Boston Flora

Tag: Pioneer Valley Institute

  • Sunday, May 17, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm – Spring Into Fiber! Food!! Faults!!!

    The exclamation points are not ours, but the Pioneer Valley Institute is offering a bus tour on Sunday, May 17, from 9 – 6, which may be of interest to our readers. Take an expedition to the Green Mountain Spinnery, a worker-owned cooperative spinning mill which not only creates its own selection of yarns and patterns but also is used by many New England fiber producers. Lunch will be at the nearby and justifiably famous Curtis’ All American Bar-B-Q in Putney VT. (There are alternatives for vegetarians just across the road at the Putney Food Co-op.) Great yarns and fabulous food. Now, fortified with plenty of yarn and sated with ribs or chicken we will proceed to the Chesterfield New Hampshire Gorge for a hike to explore the faux faults found there. For your next fiber project, be inspired by nature’s rich color palette and geological wonders. As you hike the path witness cascades as they disappear into the midst, while others plunge down through the gorge to the pools below.  See the PVI brochure for enrollment details. $35 per person.  Website: www.gcc.mass.edu/pvi .

  • Sunday, April 26, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Tree Identification at Poet’s Seat

    Have you ever looked at a tree in winter and wondered what it might be? This walk with naturalist Nancy Goodman is a continuation of an ongoing Pioneer Valley Institute series showing trees that can be found in different habitats. Become familiar with the characteristic bark of the different trees in different habitats. This is a dry ridge top with changing habitats and trees from the top of the road to the bottom.

    Poet’s Seat in Greenfield has a road we will be following, going up to the tower and the top of the cliffs; the view is spectacular. Bring binoculars, water, very warm clothes in many layers as we will not be walking much (and this area can be very windy), lunch, warm boots, and the book Bark by Michael Wojtech (past Garden Club of the Back Bay speaker) if you have a copy. There are no facilities at this spot. Please plan accordingly.

    We will meet at the parking area at the base of the cliffs on Sanderson Road next to the tennis courts. We will then walk up the busy road to the tower road. Extreme care must be taken and the road can be steep in spots getting up to the tower. No rain date. Not handicapped accessible. $5 (free to PVI members), checks only, no cash please. For more information email wildeyes@rcn.com.

  • Saturday, November 9, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm – Gem, Mineral, Rock and Fossil Show

    Saturday, November 9 is the 17th annual Pioneer Valley Institute Gem, Mineral, Rock and Fossil Show and Sale at Greenfield Community College’s new Dining Commons in the Main Building. (If you haven’t been to GCC, don’t worry. You won’t get lost! Also, the newly reconstructed Core area with the Dining Commons is just beautiful.) The show opens at 9:30 and runs to 4 pm. ADMISSION IS FREE!

    Besides geological specimens from around the world, come and see jewelry, beads, cabochons, and many other “gems” from the earth. Talented local artisans have crafted many items. The Jurassic Roadshow showcases specimens from the Connecticut Valley. Talk to the expert collectors. Bring in your specimens for identification. On display: an amazingly preserved baby dinoprint. You can also take a tour of the GCC Rock Park at the rear of the Main Building.

    At 1:00 Historian Bob Herbert will present a program on ROSWELL FIELD, the owner of the famous Barton Cove dinosaur footprint quarry where so many Amherst College Hitchcock specimens were collected. This man, now mostly forgotten, was an important layman-scientist who met and corresponded with many world-famous scientists. You can see the whole Bob Herbert journal article here: http://www.gillmass.org/pdfs/2013-Robert-Herbert-Roswell-Field.pdf .

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  • Saturday, June 29, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Nasami Farm Perched Swamp Tree Exploration

    Nasami Farm, owned by the New England Wildflower Society, is home to a unique habitat, a Black Gum—Pin Oak—Swamp White Oak “perched” swamp. This is a swamp not directly connected to the water table, but perched above it on layers that prevent draining usually associated with old glacial lake beds. The Great Swamp, of which this property is a part, is one of the largest and best examples of a perched swamp left in Massachusetts. On Saturday, June 29, from 10 – 2, we will be looking mostly at the trees and their bark, but also checking out any wildflowers we might see. The trail is level and the distance covered about 2 to3 miles at an easy pace. Please bring comfortable water-resistant boots, rain gear (depending on the weather), plenty of water, lunch, binoculars and bug spray. We will be using the book Bark by Michael Wojtech, so bring a copy if you have one. We will meet at Nasami Farm, 128 North Street, in Whately (there is a blue sign on routes 5 & 10 at Swamp Road). Parking will be at the barn on the left as you enter. Directions will be sent upon request at pre-registration when you email Nancy Goodman at wildeyes@rcn.com. $5 fee, free for Pioneer Valley Institute members, NEWFS members, and kids under 12. (Please do not use MapQuest for driving directions; they currently take you to North Street in South Deerfield.)

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  • Saturday, June 15, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – Spring into North Adams

    On Saturday, June 15, join the Pioneer Valley Institute at Greenfield Community College for a day-long PVI tour to North Adams, featuring great scenery and geologic history of the Berkshires, the unique marble natural bridge and dam at Natural Bridge State Park, Western Gateway Heritage State Park focusing on the Hoosac Tunnel history, and MassMoCA with one of the largest contemporary visual art exhibits in the US. Along the way we will discuss the stories behind the scenery of this fascinating region with geologist Richard Little. A bus option is available, at cost, with a minimum of 25 participants.

    Tour fees (includes admission)
    With bus transportation: $47 ($57 non-PVI members)
    You provide transportation: $22 ($32 non-PVI members)

    Bus space is limited to 25. Contact Richard Little at rdlittle2000@aol.com to sign up or for more information.

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