Norfolk is community blessed with an abundance of natural and human resources, and they will come together on April 25-27 in a series of programs and activities that celebrate the natural world. This second Norfolk Earth Forum will have walks, talks, crafts for children at a variety of venues around town and culminate in a Sunday concert featuring the Paul and Keetu Winter at the United Church of Christ.

Built around the theme “Our Glorious Northwest Corner: Celebrating the Connectedness of All,” the forum is the first major event put together by a consortium of the town’s environmental organizations. All events are free. A schedule and registration information can be found at The Norfolk Hub website: www.norfolkhub.org/2025-norfolk-earth-forum.

The forum kicks off with a Hub talk and reception at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 25 celebrating a special exhibition featuring the rare creatures and plants that live here with us and need our help. 

The event will feature a talk by Tim Abbott, conservation director for the Housatonic Valley Association. Abbott is leading an initiative called “Follow the Forest,” which seeks to protect a North-South climate corridor of connected and protected habitat between the lower Hudson Valley and Canada. 

Walkers will have two opportunities to experience Norfolk’s spectacular woodlands on Saturday, April 26. The first is a 9 a.m. Books & Boots stroll that focuses on Peter Wohlleben’s book “The Hidden Life of Trees.” Led by Hartley Mead of the Norfolk Land Trust and Bina Thomson of the Norfolk Library, it will start from the Bruey Road entrance to South Norfolk Woodlands. At 1 p.m., Mike Zarfos of the Great Mountain Forest will lead a walk that’s literally more down to earth—all about spring ephemeral wildflowers. It starts from the Falls Village side of GMF.

Dark sky fans will want to hear from Craig Repasz, the co-chair of an initiative called “Lights Out Connecticut” who will speak on Saturday at 4 p.m. at the library. Repasz will be sharing the data and observations collected over a four-year period by hundreds of birders across the state—a preview of the comprehensive information that will be available later this year on a new Birds of Connecticut website.

GMF’s Vicki Nelson will teach younger naturalists how to build toad houses at the Norfolk Library beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 27. Naturalists of all ages will want to stick around until 2 p.m. for a program about reptiles and amphibians put on by the Roaring Brook Nature Center. Roaring Brook staff recently paid a visit to Botelle Elementary School where the program got high marks—even the snake.

The weekend will come to a glorious conclusion with a performance of “This Glorious Earth” with saxophonist and composer Paul Winter, with commentary by his daughter, and featuring voices from nature. It starts at 4 p.m.