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Community Corner

Opportunities Abound for National Trails Day

Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts will find lots to do this Trails Day weekend.

Trails Day 2011 kicked off Thursday at Panthorn Park, where hundreds of elementary school students learned about nature through talks and wildlife exhibits.

Trails Day was established nationally in 1993, designed to inspire thousands of Connecticut residents to participate in activities that emphasize the importance of nature, promote healthy living and mental well-being and instill excitement for the outdoors.

Kids were able to pet snakes, learn about nature and explore the trails blanketing the park area.

"It was a great day and the land conservation trust did an excellent job giving students the opportunity to have fun learning about nature," former Trails Day coordinator Stuart Estra. "It was a great event; the kids really seemed to enjoy themselves."

The town will also be holding trails day festivities on Saturday, including two hikes taking place at Sloper Day Camp and along the Tunxis trail on the west side of town.

Co-sponsored by the Southington YMCA and the Southington Conservation Land Trust, the Sloper hike will be a family-friendly moderate walk. Dan Nardini will lead the 2.4 mile hike from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. He recently received a YMCA community service award for personally mapping out the trails using his GPS system.

"It should be a great hike that's easy enough for the whole family, but you'll still get a little cardio workout in there," Nardini said. "I just really enjoy hiking, so I enjoy sharing it with others. There's so many great places in town as far as hiking goes."

The Tunxis trail hike is for more experienced hikers, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants should wear hiking boots, pack a lunch and expect some rough terrain during the 6-mile journey, said guide Carol Langley. Hikers will make stops at Woodtick Cemetery and White Rock. The five-hour hike is meant for children over 13, since it can be rigorous at times.

A phase two grand opening of the Rails to Trails linear path will also be part of the Trails Day festivities Saturday at 10 a.m. on West Main Street, Plantsville Center. Town Council members, Town Manager Gary Brumback and other community leaders will celebrate the extension of the trail from West Main Street southward to the Cheshire town line.

"We designed it three years ago, but since the funding just came through last year, we actually just finished this part of the trail," said Town Engineer Anthony Tranquillo.

Connecticut's Trails Day celebration will again break the national record for holding the most activities, with 190 events scheduled in over 112 towns on over 500 miles of trails throughout the state. This is the 19th year of Trails Day activities being hosted by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association.

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