Friends of the Arcata Marsh will hold the 23rd annual “Thanksgiving Day Ramble” Thursday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. starting in front of the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center, 569 South G St., in Arcata.
People of all ages are invited to take part in this rain-or-shine event before their big dinner later in the day. (The Interpretive Center will be open for the holiday if volunteers are available to staff the site.)
“Autumn is lively at the marsh. Not only are many people off of work on Thanksgiving, the stroll is a fun, all-age activity to do with visitors and families before a day of preparing and eating,” said Friends of the Arcata Marsh volunteer Lynn Ryan, who is leading the walk along with Sharon Levy and Jenny Hanson.
“I appreciate living close to the marsh, so I jump at any excuse to get outside to see the tide, the birds, the otters and hear the frogs,” Ryan said. “It’s fun to share that with others.”
Because the walk features more than one leader, the group can split up into smaller segments as needed or spread out along the trail without anyone missing out on having a leader near them.
“I really enjoy time with slower walkers, taking in the details of what surrounds us — plant, bird, animal and human,” Hanson said.
Levy noted that the walk is “a great way to get some exercise and take in some natural beauty before Thanksgiving dinner.”
She added, “I enjoy walking with interested folks and sharing what I’ve learned over the years about the unique history of the marsh — it’s a wildlife refuge that came to exist because the city needed to improve its sewage treatment — and the lives of the birds, frogs and other creatures that live there.”
November is a prime time for viewing migratory waterfowl, Levy said, including northern shovelers, ruddy ducks, mergansers and grebes.
“Many of these birds have traveled great distances to winter in the marsh after spending the summer nesting in the Arctic,” Levy said.
Well-behaved, leashed dogs are invited to attend the “Thanksgiving Day Ramble” with their humans. For more information about this event, call 707-826-2359.
Turkey Trot
Another way to get active early on Thanksgiving Day is the annual 5K “Turkey Trot” through Old Town Eureka. The event — which raises funds for local cross-country teams — is set to start at 9 a.m. The walk/run begins and ends at the Gazebo, Second and F streets, Eureka.
The fee to participate is $15 for adults and $10 for children (pre-race) or $20 for all on race day.
Registration on race day will be at Old Town Coffee & Chocolates, 211 F St., Eureka. A registration form is available at http://www.6rrc.com/TurkeyTrot23.pdf.
For more information about the “Turkey Trot,” contact Reed Elmore at 707-502-9545 or [email protected].
