Boston Flora

Tag: Vernal Pools

  • Saturday, April 29, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Vernal Pools of the South Athol Conservation Area

    On Saturday, April 29 from 10 – 2 Massachusetts Natural Heritage biologist Karro Frost will guide us in learning about the unique life found in vernal pools. Learn how to certify pools with the Vernal Pool Rare Species (VPRS) database. Bring boots, a snack, drinking water, and a sense of adventure. Meet at 9:30 am at Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street in Athol to carpool or 10:00 am at the Conservation area. To find the South Athol Conservation area entrance: travel south on South Athol Road from Athol center and the entrance will be on the right 1.1 miles south of the route 2 overpass, between the intersections of Riceville Road and Conant Road. (GPS – 3800 South Athol Road) A Conservation Area sign at the driveway will point you down the dirt roadway to a small parking area on the right before the gate (private residence). Contact Dave@atholbirdclub.org or 978-413-1772 for more information.

  • Saturday, April 5, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Amphibians After Dark

    Get excited for the “big night,” an outdoor amphib­ian adventure on Saturday, April 5 at Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 108 North Street in Norfolk, Massachusetts organized by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Tour the lantern-lit trails with a guided group and encounter costumed characters waiting to teach you about amphibians through their stories and songs. Inside we’ll have live specimens from vernal pools, make crafts, and view a slide show about the animals that live in these “wicked big puddles.”

    Guided groups leave the nature center every fifteen minutes.

    Register online or by phone, 508-528-3140, to secure your time slot.
    Fee: Mass Audubon Member $7; Non-member $9; Children 3 and under free

    http://maineaudubon.org//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/L_grnfrog1.jpg

  • Tuesday, March 29, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Vernal Pools: Ecology and Design Considerations

    Elizabeth Colburn, Ph.D., Aquatic Ecologist with the Harvard Forest, Harvard University, will give an illustrated presentation at the Hunnewell Building at the Arnold Arboretum on Tuesday, March 29, from 1:30 – 3:30. Betsy will speak about the natural history and ecology of New England vernal pools in the context of ecological landscaping. Topics will include the origins and annual cycles of vernal pools; life histories of common pool animals; year-round habitat needs of pool inhabitants; linkages among vernal pools, adjacent uplands, and other water bodies; factors affecting water quality and hydrology; plants associated with vernal pools; and strategies for avoiding damage to vernal pool ecosystems within managed landscapes.  Fee $20 Ecological Landscaping Association and Arnold Arboretum members, $25 nonmember.

    Co-sponsored by the Ecological Landscaping Association and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.  Register online at https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu or by phone at 617-384-5277.

  • Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary 2011 Winter Lecture Series

    Winter lectures at the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary are given each Saturday at 1:30 pm at the Sanctuary at 30 Peck Road in Wales, Massachusetts.  Directions can be found at www.norcrossws.org.  These one-hour free talks are designed to capture your attention and pique your interest in the natural world.  Reservations are required as space is limited and printed materials are provided to each person.  Please call 413-267-4859 or email ohop@norcrossws.org for reservations and information.

    January 29 – Fabulous Ferns.  Ferns add color, texture and pizazz to your garden.  Do you have a place where nothing else grows?  Maybe a fern will fit there, too.  Fun and easy to grow, ferns are fabulous in the garden.  Leslie Duthie will lead the discussion.

    February 5 – Ecosystems on the Edge.  Some ecosystems do not function according to the “normal” rules of nature.  Today, Mike Tremblay looks at ecosystems that use chemicals like sulfur and methane as their primary source of energy such as sulfur vents, methane seeps and isolated caves.

    February 12 – Hit the Trail for Health.  Trail walking is a great way to get some fresh air, keep healthy, and get your bodies moving.  Where are your local trails, how did they get there, and who takes care of them?  Did you know there are exercise trails out there, too?  Every town has at least one trail to walk, and Stephanie Morin will introduce you to some great local trails for all ability levels.

    February 26 – Your Green Home. Help solve the earth’s rapidly changing environmental catastrophe through a change in buildiing materials and procedures.  Reed Coles, a local “green” builder and remodeler, will showcase materials and methods of sustainable building practices including passive and active solar and zero energy structures that define Energy Star and US Green Building Council’s LEED certified building codes.  He will also discuss harvesting equipment and green washing.

    March 5 – Small Native Trees for the Home Landscape.  Many native trees have great potential to enhance the enjoyment of your home landscape.  Some offer brilliant fall colors or interesting bark, some come to life with breathtaking spring flowers, some produce delicious fruit, and a few may encompass all these qualities.  This presentation by Vinny Normand showcases small to medium sized native trees that can be used in the home landscape.

    March 12 – Vernal Pools.  Jennifer Ohop presents a talk on the natural beauty and seasonal rhythm of this unique habitat.

  • Saturday, September 19, 9 – 11 am – Wild Edibles Walk

    Ever wonder how long you could survive in the woods by living off the land?  Southeast Massachusetts is home to more than 150 species of wild edibles and late summer is the season of fruits and nuts.  From wild grapes and blueberries to hickory nuts and edible roots, you’ll enjoy an all natural snack during your walk with Trustees of Reservations Education Coordinator Linton Harrington, in the Copicut Woods Bioreserve, Indian Town Road, Fall River.

    Copicut Woods, located approximately 10 minutes from downtown Fall River, is the southern gateway to the 13,600-acre Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve, which includes state-owned forest and wildlife management areas and the wooded landscape protecting the city’s drinking water supply.

    The Bioreserve is large enough to sustain the native biodiversity of this region, from the dominant white pine-oak forest to the rare Atlantic white cedar swamps; from the nearly 100 species of birds to the endangered four-toed salamander. The landscape also has a rich cultural history and offers recreational opportunities suiting a range of interests.

    Copicut Woods offers a splendid introduction to the ecological and cultural features of the Bioreserve. Walking trails wind through an array of natural communities and pass vernal pools, Miller Brook, and an abandoned farm settlement. A key attraction is the nearly mile-long Miller Lane, a 150-year-old scenic cart path lined with stone walls and featuring an underpass that enabled livestock to move between fields.

    From Copicut Woods, visitors have easy access to adjacent protected land owned by the city and the state, although the unified trail system through the Bioreserve has not yet been designed and marked.

    The Bioreserve was established and is managed cooperatively by The Trustees of Reservations, the City of Fall River, and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

    There is no charge for this walk.  Call 508-679-2115 for more information, or email bioreserve@ttor.org.  Directions are available at www.thetrustees.org.

    (c) TTOR, Copicut Woods, Fall River, Massachusetts