Naturalist Peter Alden, author of the Audubon Guide to New England, will lead an easy 3-hour walk focusing on birds and plants on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail from West Concord to White Pond. Meet at the beginning of the Rail Trail in West Concord (across from the old 99 Restaurant).

Enjoy a calm 2-hour paddle and learn some history of the river in Saxonville and current threats from invasive aquatic vegetation. There will be two paddles on Saturday, one at 8:00am and one at 11:00am. Feel free to access a canoe and take a self-guided tour of this 1-mile section of the river. You are likely to spot a great blue heron, a kingfisher, a myriad of ducks and geese with chicks, and turtles sunning themselves, and maybe a bald eagle! There’s also the option of leisurely picking up shoreline debris and observing an invasive water chestnut hand-pulling removal demonstration. Please contact ronchick@comcast.net for any questions about the paddle.

Join a guided walking group to explore extant portions of the Middlesex Canal, operational from 1803 - 1853, 27 miles between Charlestown and Middlesex Village (today's Lowell). In 1839, Henry David Thoreau traveled the canal from the Billerica Falls through Chelmsford, as described in A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. Meet at the gazebo by the Billerica Falls. Easy 3-hour walk. High boots recommended. Governor Baker Covid-19 Orders observed. Contact marlies.henderson@gmail.com with any questions about the walk.

After a long, isolating year, please join us for a Community Paddle along the Wild & Scenic Sudbury River. SVT member Ken Reeves is an experienced instructor and trip leader and will help you hone your skills in tandem (two person) paddling.
Paddlers must provide their own boat. PFDs (personal flotation device) required.

Enjoy a calm 2-hour paddle and learn some history of the river in Saxonville and current threats from invasive aquatic vegetation. There will be two paddles on Saturday, one at 8:00am and one at 11:00am. Feel free to access a canoe and take a self-guided tour of this 1-mile section of the river. You are likely to spot a great blue heron, a kingfisher, a myriad of ducks and geese with chicks, and turtles sunning themselves, and maybe a bald eagle! There’s also the option of leisurely picking up shoreline debris and observing an invasive water chestnut hand-pulling removal demonstration. Please contact ronchick@comcast.net for any questions about the paddle.

Naturalist Peter Alden, author of the Audubon Guide to New England, will lead a 3-hour walk focusing on birds and plants from Fairhaven Hill to Fairhaven Bay. This will be an easy 1.5 mile walk in the Wright Woods sector. Meet at the corner of Fairhaven Rd. and Arena Terrace (turnoff just east of the Walden Woods farmstand on Rte. 2 eastbound).

OARS will run a 1.5-hour fishing class for children ages 6–13 on the banks of the Nashoba Brook in West Concord. Registration required by Friday, June 18. Call 978-369-3956 if you have questions.

This is a ~30 mile bike ride sponsored by OARS and Nashoba Valley Pedalers, (~3+ hours or so, including a stop for ice cream at Erickson's in Maynard!) on roads criss-crossing our Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord. Helmets required. Please bring a mask, just in case. We depart promptly at 10 AM from the Robbins House parking lot of Monument Street, Concord.

Email Mike at mduclos1@icloud.com or call 978-793-3189 for more information and in the event of questions. A forecast of steady rain will cancel the event, call or email before 8 AM Sunday if in doubt. 

The route may change, but for those curious, it should be close to this:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21919251

Join Ashley for a peaceful and relaxing 60 minute outdoor yoga class at the Old Manse. This class is accessible for all ages and skill sets- with lots of tailored modifications and options. Feel free to bring any yoga props to class- although its not necessary. A yoga mat or towel will work and don't forget your water! :)

Join or watch talented artists as they paint “En Plein Air” (French for painting outdoors) on the grounds of the Old Manse. Learn how painters ply their craft, ask questions and revel in the magic. For more information, contact richard@dorbinart.com. 1–4pm

Paddle up the Sudbury River from the Wayland Boat Launch at US 20 as far as we can go and return. There will be a possible snack stop at the Greenways. Participants are responsible for boats, paddles, PFDs, drinks, and snacks. Meet at the Wayland Boat Launch at US 20 at 1 PM. Contact trip leader Bill Fadden, faddenwn@aol.com, for more information.

See a variety of local snakes close-up, and a few exotic ones too. Rick Roth, Director of the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team, will bring some of his favorites and talk about their lives and habits. 1-2pm

Create Your Own Fish and Turtles: Turn recycled soda bottles into colorful fish and bowls into turtles. Younger children can create their own watersticks. 1–2:30pm

One Revolution Art Challenge: Your challenge is to imaginatively fill in the picture surrounding the Old North Bridge - site of the "shot heard 'round the world." Printed activity sheet, pen, pencils, markers and crayons will be at the Old Manse. Then, share your creation on social meeting using #OneRevolutionARt, tagging both @MinuteManNPS and @The UmbrellaArts!

Join Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm and reptiles that live along the banks of rivers and depend on a healthy habitat. 1:30-2:30pm

Encore Dance Ensemble returns to Riverfest to perform three dances on the beautiful grounds of the Old Manse.

