|
Community Forest Discovery Days 2009
Are you curious about
those funny-looking fungi at your feet? Wondering
which critter left tracks along the trail?
Fascinated by the birds you hear twittering in the trees?
Join us for our 5th Annual Community Forest Discovery Days!
Our Community Forests provide wonderful habitat for all kinds of life,
and we invite you to explore and discover the feathered, furry, woody, and slimy
inhabitants that make these forests their home.
We are hosting these educational events in Community
Forests all over New England. Our programs are free to
the public and suitable for all ages! Pre-registration is required. If you
are interested in attending one of the programs below, please contact Sonya
LeClair at
sleclair@newenglandforestry.org or (978) 952-6856.
2009 Discovery Days Events:
Prouty Woods Community Forest,
Littleton, MA
International Migratory Bird Day Birdwalk
Saturday, May 9, 7-10am
Join expert local birder Grant Marley for a birdwalk in
celebration of International Migratory Bird Day.
This day was created in 1993 by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology to focus attention on the events in the life
of a migratory bird. This walk will
accommodate both the newcomer interested in learning some of the common local
birds, as well as the more advanced birder eager to kick off another great
season of birdwatching. There will
be a short orientation before heading into the woods to discover the Neotropical
migrants that make Prouty Woods their summer home.
Participants should bring binoculars, a field guide, good hiking boots
and water. Also please dress for the
weather, as the program will go on in the event of light rain.
Co-sponsored by the Littleton
Conservation Trust.
Blair Forest, Freeport, ME
Breeding Birds & Tree Identification Walk,
Saturday, June 20, 8-10:30am
NEFF has joined forces with Derek Lovitch, expert local birder and owner of
Freeport Wild Bird Supply as part of their Saturday morning birdwalk series.
Participants will meet at the Freeport store, 541 Route One, Suite 10,
and carpool to our Blair Forest.
Geared towards birders of all types, you will learn more about the summer
residents that call the forest their home.
Chris Pryor, NEFF’s own Conservation Easement Coordinator and Certified
Forester, also will join the walk to teach participants about ecology,
sustainable forestry and tree ID.
After the walk, the group will return to the store for coffee, treats and time
for questions.
Co-sponsored by Freeport Wild Bird Supply.
Allen-Whitney Memorial Forest,
Manchester, ME
Birdlife at Allen-Whitney
Saturday, June 20, 10-11:30am
Join USFWS wildlife biologist and expert birder Ron
Joseph for a discovery of birdlife in the Allen Whitney Forest.
This walk will accommodate both newcomers and advanced birders eager to
learn more about the Neotropical migrants that make Allen Whitney their summer
home. Participants should bring
binoculars, a field guide, good hiking boots and water.
Also please dress for the weather, as the program will go on in the event
of light rain. After the program,
participants can join us for a light snack next door with extra time for
questions.
Chase Memorial Forest, Royalston, MA
Forest, Floor & Fringe
Saturday, June 20, 9-11am
Join naturalists Lula Field and Christine Beckert Long in exploring the
wildlife, plants and rich natural and cultural history at Chase Memorial Forest
in Royalston, MA. Co-sponsored
by the Athol Bird & Nature Club. Rain
date: Sunday, June 21.
Prouty Woods Community Forest, Littleton, MA
Changing Forests, Changing Landscapes
Saturday, June 27, 10am-12pm
Ever wonder about the stone walls at Prouty Woods, or how
its forests have changed over time?
Join long-time Littleton locals Rick Findlay and Art Lazarus for a nature walk
and discussion of how the property’s past has etched its current cultural and
forested landscape. Meet at the parking lot for a brief orientation, and then
head into the woods for an intriguing portrait of Littleton’s history.
Co-sponsored by the Littleton
Conservation Trust.
Chamberlain Reynolds Memorial Forest,
Center Harbor, NH
Birds & Wildlife in the Forest
Saturday, July 18, 10-11am
Want to learn more about the creatures that call Chamberlain Reynolds their
home? Satisfy your curiosity with a
nature walk to learn more about the natural history of the forest’s wildlife.
Participants will also meet a wildlife resident and learn more about the
characteristics that suit them for life in the forest.
