to stay up-to-date on weather cancellations and to receive parking information as locations may change.