The New England Botanical Society is leading a walk on September 6 to Rattlesnake Mountain in Rumney, New Hampshire. The leader is Scott Bailey, retired US Forest Service ecologist. Rattlesnake Mountain is part of the White Mountain National Forest. There are cliffs of multiple lithologies, talus, and rich northern woodlands. The site is likely the northernmost station for white oak in the Merrimack watershed and contains good diversity of ferns, including Dryopteris fragrans. The trip will cover a moderate distance. Some areas may be challenging with steep and rocky sections. Register HERE. Free.
Join New England Botanical Society and Monadnock Bird and Nature Club on August 17 from 9 – noon as we explore a diverse array of upland and floodplain natural communities, then take a dip at Surry Mountain Lake. The walk will be led by Nate Marchessault, ecologist, and Karro Frost, Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Conservation Planning Biologist. We’ll begin along a riparian area rich with musclewood, and the rest of the trip will be through upland areas of varying levels of enrichment, from hemlock forest to rich forests with abundant basswood and hickory. The trip will be an out-and-back with a slight amount of elevation increase and a maximum of three miles of walking, with optional off-trail excursions. Terrain is easy to moderate.
This is a free event and is open to members and non-members. Register at this LINK
Don Hudson’s interest in mountain plants and ecology in the early 1970s led to a career in environmental and conservation education at the Chewonki Foundation in Maine. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service invited Don and his colleagues in 1992 to assist with a landscape-scale project to promote greater public awareness of and appreciation for the watershed of the Gulf of Maine. Three decades later, Don continues to work on projects that restore connectivity between mountain and forest ecosystems and ecosystems of the near ocean.
This Zoom presentation on March 7 at 7 pm Eastern is presented by the New England Botanical Society. Non-members may register for the meeting access link here.
Floras change over time in response to numerous variables, including land use changes, species introductions, climate change, and other factors. This New England Botanical Society talk at 7 pm on February 7 will examine and attempt to explain changes in frequencies of two groups of plants in southern New England: orchids and northern species (i.e., those near the southern end of their range). It will include a discussion of different data sources and their limitations and the challenges of dealing with potentially confounding factors. Speaker Dr. Robert Bertin is Professor Emeritus of Biology at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. The talk will be live and on Zoom.
Non-members may register for the meeting access link here.
The New England Botanical Society is having a membership event on January 10 at the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife’s Cronin Building, 1 Rabbit Hill Road in Westborough, Room 108, Southeast Conference Room. There will be a members potluck, raffle, and show & tell starting at 5:30 pm. For information on joining, visit https://www.rhodora.org/membership/join.html
The New England Botanical Society will sponsor a field trip to Stacy Mountain Preserve in Gill on August 17. The Leader is Peter Grima, co-author of Flora of Franklin County, Massachusetts. The Nature Conservancy’s Stacy Mountain is a botanical hotspot that continues to turn up new records of rare and interesting plants. In a relatively short distance, we will explore rich vernal pools, cliffs of sedimentary bedrock, and a dry power line riddled with legumes and interesting grasses. Hickory-hop hornbeam woodlands and a rich, cold swamp are also nearby. The terrain is difficult, and the event is limited to twelve participants. Register here so Peter may be in touch with you about this trip.
Join the New England Botanical Society on Friday, April 5 for its monthly meeting. Ted Elliman, MA botany/ecology instructor, retired, Native Plant Trust, and Lauren Brown, Connecticut author, VP Connecticut Botanical Society, will speak on Unlocking the Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes: Fresh Approaches to Identifying These Challenging Plants. Non-members may register for the meeting access link here.
On Friday, March 1, the New England Botanical Society will hold its monthly meeting at 7 pm at Harvard University’s Haller Lecture Hall and also live via Zoom. Dr. John Daigle, Professor of Forest Recreation Management, School of Forest Resources, University of Maine in Orono, will speak on Building a Community of Interest and Response to an Invasive Species Threatening Maine’s Ash Trees and Wabanaki Cultural Lifeways. Free. Non-members may register for the meeting access link here.
For the past 15 years, Dr. John J. Daigle, a citizen member of the Penobscot Nation, has been working on a project mobilizing diverse interests to address potential threats from invasive species in Maine – the case of the Emerald Ash Borer. The research seeks to study and facilitate the ways that Wabanaki, basket-makers, tribes, state and federal foresters, university researchers, landowners and others come together to prevent, detect, and respond to the threat of Emerald Ash Borer. He has published research with co-authors on outreach and education, management, and policy. In 2023, the Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik or APCAW was created, offering informative webinars and in-person trainings, as well as a dedicated APCAW website for recorded sessions and other program information.
Middlesex County is one of the most under-collected areas in Connecticut, so this day-long collection trip will be particularly valuable. The county is rich in habitat diversity: it has 110 named hills and mountains; two rivers (Mattabesset and Connecticut) with associated floodplain forests, marshes, and beaches; upland forests; successional farmlands; and coastal habitats including brackish and salt marshes, sandy beaches, woodlands, and grasslands. The county contains at least 16 of the Critical Habitat types recognized by the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Sites that we plan to visit include Wangunk Meadows WMA, Meshomasic State Forest, Cockaponset State Forest, and The Preserve State Forest. Some sites may include forays off-trail in somewhat wet or steep terrain.
Leaders: Lisa Standley, NEBS Curator of Vascular Plants; Sarah Taylor, Scientific Collections Manager, University of Connecticut, G.S. Torrey Herbarium; Elizabeth Kneiper, NEBS Curator of Cryptogams.
Register here so leaders may be in touch with you about this trip
Join the New England Botanical Society on July 7 for a rare and very special opportunity for a guided visit to one of New England’s most fascinating and imperiled plant assemblages: above tree line at the legendary “Alpine Garden” of our highest peak. Led by one of New England’s most knowledgeable and experienced botanists and ecologists, this high elevation field trip – complete with stunning vistas — is made accessible by the famed Mt. Washington Auto Road. Please note the terrain at the summit will be moderately strenuous with a 500-foot descent (and return ascent) from the road. Bring layers for cold or wet weather and sturdy footwear. Register early – this trip is sure to fill quickly. There will be a fee for the Auto Road. Leader: Dan Sperduto, Forest Botanist, White Mountain National Forest Register here so Dan may be in touch with you about this trip.
Day field trips are informal, small-group outings to explore interesting places and to see (not collect) interesting plants, facilitated by knowledgeable and enthusiastic leaders. Bring your lunch, water, insect repellent, field guides, hand lens, and curiosity. Be prepared for the terrain and level of difficulty indicated for each trip. Please register at least 1 week in advance to get meeting time, location, and directions. Trips may be cancelled if enrollment is low or if inclement weather. Trips will be limited to 14 participants.