Isham Memorial Forest, Manchester, VT
Life on the Forest Floor
Sunday, August 2, 10-11:30am
Explore the many varieties of life found on the forest
floor of the Isham Memorial Forest in Manchester, Vermont!
Rick LaDue, Isham’s volunteer Forest Steward and Program Manager for the
Vermont Institute of Natural Science office in Manchester, will lead this
discovery hike for participants of all ages.
Search for salamanders, mushrooms and other fungi, wildflowers and all
the tiny animals living under the logs and leaf litter.
We will also look for historic signs of human activity on the Isham
tract.
Co-sponsored by the Vermont Institute of
Natural Sciences
Mary A. Herrick Forest, Boxford, MA
The Story of Wetlands
Saturday, August 15, 10am-12pm
What exactly makes a wetland a wetland?
How does it interact with the adjoining landscape?
Join expert wetland biologist Ingeborg Hegeman for a walk in the forest
to learn more about wetland ecology, identification, and the important roles
these ecosystems play in the natural world.
Mowry Memorial Forest, Elmore & Morristown, VT
Moose Tracks & Beaver Slaps
Saturday, August 29, 10am-12pm
We wore our wellies for a one mile journey into Vermont woodlands searching for
wildlife who wander through old farm fields and aging forests with New England
Forestry Foundation and Lamoille County Natural Resources Conservation District
and Nature Center. Naturalist, Kimberly Jensen, led adventure seekers to a four
tiered beaver pond. Bushwhacking near the pond's edge, we looked and listened
for signs of beaver family life.
Prouty Woods Community Forest,
Littleton, MA
Mushroom ID & Ecology
Saturday, October 3, 1-4pm+
In a brief introductory talk,
author-mycologist Dr. Lawrence Millman will describe how trees benefit from
fungi, and how a forest itself benefits from the recycling abilities of certain
fungi. Once you're in the field, you
will learn about identification techniques and also discover why habitat (or
substrate) is an important factor in
identification. Please note
that the focus of this event will be ecological and scientific, not culinary.
Questions about edibility will be invariably answered with: "Everything
is edible – once." Please
bring a hand lens if you have one.
Limited to 18 participants. Co-sponsored
by the Littleton Conservation Trust
Fittz Family Forest,
Orange, MA
The Chestnut Story
Sunday, October 4, 11am-12pm
Meet at the headquarters booth at the Garlic & Arts
Festival for a short hike in the Fittz Family Forest adjacent to the festival
grounds to learn about the glory days of the chestnut, its tragic demise, and
the promise of the future. Guides will be Lula Field and Christine Beckert Long.
Participants who wish can continue the hike to an overlook with a magnificent
view of Orange’s Chestnut Hill, led by Daniel Bolton. For directions to the
festival, visit the website:
http://www.garlicandarts.org. For other questions, contact Chris at (978)
249-0246 or christyblue@juno.com.
Co-sponsored
by the Athol Bird and Nature Club.
Chase Kimball &
Mary Lee Evans Kimball Memorial Forest, Pomfret, CT
History of the Chase Kimball Forest
Saturday, October 10, 9-11am
Join volunteer Forest Steward David Smutnick and Liza
Kimball, a member of the Kimball family, for a tour of Chase Kimball Forest as
part of the Last Green Valley’s Walktober events.
Hike the Eliot section of the Airline Trail and explore the woods while
discussing sustainable forestry.
Participants will also view the remains of the S. Baker Homestead.
Chase Kimball &
Mary Lee Evans Kimball Memorial Forest, Pomfret, CT
History of the Chase Kimball Forest
Sunday, October 25, 9-11am
Join volunteer Forest Steward David Smutnick and Liza
Kimball, a member of the Kimball family, for a tour of Chase Kimball Forest as
part of the Last Green Valley’s Walktober events.
Hike the Eliot section of the Airline Trail and explore the woods while
discussing sustainable forestry.
Participants will also view the remains of the S. Baker Homestead.
2009 Sponsors
Forest Level
-
 -
-
-
Other sponsors
NEFF
Geocache Challenge 2007
Community
Forest Discovery Day 2006
Community Forest Discovery Day 2005
| 
Board of Directors
