This has been a long, drawn out springtime, so let’s celebrate it with some river walks at the upper, middle, and lower end of the river.
1. April 14 Saturday at 10:00-12:00. Dam site of the 1874 Disaster plus the Searsville Dams with Williamsburg historian Ralmon Black. We’ve been waiting for this one for a long time, so before the trees leaf out and the bugs come to bite, we’ll gather at the parking lot off Petticoat Hill Rd. behind the Dunphy School in Williamsburg. If you plan to go on this short hike, please register with us here at the website so we can be sure to set up an appropriate car pool. Just send a message to info@millrivergreenway.org In case of heavy rain, we’ll reschedule the walk.
2. April 28th Saturday at 10:00-12:00. Riverwalk at the Northampton Community (Bean/Allard) Farm in Florence. Walk will be held rain or shine.
Meeting Spot: Crimson & Clover Farm, 215 Spring St. in Florence
Connections: The Nature & History of the Mill River and the Northampton Community Farm
Trip Leaders:
Laurie Sanders, a well known local naturalist, will share information about the flora and fauna found along the hedge rows and within the forested corridor along this stretch of the Mill River.
Elizabeth Sharpe, author of In the Shadow of the Dam, will provide an historic perspective for this stretch of the Mill River and the impact of the 1874 Disaster.
John Sinton, co-moderator of the Mill River Greenway Initiative, will give a brief overview about the role this reach of river plays in connecting the upper and lower sections of a proposed Mill River Greenway.
This walk is sponsored by the Mill River Greenway Initiative, Grow Food Northampton, and Friends of Northampton Trails and Greenways, and the Northampton Conservation Commission.
Limited to 15 participants
RSVP info@millrivergreenway.org
3. May 11th Friday at 4:30-5:30. The Hidden Mill River in Northampton. John Sinton and Sky Sutton will lead this short walk from Paradise Pond at Smith College to the Hidden Mill River where it still runs through downtown Northampton. The walk will emphasize the geography of Northampton’s early years and we’ll talk about the history of floods on the Mill and Connecticut Rivers. In case of heavy rain we’ll reschedule this walk. As a courtesy so we know how many people to accommodate, please register with us at info@millrivergreenway.org
4. June Riverwalk in Leeds, date and time tba, led by Stephanie and Peter Flinker.
