Christmas and New Years have gone by in a flash! As excited as we all are to start 2019, we thought we’d take a look back at some of the great moments the park had this year.
Starting with the most recent month, December, we had Santa come to visit and MATV did a quick video about the visit for those of you who are curious what it was like or want to remember the experience. You can also find the pictures from Santa’s visit here: http://www.pinebanks.org/get-your-pictures-from-santas-visit/
In November, all the leaves were falling in beautiful fiery colors and it was the official opening of the Dog Park! We’ve hinted at and spoken about the dog park for a long time and to finally see it up and running is amazing! If you have a dog please consider taking them to visit the Pine Banks Dog Park (don’t worry there is an area for small dogs and an area for bigger dogs).
You can see what the park used to look like (during construction) here: http://www.pinebanks.org/dog-park-update/
October is the month where Pine Banks Park houses the Annual Walk for Bread & 5K Run put on by the Bread of Life! 
Please consider joining in for the 2019 Walk for Bread, it’s always a blast! More info about it here: http://www.pinebanks.org/pictures-from-the-walk-for-bread-2018/
When September rolled around the Eagle Scout Troop 109 was there providing the park with bat boxes and new benches. If you want to see what they look like click here: http://www.pinebanks.org/bat-boxes-and-benches/
Of course it wouldn’t be August if Pine Banks Park wasn’t filled with fairies! Every August we are the location of 
the Fairy House Festival where there’s always something fun or magical to do! We totally encourage anyone, especially kids, to come check it out in August 2019. Learn more/see pictures from the event here: http://www.pinebanks.org/2018-fairy-house-festival/
July is definitely a great month to come check out some of the sports going on at Pine Banks. Whether it’s early morning field hockey practice or late night baseball games, there always seems to be something going on at the fields this month. When July rolls around make sure to check out our field calendar to catch all of the games (we also recommend checking out the Mystic River Rugby Team at least once) : http://www.pinebanks.org/field-calendar/
Although June is also a great time to see some sports, it’s also a great month to spend some time in the park with family! Take a basket and a blanket and have a little picnic, or take a stroll by the pond and watch the ducks, or maybe even go on a scavenger hunt BINGO? That last idea is something that we posted about in June 2018 and made a little BINGO sheet as a fun way to spend some time in Pine Banks and interact more with some of the nature. You can check out the scavenger hunt BINGO sheet here: http://www.pinebanks.org/summer-pine-banks-park-bingo/
May is the month where students are reaching the end of their classes, spring is in the air, and it’s a great time to just be in and around nature. We’re very lucky to have a decent amount of wildlife in Pine Banks Park as well as lovely flora and fauna that is usually in bloom about this time. Here are some examples of what you might see in the park during the month of May: http://www.pinebanks.org/the-park-in-bloom/
They say April showers bring May flowers, and while it’s hard to remember how much is rained in April 2018, it was certainly still pretty cold! However despite
the cold there were things going on in Pine Banks, such as the filming of a movie! Film students Nick Coronis, Marcus Jimenez, and Josh Cronin worked on their short film with Pine Banks Park as a set! Take a look at what some of the filming was like here: http://www.pinebanks.org/filming-movie-pine-banks/
March 2018 was so long ago it’s hard to remember we had a couple of nor’easters around then! Of course the wildlife seem to do fine in the cold and some of us humans as well still made it out to walk the track or stroll through the park despite the weather fluctuations. Here are some middle of March nature shots: http://www.pinebanks.org/enjoy-sunny-days/
Both February and January are the months where it gets a bit difficult to hang out in the park, especially once the snow starts piling up. However, as many of you that have come to the park in this season know, it can make for some beautiful pictures. There’s something about the world being covered in snow that seems to make it feel like a brand new place. While many park goers take their own beautiful wintry photography in the park, check out a bit of ours here: http://www.pinebanks.org/winter-pine-banks-park/
Hopefully you had as amazing a year as we did here at Pine Banks Park! Please stop by and take part in some of the fun things that are going on throughout the year! We wish you all a wonderful 2019!