MOUNT ALANDER
At 2,250 feet, Mt. Alander is one of the highest peaks in the southern Taconic Mountains and lies atop the three-state junction of Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. Our seven-mile loop hike will begin at Mt. Washington State Forest headquarters. On our way to the summit, which is the highest point of Columbia County, New York, we will pass through northern hardwood forest, oak forest, and hemlock ravines to a large open bald with scrub oak, low bush blueberry, huckleberry, and a variety of other low shrubs. En route, we will look at a variety of asters, goldenrods, and other late-blooming plants. The peak has spectacular views of the Berkshires, Taconics, Hudson Valley, and Catskills, as well as migrating birds. The hike is fairly strenuous and rocky in sections. Bring a bag lunch, water, and suitable footgear.
Sunday, September 16, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Mt. Washington , MA
Course Code: FDT2044
Leader: Ted Elliman
Fee: $35M/$40NM
Limit: 15 Credit: Field–all certificates
FUNGI IN THE FIELD
Can you distinguish a bolete from a gilled mushroom? What is a mushroom anyway? Fall is fungi season in the Northeast. Join Massachusetts Audubon’s Jef Taylor for two field walks to discover and identify as many fungi as we can. Learn about the crucial and sometimes astonishing roles these fascinating life forms have in the ecosystem and some methods for identifying mushrooms and other fungi in the field.
Register for one or both field trips.
Saturday, September 22, 1–3:30 p.m.
Drumlin Nature Center, Lincoln, MA
Course Code: FDT1079
Sunday, October 14, 1–3:30 p.m.
Drumlin Nature Center, Lincoln, MA
Course Code: FDT1080
Leader: Jef Taylor
Fee: $15M/$22NM for each field trip
Limit: 15 Credit: Field–all certificates
SALT MARSH AND SCULPINS
Join ecologist Keith Killingbeck for a southern New England triptych—Succotash Salt Marsh (for plants), Cap’n Jack’s (for chowder and clamcakes), and Ninigret Pond (for underwater inhabitants). After meeting briefly at East Matunuck State Beach, we will drive to nearby Succotash Salt Marsh to identify the salt-tolerant plants that grow there and to discuss their ecology. We will also botanize along a sandy beach adjacent to the marsh. After working up an appetite in the marsh, we will stop at Cap’n Jack’s for their famous take-out chowder and clamcakes on our way to Ninigret Pond. The timing of sunset should be perfect for our foray into the pond. In shorts or rolled-up pants, we will wade into the shallow, warm waters armed with flashlights to search out fish and crabs, or whatever else the night might bring. A list of what to bring and wear will be provided with registration.
Saturday, September 29, 3–8 p.m.
Succotash Marsh and Ninigret Pond, RI
Course Code: FDT7017
Leader: Keith T. Killingbeck
Fee: $35M/40NM (dinner is on your own)
Limit: 15 Credit: Field–all certificates
SACO HEATH
This outstanding botanical site is perhaps the southernmost example of a raised bog in North America, dating back 12,000 years, when glacial activity created adjacent water-filled kettle holes. Saco Heath formed when these ponds filled with decaying plant matter called peat. With each year’s plant growth adding to the peat accumulation, the two peatlands eventually grew together above the water table to form a raised, coalesced bog. The flora of Saco Heath includes hemlock, tamarack, black gum, Labrador tea, leatherleaf, pitcher plant, cotton grass, and sundew. Bring lunch and a hand lens if you have one.
Saturday, September 29, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Saco , ME
Course Code: FDT3002
Leader: Roland “Boot” Boutwell
Fee: $30M/$35NM
Limit: 10 Credit: Field–all certificates
HIGH HEAD
The last of the glacial moraine headlands, High Head in North Truro, Massachusetts, affords wonderful vistas of the Atlantic Ocean and the shoreline of Pilgrim Lake, one of the largest brackish water bodies on Cape Cod. Coastal heathlands are a dominant community here, and we’ll examine identification techniques for golden heather (Hudsonia ericoides), woolly hudsonia (H. tomentosa), and broom crowberry (Corema conradii). Interdune swales provide habitat for ripe cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon), nodding ladies tresses (Spiranthes cernua), and a possible late-blooming rose pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides). Bayberry and beach plum fruits should be ripe for the picking, along with the largest concentration of winterberry (Ilex verticillata) on the Cape. Thousands of the brilliant crimson fruits add to the early autumn foliage colors. Join botanist Mario DiGregorio for a pleasant walk to identify plants growing in this unusual plant community.
Sunday, September 30, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
North Truro , MA
Course Code: FDT1068
Leader: Mario DiGregorio
Fee: $27M/$33NM
Limit: 15 Credit: Field–all certificates
WINSLOW LEDGE
Winslow Ledge is one of the most diverse and unique habitats in New Hampshire. Managed by the White Mountain National Forest, it is located along the Appalachian Trail, in Lyme. The site boasts a variety of rare plant species and contains a unique diversity of habitats from enriched slopes, seepage streams, dry cliffs, and a maze of terraces, ledges, and crags, many of which have yet to be examined. We will encounter several known populations of rare species and we’ll visit as yet unexplored areas during this early fall botanical foray.