Katonti - An Israeli folk dance with lyrics sung in Hebrew

Joy - In celebration of spring and renewal

Lift Me Up - A spiritual and uplifting dance in honor of racial justice and equity

The Sudbury River powered Saxonville’s 19th century woolen mills. These buildings at the thundering Saxonville Falls today form the core of Saxonville Village, listed on the National Historic Register. Saxonville Mills has been reborn as the home of a vibrant artist community and varied commercial enterprises. Connect to the Carol Getchell Nature Trail for a walk along the Sudbury River. Walk or bicycle between Saxonville and Downtown Natick on the nearby Cochituate Rail Trail past Lake Cochituate. Download the multi-color self-guided walking tour brochure, created by Friends of Saxonville, here.

The installation Confluence, sited on the Assabet River Rail Trail in Maynard Center overlooking the Assabet River, was created by artists Laurie Bogdan and Kimberley Harding. Depicting the convergence of three Massachusetts rivers, Confluence illustrates the issues of human impact on Massachusetts waterways. The extremities depict the pollution from the textile industry, mercury build up, and the excess silt and algae bloom caused by climate change. The rivers’ convergence in the center provides a brighter, more hopeful view, portraying local efforts to mitigate the damage. Since the 1970s efforts to improve the water quality and quantity, preserve habitats, and deal with invasive species have made improvements, but there is still much work to be done. As the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord rivers converge, so should their neighbors also unite to preserve and improve all Massachusetts Waterways.

Story Map highlighting the history and ecology of the Sudbury River at Great Meadows. Participants can view at home or use for a self-guided tour. Options will include an on-water tour and a shoreline tour along the Weir Hill Trail.

Join a paddle on the Concord River, explore the Middlesex Canal Museum, walk with Henry David Thoreau, and learn all about Billerica's River History! Watch the welcome video (2 min) then click the button below to do some virtual exploring in Billerica!

Explore the trail system and Land Trust properties around Nashawtuc Hill area of Concord MA with a self-guided walk. This area is easily accessible from multiple parking spots, and is stroller friendly if you want to bring the whole family. You can find the download for the self-guided walk on the Land Trust's website here.

Bring out the inner artist in your child (or yourself) with Mass Audubon's coloring pages. There's a page for each of our staffed wildlife sanctuaries, plus four pages that celebrate the wonders of nature found all across Massachusetts.

Earn your Junior River Ranger badge! The Junior River Ranger activity booklet guides kids through several activities that teach about Wild and Scenic Rivers, the rivers’ special values, and how to protect and care for rivers. Activities require some hands-on exploring of the riverbanks and the animals that live there. Once the booklet is completed and reviewed by a ranger, a special badge will be presented to the new Junior River Ranger!

Junior River Ranger Activity Booklet and Guide

As you explore our rivers and wetlands, keep an eye out for the plants, animals, and insects pictured on this Wetlands Bingo Card. Mark each square with an X when you see it!

Wetlands Bingo Card

Grab your life jacket, paddles, and boat and hit the water! Use this Family Paddle Guide to pick an adventure that’s suitable for the whole family on the Wild and Scenic Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers! The guide shows 21 locations with descriptions including trails, suitability for baby strollers, dog restrictions, nearby activities, and more.

Discover the outstanding resources along this 15 mile stretch of the Sudbury River. It highlights natural features, ecological areas, historical sites and places described in literature, all of which help to tell the rich story of the Sudbury River. You will pass through the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and its wide wetland floodplains which are habitat for many waterfowl. Near Heard Pond you will see Indian Point which once hosted the annual summer encampment of the Nipmucks and in Fairhaven Bay you will travel by the sites seen and written about by Henry David Thoreau.

You can find printed copies of the river guide in the following locations:

Bedford Boat Launch (map)

Lowell Road Boat Launch (map)

Maynard Boat Launch (map)

Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Concord Unit (map)

Explore the region’s early industrial past and view lots of wildlife as you paddle through remote sections of the Assabet River. The river is home to abundant wildlife, including bald eagles, great blue herons, river otters, painted turtles, largemouth bass and many other species of fish.

You can find printed copies of the river guide in the following locations:

Bedford Boat Launch (map)

Lowell Road Boat Launch (map)

Maynard Boat Launch (map)

Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Concord Unit (map)

The Concord River Boater's Trail is a guide to the outstanding resources along 10 miles of the Concord River. It highlights natural features, ecological areas, historical sites and places described in literature, all of which help to tell the rich story of the Concord River. On the Trail you will pass through the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and its wide wetland floodplains which are habitat for many waterfowl.

You can find printed copies of the river guide in the following locations:

Bedford Boat Launch (map)

Lowell Road Boat Launch (map)

Maynard Boat Launch (map)

Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Concord Unit (map)

In a year-long collaborative public art project by Minute Man National Historical Park and The Umbrella Arts Center, invite you to explore the beauty, history and unique nature of the park through creating and sharing public art. Each season we issue simple seasonal prompts on printable activity and learning sheets challenging everyone with access to a pen, pencil, marker or crayon to share a 'work of art' inspired by the Park via social media. Our current challenge -- to imaginatively fill in the picture surrounding the Old North Bridge -- site of the "shot heard 'round the world" -- is a great challenge for those visiting the area for Solstice. Pick up your sheet at The Old Manse, The Umbrella, or download it at TheUmbrellaArts.org/ONE then share your creation with hashtag #OneRevolutionArt, tagging both @MinuteManNPS and @TheUmbrellaArts. We'll be exhibiting collected work all year!