Hikes, Paddles, & Wellness
At the Westerly Land Trust, we love to guide outdoor experiences for our community.
Thursday Hikes
Click for Thursday Hikes in January February 2026
Each Thursday, we have either a guided hike (fall, winter, and spring) or a guided paddle (summer). Thursday hikes and paddles are FREE for all and begin at 10am, unless otherwise stated. For these events, you will visit various local conservation properties, including some of our Westerly Land Trust preserves. Walks are between 1 ½ to 3 hours and are open to all ages with the target group being agile seniors.
Event Hikes
Event hikes are centered around a theme and generally include seasonal refreshments. We hope you will join us for these outdoor adventures! They are great opportunities to meet new people and spend quality time outside.
Wellness in the Woods
The benefits of nature for mental and physical health are innumerable. Here at the Westerly Land trust, we are grateful to play a role in connecting our community to the great outdoors for the holistic benefit of body, mind and soul. Wellness in the Woods is a series of outdoor events that was brought on by the pandemic and the increased interest in health and use of outdoor spaces. We are now entering our third year and our wellness programs are continuing to grow. All events are run in conjunction with highly trained and certified individuals/partners such as BarreCoast, Dr. Dierdre O’Connor, Westerly Track and Athletic Club, certified local yoga teachers, and certified mindful outdoor guides. We hope you will join us as we tap into the many benefits that nature has to offer.
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❄️Monday, February 2nd, is the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, so stay tuned for groundhogs across North America to "make predictions" regarding the coming of spring. This long list of official Groundhog Day prognosticators includes Staten Island Chuck, Shubenacadie Sam, and Scramble, who is actually a duck, but billed as "an accurate alternative to the groundhog."
While the famous Punxsutawney Phil`s forecasting accuracy rate is only about 39% based on data collected since 1887, there is mounting evidence that animals are dialed in when it comes to sensing changes in weather. It might make one wonder what deep-rooted senses we could tune into with more time spent in nature.💫
Putting one`s stock in a groundhog`s (or duck`s) prediction is a personal decision, but maybe it is just the sort of silliness we need to get us through the depths of winter.
🌳💚Read on or scroll through the photos for more great ways to enjoy winter with the Westerly Land Trust:
Souper Bowl Hike LX🏈
Saturday, Feb. 7 @ 11 am Wahaneeta Preserve
Thursday Hike🥾
Thursday, Feb. 12, 10 am
Grills Preserve
Valentine`s Trellis Class 💞
@plantsbythevillage
Thursday, Feb. 12 @ 6pm
Barlow Nature Preserve
Wonder Walk - "Rhody Rocks"🪨
@wildrootsplay.ri
Wednesday, Feb. 18 @ 10 am
Dr. John Champlin Glacier Park
Land Leaders🌱
Friday, Feb. 20 @ 10 am
Barlow Nature Preserve
Winter Tree Identification Lecture🌲
Thursday, Feb. 26 @ 5 pm
Barlow Nature Preserve
To register for each event, follow the link in our bio to our "Calendar of Events".
🌳🐾🐸🌼🌿🦅💧🐟🐞
!!! Summer 2026 Internship Applications Due March 9 !!!
- Conservation Programs Intern (2)
- Land Stewardship Intern (1)
- All are compensated
Follow the link in our bio to the "Join Our Team" page to learn more about each position and to apply!
Kick-off Super Bowl Weekend with a hike at Wahaneeta Preserve followed by a feast of soups! 🏈🥣
Join us for our annual Souper Bowl Hike!! 🥾
🔸Saturday, February 7, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
🔸Wahaneeta Preserve
🔸$10 per WLT member, $20 per not-yet member
🔸Registration is required!
🔸Please consider bringing your own reusable bowl and spoon to reduce waste.
🔸Fluorescent orange is required to be worn on the hike. Bring yours if you have it. We will have some to share.
Follow the link in our bio to our Calendar of Events for more information and for register!
Happy New Year! 🎊
Perhaps you’re stepping into 2026 with intention and a long list of resolutions. Or maybe you’re of the mindset that winter is a quiet time for hibernation—you’ll bloom in the spring like the flowers! Either way, the land is waiting for you.
From all of us at the Westerly Land Trust, we wish you the best in 2026! 💚🌱
#happynewyear #conservation #nature #westerlyri #rhodeisland
Happy New Year!! 🎆
🥾Thursday Hike: Grills Preserve
Thursday, January 1st, 10am-12:30pm
Grills Preserve
Celebrate the first day of the New Year atop Big Hill! The Thursday Hiking Group is made up of agile seniors, and everyone is welcome to join.
✨Wednesday Wonder Walk
Wednesday, January 14, 10-11:15am
Grills Preserve
The Westerly Land Trust is teaming up with our neighbors at WildRoots for a collaborative morning of exploration, discovery, and play. This event is best for ages 5-10, but open for all. January’s theme is Feathered Friends!
🌱Native Seed Sowing Workshop
Friday, January 23, 4-5:30pm
Barlow Nature Preserve
Discover how to grow native plants and support local wildlife in this hands-on seed-sowing workshop led by WLT, the RI Natural History Survey and RI Wild Plant Society.