Sunday, September 30, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Lyme , NH
Course Code: FDT4028
Leader: Christopher Mattrick
Fee: $40/$45
Limit: 15 Credit: Field–all certificates
WITCHES OF OCTOBER
It’s October, and witches and their signs abound in the woods of Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Witches’ brooms hang in the trees, witches’ caps can be found on the leaves, and witches’ flowers adorn the trees. Come celebrate the season with an entertaining and educational walk led by naturalist Rolland “Boot” Boutwell. We’ll look for late-flowering wildflowers and shrubs, and learn about the natural history of a variety of plants, including how they were used by early Native Americans, and colonial Americans, and how they are still used today. Among the plants we’ll look for are Indian soap, the toothbrush tree, the toilet paper tree, and an antidote for poison ivy. Cosponsored with Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary.
Saturday, October 6, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton, MA
Course code: FDT2045
Leader: Roland “Boot” Boutwell
Fee: $15M/$20NM
Limit: 15 Credit: Field–all certificates
HERMIT’S CASTLE
Immense rock formations, fascinating plant communities, and a view of magnificent fall colors and the Millers River—what better way to spend a day in October? Join Elizabeth Farnsworth for a moderately steep hike to visit the Erving Castle in Erving, Massachusetts. These dramatic caves and talus slopes were home to the famous Hermit of Erving, John Smith, from 1867 to 1899. Roam the rocky ruins of his stoneworks and gardens, and botanize amid the huge trees and seeps that make this a very unusual place, ecologically speaking, in this west-central Massachusetts ecoregion. The loop trail will lead us down through rich woods to the hermit’s valley, then uphill to a very different ledge community, where we can picnic and enjoy the vista. Cosponsored with Hitchcock Center for the Environment.
Sunday, October 7, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Erving , MA
Course Code: FDT2046
Leader: Elizabeth Farnsworth
Fee: $35M/$40NM
Limit: 15 Credit: Field–all certificates
FERNS IN THE FELLS
The Middlesex Fells, a large conservation area just north of Boston, has been protected for over 100 years. Its varied topography of hills, streams, swamps, and ponds provides a range of habitats that harbor a good variety of fern species. In this fall fern foray, we expect to see about 18 native ferns, including Virginia chain fern (Woodwardia virginica), crested wood fern (Dryopteris cristata), and Boott’s wood fern (Dryopteris x boottii). Wear protective clothing for a 2½-mile hike and bring a hand lens if you have one. See http://nefern.info for info and updates by the leaders.
Saturday, October 13, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Winchester , MA
Course Code: FDT1085
Leaders: Don Lubin and Ray Abair
Fee: $30M/$35NM
Limit: 15 Credit: Field–all certificates
SANDY NECK
Sandy Neck in Barnstable is Massachusetts’ largest barrier beach. On this four-mile hike in sandy soil, we will examine large coastal dune fields, a salt marsh, and a strange “sunken” forest. Within the forested area is the rare coastal basswood (Tilia americana var. neglecta), found in only a few coastal islands in maritime locales of the Cape and Plymouth County. In addition to identifying the plants, we’ll also keep an eye out for early snowy owls, harriers and maybe a diamond-back terrapin. Walking sticks, comfortable footwear, and a hand lens are recommended.
Sunday, October 14, 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Barnstable , MA
Course Code: FDT1017
Leader: Mario DiGregorio
Fee: $35M/$40NM
Limit: 15 Credit: Field–all certificates
AUTUMN AT GRASSY POND
The Grassy Pond Conservation Land in Acton covers a variety of different habitats: a kettle hole pond and surrounding wetlands, a couple of streams, a vernal pool, a meadow, and a mixed forest of conifers and northern hardwoods. A wooden pier with an observation platform reaches out into Grassy Pond and a 425-foot boardwalk meanders across the wide wetlands at one of the pond’s two outlets. The wetlands are an example of an acidic graminoid fen, populated by such plants as tamarack (Larix laricina) and leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata). In the uplands, witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is prevalent in the understory and should be in full bloom by this time. The walk will focus both on plant identification and natural history. Bring a hand lens.
Friday, October 19, 2–5 p.m.
Acton , MA
Course Code: FDT1060
Leader: Roland “Boot” Boutwell
Fee: $25M/$30NM
Limit: 15 Credit: Field–all certificates
SEARS AND FORBES CONSERVATION LANDS
The Sears Conservation Land (82 acres) and Forbes Conservation Land (8 acres) in Weston, Massachusetts, feature an excellent variety of typical natural communities as well as a rich history of land use. Focusing on several woodland communities, wetlands, open fields, and meadows, Weston resident Ed Petcavage will lead this botanical walk along trails and lanes that traverse marsh and pond edges, eskers, railroad beds, and rocky outcrops. Areas of the properties are set aside for forestry management and a vegetated wetland study. While identifying woody plants and persistent herbaceous plants, we will also observe signs of Weston’s rich history, such as an abandoned mill site and apple orchards.
Sunday, October 21, 12:30–3:30 p.m.
Weston , MA
Course Code: FDT1086
Leader: Ed Petcavage
Fee: $25M/$30NM
Limit: 15 Credit: Field–all certificates
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