The three ponds that Fredrick Law Olmsted designed into the Arnold Arboretum teem with aquatic and terrestrial life in late summer. Join Bob Mayer at the Forest Hills Gate on Saturday, July 23 at 1 pm for a walk and a discussion of the invertebrates and other fauna in and around the ponds. Bring binoculars if you have them for closer look at nature.
In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209. Free, but registration requested at 617-384-5251, or email adulted@arnarb.harvard.edu.
Kevin Dunn, fish & pond expert, will be at Russell’s Garden Center, 397 Boston Post Road in Wayland, on Saturday, September 22 at 10 a.m. to speak to all interested in water gardens. In the fall, there are special considerations to take to prepare ponds for the winter season in New England. Kevin will be happy to share his knowledge about fish and plant dormancy and answer your questions! Free. For directions, call 508-358-2283, or visit www.russellsgardencenter.com.
Sheriff’s Meadow holds its series of public walks, in each month of the year, on properties that they own or hold conservation restrictions over. Pre-registration is required as space may be limited. The Saturday, November 21 walk will be through the Edgartown Pond Lot in Edgartown. Visit http://www.sheriffsmeadow.org site for starting times, directions and other information. You may also telephone 508-693-5207. Another walk, in Chappaquiddick, will take place on Saturday, December 19.
The mission of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation is to conserve, administer and manage natural habitats for wildlife, and all other lands that represent the beautiful, rural, natural character of Martha’s Vineyard. Henry Beetle Hough and Elizabeth Bowie Hough founded Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation to conserve land that no other organization would. Editor of the Vineyard Gazette, Henry and Elizabeth lived on Pierce Lane in Edgartown. Overseen by a Board of Directors, Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation now employs six year-round and two seasonal staff. The Foundation’s properties represent all the major Martha’s Vineyard habitats: beaches, sand dunes, coastal ponds, wooded moraine, forests, swamps, marshes, agricultural lands, meadows and more.
Join the Appalachian Mountain Club for a hike in the rural woods in Groton, Massachusetts on Sunday, October 18, beginning at 11:00 am. Come see New England autumn splendor in a quiet rural setting. The hike will be 2-3 hours at a moderate pace and will feature eskers, scenic ponds, beaver dams, and of course lots of colorful leaves. From I-495 in Littleton take 119 west towards Groton. In 6.5 miles turn right onto Route 40. In 4.0 miles turn left onto Cow Pond Brook Road. Take this road about 1.6 miles until it ends and park. 42.6250N, 71.5027W. Sponsored by the Boston Chapter of the AMC, registration is not required for this trip, but contact Leader Olin Lathrop at olin@embedinc.com with any questions. For more information about upcoming activities of the Boston Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club, log on to www.outdoors.org.
