Champlain Area Trails Hosts Week of Solar Eclipse Events

Champlain Area Trails (CATS), a leading accredited land trust, hosts exciting events for outdoor enthusiasts to experience nature in the week leading up to the solar eclipse and the week after. CATS has developed and maintains over 98 miles of trails, protected 983 acres of land, and hosts numerous hikes, outdoor education outings, and volunteer events, attracting thousands of visitors to New York’s Champlain Valley every year.

According to Chris Maron, Executive Director of CATS, “While many eclipse viewing parties are planned for the day of the eclipse, we wanted to offer some outdoor activities for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy nature before and after this exciting celestial event. It’s an opportunity to get outside, experience nature at this unique time of year, and support our mission of protecting land, making trails, connecting people to nature, and promoting economic vitality in the Champlain Valley.”

The events are open to everyone. Community Engagement and Outreach Manager Torey Patenaude said, “Whether you’re looking for a stroll listening to frogs or want to break a sweat doing trail work, we have an event for you.”

Starting Friday, April 5th, a series of events will take place for a week to encourage people to connect with nature. The events are designed to let participants spend time outdoors, explore nature, and support CATS’s mission of preserving land and creating trails in the Champlain Valley. Below is the schedule of events:

– April 5th: An all-ages monthly birding walk will take place at Point Au Roche State Park in Beekmantown.
– April 6th: Participants can enjoy a 3-mile pre-eclipse morning hike up North Boquet Mountain in Essex to see the beautiful views of Lake Champlain.
– April 6th: A guided Forest Bathing Workshop at CATS’ Essex Quarry Nature Preserve to help people reconnect with nature and reclaim their senses.
– April 7th: Rewilding advocate John Davis will lead a 3-mile hike in Split Rock Wildway in Westport/Essex. Another event that day will take place at Twin Valley’s Outdoor Education Center (Lewis/Essex), where participants can explore and solve a mystery using a compass.
– April 9th: A moderate, all-ages post-eclipse morning hike up Cheney Mountain in Moriah will offer stunning views of the Champlain region.
– April 12th: A half-mile evening walk on the Lonely Hill Trail in Lewis will allow participants to listen to spring peepers and other early spring frogs. Additionally, the CATS Conservation Book Club will discuss environmental-themed books in Westport. Participants can attend in person or via Zoom.
– April 13th: Volunteers of all ages are welcome to join the Second Saturday Trail Work event at Beaver Bend Nature Preserve near Whallonsburg.

All events are open, free to the public, and suitable for families. For more information and to register, please visit www.champlainareatrails.com.

Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is a non-profit organization, begun in 2009, which creates and maintains hiking and cross-country ski trails in the Champlain Valley that link communities, connect people with nature, and promote economic vitality. In its short history, CATS has developed 35 miles of trails that when added to existing trails, gets it half-way toward the long-envisioned goal of a 30-mile trail loop between Westport and Essex. CATS will extend its trails to neighboring towns and eventually connect them to trails in the Adirondack Mountains, Vermont, and Quebec. Learn more on the CATS website.