Join in on April 27 at 9:30 AM for this month's Curious Calais Nature Walk. This discovery walk will be in the Bliss Pond Town Forrest. We will meet by Old West Church.

Please Park on the southern edge of the Old West Church grounds, along the tree line. We ask you not to park on the roadside adjacent to the forest trailhead.

The Bliss Pond Town Forest, with approximately 124 acres, is the largest of the three
town forests in Calais and the only one with established hiking trails. Calais has owned
it since 1871 and for many years it was the woodlot for the town's "poor farm." In 1925
it was designated as a town forest.

On the walk, some of the things we will do are: explore areas where old-growth white
pines dot the forest; stop on the north shore of Bliss Pond where the town forest has a
700-foot frontage; pass near, but not go close enough to disturb, two vernal pools
during their active time of year; enjoy whatever early spring wildflowers are present;
look for deer droppings and other signs of the wild residents of the forest; and, walk
along the awesome state-significant white cedar swamp that exists within the forest.

It is easy to get lost in the Bliss Pond Town forest trail system. The Calais Trails
Committee has a very good map of it, though, and it can be found at:

https://www.calaisvermont.gov/vertical/sites/%7B226D684E-C864-4AFA-B4A5-
59BE32741B77%7D/uploads/Bliss_Pond_Town_Forest_Trail_Map_9-29-21.pdf

We encourage you to make your own copy if possible. There will be a few maps at the
hike for folks to share.

Walk leader: Larry Bush

May 10, 2024, 3:30 PM

May 11, 2024, 7 AM

May 11, 2024, 7:30 to 9:30 PM