Join the Branford Land Trust on Sunday, November 23 at 1:00 PM for this annual November hike through the Van Wie Woods. Explore and enjoy the extensive trails of the 100-acre preserve — fields, woodlands, streams, and granite outcrops — donated by two generations of the Van Wie family. We’ll gather afterwards at a local brewery for food, drinks, and conversation (venue to be announced).
This year, the walk includes a Holiday Food Drive on behalf of the Branford Food Pantry. Please consider bringing a non-perishable food donation with you in support of their mission to provide groceries for families in need. See suggestions on their website at https://branfordfoodpantry.org/how-to-help/shopping-list/
Meet by the trailhead near 100 Red Hill Road, off Leetes Island Road. Directions: From Exit 56 on I-95, go south on Leetes Island Rd. for 0.1 mile, and turn left (east) onto Red Hill Rd. Park on the right side of the road or at the pull-off by the pond.
There will be two trail choices: a longer walk of approximately three miles (moderate difficulty with some steep stretches, best suited to people feeling sure of foot) and a shorter walk of 1-2 miles.
The event is free and open to the public; food and beverages are not included. Duration: 2-3 hours. Families are welcome, but no dogs, please. Please wear appropriate clothes and comfortable, supportive walking shoes. Expect terrain with rocky stretches, and some declines and inclines. Muddy spots are possible if there has been rain. Bring water. Walking sticks are advised if you’re unsure of your balance on slopes.
Severe weather will cancel. If in doubt, check our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/branfordlandtrustCT.
Photos by Clare Hambly.
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ABOUT VAN WIE WOODS
The Van Wie Preserve came about through a series of donations to the Branford Land Trust from Ray Van Wie and his son, Bill, and daughter-in-law Alice. The Van Wie family has lived in Branford since around 1850, and Ray and Bill spent years together walking the woods, working the land, building walls around springs, thinning cedars to replant native bushes, and identifying wildflowers. When Ray made the first donation in 1978 — a parcel facing Flat Rock Road — he asked to name the property the Rose Van Wie Botanical Preserve in memory of his wife, who loved wildflowers. Since then, incremental gifts from Ray, William, and Alice Van Wie have brought the preserve to more than 100 acres. Along with streams and rocks and rills, one of the highlights of this property is an open meadow, maintained by the Branford Land Trust for butterflies and other sun-loving creatures.