The public is invited to join the Lloyd Center for the Environment on May 31st for a Slocum River Sunset Kayak Tour. What better way to end the day than a peaceful paddle along the Slocum River? You'll feel your stress dissolve as you glide along this spectacular estuary, enjoying the setting sun. Watch wading and shore birds flock to feed, see fish jump and await the multitude of color changes in the sky. This is a wonderful and relaxing way to explore the delicate ecosystem of this salt marsh. Beginning paddlers are welcome.

Slocum River Sunset Kayak Tour will take place from 6pm – 8pm on Friday, May 31st. Participants will meet at the Lloyd Center Headquarters located at 430 Potomska Road in Dartmouth. Bring something to drink (non-alcoholic) and footwear that can bear getting wet. The cost of the trip is $55 for Lloyd Center members and $65 for non-members. All equipment will be provided. Appropriate for ages 14 an up.

Pre-registration deadline is 12 o’clock pm (noon) on Thursday, May 30th.

This Lloyd Center trip is led by certified instructors that provide comprehensive sea kayak instruction, guided tours, environmental-education, team-building programs, kayak rentals, and unique adventure trips.

To learn more about this event or to pre-register, please contact the Lloyd Center (508-990-0505 x10) or simply visit the Center’s website (http://lloydcenter.org/calendar) and register online. This is a very popular trip and space is limited so please register early.

The Lloyd Center for the Environment, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1978 and situated with its headquarters and spectacular nature preserve overlooking the scenic Slocum River estuary, has achieved a well-earned reputation for excellence in environmental research and education. Through its innovative outreach programs, it has established itself as a highly regarded leader in the ongoing effort to raise awareness of the area’s fragile coastal resources and the importance of protecting them.

The Center’s 82-acre property offers over five miles of walking trails, the “Bridge to Discovery” dock on the Slocum River, vernal pools, oak-hickory forest, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh, estuary views, and is home to an injured screech owl.

The Visitor Center (currently closed for renovations) is open from 10am to 4pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays, and on Sundays, June - September, free of charge. There, aquarium exhibits offer unique views of live freshwater and saltwater species of fish and other marine critters.

The Center is also home to a fascinating collection of live local reptiles, amphibian and fish species. At the always popular touch-tank, youngsters learn the hands-on joy of socializing with gentle spider crabs, elusive minnows, sea stars (starfish), whelks, hermit crabs, periwinkles and mussels.

The top-floor Osprey Room Observatory, with its magnificent views of the Elizabeth Islands and Buzzards Bay, has been designated by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs as one of the Commonwealth’s top-fifteen “Special Places”. Through telescopes there, one can get a close-up view of formerly endangered Ospreys, and their chicks, nesting on platforms erected by members of the Center’s research staff.

Trails are open from dawn to dusk, seven days a week. The Lloyd Center for the Environment is located at 430 Potomska Road, Dartmouth, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.lloydcenter.org or call 508-990-0505.