Here is some great news—You can turn bottles into trails! As a North Country resident (or when you visit), you can recycle your bottles and cans and make a donation to Champlain Area Trails (CATS) at the same time.

Rapid Returns, the new redemption center in Elizabethtown, has set up an account for CATS so you can choose to have the cash you would normally get back from returnables, go to CATS! So please, take your bottles and cans to Rapid Returns and ask them to credit CATS. Rapid Returns is located on Water Street just west of the blinking light. They are open daily (518-222-7294).

CATS Upcoming Events

Here are some upcoming events to mark on your calendar and attend:

Tuesday, April 22, 7 p.m. – Chris Maron will present an inspiring slide show at the Westport Library titled “From Here to There.” This presentation illustrates the beauty and biological richness of the Champlain Valley and how CATS is creating trails so people can enjoy this amazing place where we live.

Friday, April 25, 7 p.m. – Joe Racette, New York’s Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator, will present “Timber Rattlesnakes in Folklore and Fiction” at the Whallonsburg Grange sponsored by Northeast Wilderness Trust, Elizabeth Lee – Outdoor Guide, and CATS.

Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. – Help prepare the trails for the Grand Hike. Meet at Dogwood Bakery in Wadhams.

Saturday, May 3 – The Grand Inn-to-Inn Hike from the Westport Hotel to Essex Inn followed by the block party celebration at the Inn from 5 – 8 p.m. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. at the Westport Hotel. The hike begins at 9:00. Hike the whole way or join in at one of the four oases along the way. You can also take a free shuttle back to your car from any one of the oases. Go to our website www.champlainareatrails.com for details.

Saturday, June 7, 4-7 p.m. – You will really want to attend the fifth Celebrate Champlain Area Trails event at Blockhouse Farm in Essex. The featured speaker is Emily Boedecker, executive director of Local Motion, the Vermont-based biking and hiking organization. You’ll hear about creating trails that link both sides of Lake Champlain and benefit us all. And then celebrate with friends and neighbors with food and drinks. Bring your children because there will be a kids’ hike during Emily’s talk.

Also on June 7 – Join in CATS hikes. At 9 a.m. we’re partnering with the Town of Moriah to host the third IronOre Challenge at the Cheney Mt. Trail. Then at noon, come to the official opening of the Ancient Oaks Trail on Essex Road between Essex and Willsboro. Details will be at our website.

We have a busy few months ahead of us. What else is new?

Related articles

• Good News and Sad News from CATS (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Westport Hotel to Essex Inn: The Grand Hike on Champlain Area Trails (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• CATS Trail Project in Willsboro (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)