Outdoor organizations unite to help visitors enjoy the outdoors

On Saturday, April 26th, outdoor organizations in the Pioneer Valley will gather together to showcase all the ways you can explore the outdoors. This coalition of 30 local outdoor and environmental organizations is offering the Second Annual Pioneer Valley Outdoor Fair in and around Kittredge Hall at Holyoke Community College. The event is free.

Attendees can wander among the tables and displays to find exactly what piques their interest. Astronomy, kayaking, canoeing, birding, rock collecting, mountain biking, rowing, hiking, nature study, protecting natural areas and primitive skills and more are all represented.

All day, activities will be offered encouraging people to get out and enjoy the springtime.

Participating groups include:

Allen Bird Club
Athol Bird and Nature Club
Boy Scouts of America
Mass Department of Conservation and Recreation
Jurassic Roadshow
KWK Explorations
Mt. Tom State Reservation Advocacy Group
The Naturalists' Club
New England Mountain Biking Association
North Quabbin Visitors Bureau
Pioneer Valley Hiking Club
Pioneer Valley Institute
Stars Club
Trustees of Reservations
Westfield River Watershed Association
Westfield Wild and Scenic
Wilbraham Hiking Club
Wilderness Experiences Unlimited
Winding River Land Conservancy

Schedule of Events:
9:00 Event start
9:30 – 10:15 Bird Walk –Allen Bird Club
9:45 – 10:30 Signs of Spring Hike – Mass. Audubon’s Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
10:00 – 11:00 Dinosaurs, Dunes and Drifting Continents – Pioneer Valley Institute
10:00 – 10:45 Digital Scavenger Hunt - Appalachian Mountain Club
10:15 – 11:15 Bike Ride – Cyclonauts
10:30 – 11:15 Noticing Nature – MA Dept. of Conservation & Recreation
10:45 – 11:45 Hike the National Scenic Trail – Wilbraham Hiking Club
11:00 – 12:00 Geologic History Hike on Campus – HCC Earth Science Department
11:15 – 11:45 Mountain Biking - New England Mountain Biking Association;
11:30 – 12:30 Stories of the Land – KWK Explorations
11:45 – 12:15 Bird Walk – Allen Bird Club
12:00 – 12:45 Get to Know Your Dragons and Damsels – Athol Bird & Nature Club
12:15 – 1:00 Signs of Spring Hike – Mass. Audubon’s Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
12:30 – 1:30 Bike Ride – Cyclonauts
12:45 – 1:45 Hike the National Scenic Trail – Wilbraham Hiking Club
1:00 – 1:45 Easter Egg Geocache – Appalachian Mountain Club
1:15 – 2:00 Exploring the Forest in Spring – The Naturalists’ Club
1:30 – 2:15 Stories of the Land - KWK Explorations
1:45 – 2:45 Mountain Biking – New England Mountain Biking Association
2:00 –2:45 Noticing Nature – Department of Conservation & Recreation
3:00 Event end

The fair is sponsored by Holyoke Community College Environmental Science Department and The Naturalists’ Club.

For more information about the Outdoor Fair, visit www.valleyplanning.com or at facebook.com/pioneer.valley.outdoor.fair