🪚Volunteer Stewardship Day
Sunday, February 1, 9-11am
Champlin Farm Preserve
With the trails and parking well established at Champlin Farm Preserve, it is time to turn our stewardship efforts towards creating healthy, native ecosystems by removing invasive woody plants.
🥣🏈SAVE THE DATE: Souper Bowl Hike LX
Saturday, February 7, 11am-2pm
Wahaneeta Preserve
One of our favorite annual events! Kick off the new year with a hike at Wahaneeta Preserve and score a bowl of soup to enjoy by the fire.
🌳Regenerative Agriculture Weekend
Organized by the Westerly Armory
January 31 and February 1
At the Westerly Armory
Learn all about regenerative farming practices from local farmers and gardeners.�
Go to the link in our bio to our Calendar of Events to learn more about and register for each event! ❄️
#newyear #january #winter #westerlyri #events
Solstice greetings from the Westerly Land Trust! ❄️
For more than 5,000 years, people across the Northern Hemisphere have met the Winter Solstice with lights, feasts, and a shared sense of community. This impulse—to gather against the encroaching dark—is a calling innate to humankind. This year, that ancient tradition meets a celestial spectacle: on the night of the 21st, you might catch a glimpse of the Ursid meteor shower.
There is a unique magic to the solstice sky, made even more profound when punctuated by a multitude of shooting stars. Watching this display, it is easy to feel simultaneously tiny and boundless—a perspective that leaves us feeling deeply grounded. 🌠
It is that same sense of connection—to the earth and to one another—that drives the Westerly Land Trust. Our work is about more than just the land we conserve; it is about knitting together the community that enjoys it. Whether you find your peace by connecting with neighbors or disconnecting in the quiet of the woods, WLT provides a space for you to recharge.
As you reflect on these values this season, we invite you to join our efforts to steward the land and curate the programs that weave us together. Beyond the rush of the holidays, I hope you find a moment to stop and be still—perhaps even long enough to see a shooting star.
Thank you for your partnership in our land conservation and programmatic work. From all of us at the Westerly Land Trust, we wish you a Peaceful Solstice, Happy Holidays, and a Joyous New Year.
#winter #wintersolstice #conservation #nature #outside
The holidays are right around the corner, and we have some sustainable, local, last-minute gift ideas for you! 🎄❄️
If you’d like a WLT bright orange beanie or WLT note cards, follow the link in our bio to order. 🗓️
💐Do you know someone who would love a fresh basket of produce or bouquet of flowers each week, @echo_rock_flowers subscription or @frontierfarmri CSA would be a perfect gift. Follow the link in our bio to visit both farmers’ websites!
To gift a friend or family member a WLT Membership, follow the link in our bio and select “Levels of Support”. 🌳
🔪 @graygoosecookerywatchhill will sharpen your knives when you make a donation to WLT at the Gray goose cookery! Sharp knives are safe knives!
👗👠 @second.serve.resale strives to lower the consumption of new clothing by promoting the benefits of resale. When you shop Second Serve Resale and select WLT at checkout, 85% of your sale will be generously donated back to WLT. Follow the link in our bio and select “Shop and Support” to check out the pieces they have.
As we wrap up 2025 we want to say a big heartfelt thank YOU to all of our volunteers, supporters, sponsors, and community partners! We couldn’t do all we do without you! 🌳💚
#westerlyri #landtrust #conservation #rhodeisland #stoningtonct
In December, the Westerly Land Trust was awarded a grant of $47,170 from the Champlin Foundation to support a collaborative agricultural initiative with the Jonnycake Center of Westerly. The project will convert a 3-acre hayfield at WLT’s Haggerty Family Preserve into a productive farm growing food for distribution to food-insecure residents in the Westerly area.
This initiative builds on @thejonnycakecenter successful Giving Garden at Ninigret Park, which is now operating at full capacity. In response to increasing community need, Jonnycake approached WLT to explore farming opportunities on conserved land.
WLT Executive Director Jennifer Fusco said,
“The Westerly Land Trust is committed to conserving open space and protecting our natural resources. When we can accomplish those goals while supporting a partner like Jonnycake and helping them put food on the table for families in need, it’s a win-win.”
Food insecurity is on the rise statewide, with demand at the Jonnycake Center routinely exceeding supply. In a letter to the Champlin Foundation, Jonnycake Center Executive Director Lee Eastbourne wrote,
“We as a Center strongly believe that food is medicine, and access to a greater array of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables will help in creating a healthier community.”
In the coming weeks, WLT will begin preparing the Haggerty Family Preserve for farming—turning conserved land into meaningful community impact. 💚🥗
#community #partnership #landtrust #conservation #outside #sustainableagriculture #farming #foodpantry #farm
What a fun, festive, winter day it was yesterday! Snow in the morning and the Westerly Light Parade at night❄️🎄
#winter #festive #community #lightparade #holidays #conservation #westerlyri







