The Thames River Quest, a free, three-part, treasure hunt-style educational hike, has been created by Connecticut Sea Grant and the Thames River Heritage Park as a new, unique offering for Connecticut Trails Day on June 2.
Registration for the hike is now open at: http://www.thamesriverheritagepark.org/quest.
“This Quest is a shining example of our local communities and organizations working together and taking advantage of the creative talent and resources we have right here to provide a memorable and inclusive park experience,” said Amy Perry, executive director of the Thames River Heritage Park.
The self-guided hikes will take participants to Fort Trumbull State Park and the downtown Waterfront Park in New London, as well as to Fort Griswold State Park in Groton, linked with rides on the park’s water taxi that will be offered for free to Quest participants from 10 a.m. to noon that day.
At each of the sites, participants will follow a series of clues provided in a downloadable PDF that can be printed at home or completed on a mobile device. The PDF will be available on the Thames River Heritage Park website on June 1.
In the course of answering the clues, hikers will learn about the history and ecology of the river while solving a word puzzle that leads to a treasure box. Participants can choose to do one, two or all three Thames River Quest hikes to be eligible for a special prize drawing. A rain date of June 3 is planned.
“Connecticut Sea Grant is very excited to be working with the Thames River Heritage Park to provide a fun, healthy activity that we hope will enhance appreciation of the richness of the coastal and historic resources of the Thames River,” said Judy Benson, communications coordinator for Sea Grant.
Connecticut Trails Day, an annual event sponsored by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, consists of more than 240 hikes, paddles, educational walks and other outdoor activities organized by land trusts, individual volunteers, conservation organizations and other groups. Part of the National Trails Day celebration each year on the first weekend in June, the Connecticut event is the largest in the country, according to the Forest & Park Association.
In addition to Connecticut Sea Grant and the Thames River Heritage Park, the Thames River Quest is also being sponsored by The Day Publishing Co., the City of New London and the City of Groton.
For more information and to register for one or all of the Thames River Quest hikes, visit: http://www.thamesriverheritagepark.org/quest.
Registration information is also available on the Connecticut Trails Day website: https://www.ctwoodlands.org/ct-trails-weekend
Connecticut Sea Grant contact: Judy Benson: judy.benson@uconn.edu; (860) 405-9141
Thames River Heritage Park contact: Amy Perry: info@thamesriverheritagepark.org; (860) 912-0950