NORTHFIELD — The Northfield Senior Center is hosting three group nature walks this month through its new “Happy Feet” program ahead of an open house on Thursday, Oct. 28.
Walkers interested in joining for a group hike on local, fully accessible nature trails are invited to meet for the first hike on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 9:30 a.m. at the trailhead of the Alderbrook Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary on Route 63.
The hikes are organized as part of the Senior Center’s Happy Feet program, which was started by Senior Center Director Colleen Letourneau after she was hired in June.
“What I wanted was to get people together who wanted to walk on even surfaces, like along the historical sidewalks in Northfield,” Letourneau said. “It’s exercise and aerobics, it’s the camaraderie, it gets out the cobwebs in your head being social in the fresh air.”
After a couple of summertime tours along Main Street that saw participants learn about the town’s history and architecture, Letourneau said some of the more agile members expressed interest in walks on uneven surfaces like hiking trails. A Council on Aging board member suggested the Birnam Road trail head, which is the start of several different hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty.
“Sept. 27, we had about 11 people show up, and they loved it so much we walked for an hour and a half,” Letourneau said. “That was the first trail one, and it was so popular we decided to throw in another walk this month.”
She said the walks have been scheduled so there is a lighter walk in the second week of the month, and a more challenging walk in the fourth week. A patron who uses a four-wheeled walker requested a hike at the Gunnery Sgt. Jeff Ames Accessible Nature Trail at Alderbrook Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, and Letourneau was happy to oblige with the hike scheduled for Oct. 14. The trail is a flat, fully accessible half-mile loop through pine groves that are home to deer and birds, with an observation deck overlooking a pond. Cultural and natural history informational signs are installed along the trail.
Interested persons from Northfield and neighboring towns are invited to participate. As long as residents dress for the cooling temperatures, Letourneau said it may be possible to continue the hikes into November.
A second walk this month will be held Monday, Oct. 18, at 9:30 a.m. at the Birnham Road trail head. A third walk will be held Oct. 25, at 10 a.m., with attendees meeting at the Stanley Wickey Pavilion behind Town Hall for an historical tour of Center Cemetery with historian Joel Fowler.
All walkers are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, use insect repellent and bring a water bottle.
A Senior Center open house will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28. Guests are invited to learn about the various programs available to Senior Center members, including Healthy Bones and Balance classes, food programs and drop-in coffee hours. The Senior Center’s newsletter with a full list of events and programs can be found at bit.ly/3iA8X2b.
The open house will also include appetizers, and a beer sampling and demonstration with Chris Sellers from The Brewery at Four Star Farms. Patrons can stop by the pavilion behind Town Hall for the tasting, and then head inside to see the work Letourneau and others have done to refurbish the Senior Center. Work included repainting the walls and trim, and installing a donated 75-inch flat-screen TV with surround sound and a new coffee bar built by a member of the Friends of the Northfield Senior Center.
As the weather gets cooler, the Senior Center will add new indoor activities, Letourneau said. Wearing masks indoors will be required, regardless of vaccination status. Events include a new community education series by the Alzheimer’s Association in partnership with AARP’s and LifePath’s Age-Friendly and Dementia-Friendly Communities project.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.