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July 2019
Walk: Forest Shrubs and Plants of the Forest Floor
Led by Molly Hale Meet at North Farms Rd. entrance We naturally tend to look up when we’re in a forest, toward the grandeur of the canopy, but there’s an interesting and often overlooked world at our feet as well. Join naturalist Molly Hale for a tour of the forest floor, where a rich variety of…
Find out more »September 2019
Walk: Insect Tracks and Signs
Led by Charley Eiseman (Rain date Sun. 9/22) Meet at North Farms Rd. entrance Insects are extremely specialized in their habits, and because of this it is often possible to learn which ones are around us just by noticing the characteristic patterns and objects they create as they go about their lives. Participants will search…
Find out more »Walk: Insect Tracks and Signs
Led by Charley Eiseman (Rain date Sun. 9/22) Meet at North Farms Rd. entrance Insects are extremely specialized in their habits, and because of this it is often possible to learn which ones are around us just by noticing the characteristic patterns and objects they create as they go about their lives. Participants will search…
Find out more »May 2021
Mid-Spring Bird Walk
Laura Beltran, long-time birder and an educator at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, will lead this bird walk along Boggy Meadow Road to the Fitzgerald Lake dam. In early May many boreal migrants are passing through our area, and residents and breeding migrants are establishing territories and beginning to nest. We will look and listen for warblers,…
Find out more »Mid-Spring Bird Walk
Laura Beltran, long-time birder and an educator at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, will lead this bird walk along Boggy Meadow Road to the Fitzgerald Lake dam. In early May many boreal migrants are passing through our area, and residents and breeding migrants are establishing territories and beginning to nest. We will look and listen for warblers,…
Find out more »Spring Understory Walk
Join botanist Connie Parks for a ramble to Fitzgerald Lake on Mother’s Day morning. May is the high season for spring ephemerals, wildflowers that are visible for short times before overstory trees leaf out. Dwarf ginseng, for example, is present above ground for only about 60 days per year. We’ll use a plant list from…
Find out more »Spring Understory Walk
Join botanist Connie Parks for a ramble to Fitzgerald Lake on Mother’s Day morning. May is the high season for spring ephemerals, wildflowers that are visible for short times before overstory trees leaf out. Dwarf ginseng, for example, is present above ground for only about 60 days per year. We’ll use a plant list from…
Find out more »June 2021
Learn Your Ferns
Ever wonder if you might be susceptible to fernophilia? Join Randy Stone of the Pioneer Valley Fern Society for a walk through the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area, finding common ferns and club mosses of our area. Learn the key features for easy identification of our “top 10” native ferns and maybe some uncommon ones too.…
Find out more »Learn Your Ferns
Ever wonder if you might be susceptible to fernophilia? Join Randy Stone of the Pioneer Valley Fern Society for a walk through the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area, finding common ferns and club mosses of our area. Learn the key features for easy identification of our “top 10” native ferns and maybe some uncommon ones too.…
Find out more »September 2021
Trees and shrubs of Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area
Is it a red oak or a white oak, an eastern hemlock or a white pine, a shag bark hickory or a yellow birch ? We promise you'll have a better idea of which is which when the morning's done. We'll meet at the N. Farms parking lot and follow the main trail to the…
Find out more »Trees and shrubs of Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area
Is it a red oak or a white oak, an eastern hemlock or a white pine, a shag bark hickory or a yellow birch ? We promise you'll have a better idea of which is which when the morning's done. We'll meet at the N. Farms parking lot and follow the main trail to the…
Find out more »October 2021
Mammals of Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area
Learn about the wide diversity of mammals that live throughout the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area in this morning hike. Join wildlife biologist Brad Timm, as we walk and visit some of the varied natural habitats that are important for different mammal species at FLCA and learn about the fascinating life histories of these animals. We’ll…
Find out more »Mammals of Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area
Learn about the wide diversity of mammals that live throughout the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area in this morning hike. Join wildlife biologist Brad Timm, as we walk and visit some of the varied natural habitats that are important for different mammal species at FLCA and learn about the fascinating life histories of these animals. We’ll…
Find out more »May 2022
Vernal Pool Ecology with Brad Timm
Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area is fortunate to contain several confirmed vernal pools just a short walk in from the North Farms Rd. entrance. Join biologist Brad Timm as we visit these pools and discover their truly unique ecology. We’ll learn about the wide variety of animals that rely on vernal pools for their existence –…
Find out more »Vernal Pool Ecology with Brad Timm
Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area is fortunate to contain several confirmed vernal pools just a short walk in from the North Farms Rd. entrance. Join biologist Brad Timm as we visit these pools and discover their truly unique ecology. We’ll learn about the wide variety of animals that rely on vernal pools for their existence –…
Find out more »Spring Bird Walk with Lesley Farlow and Steve Winn
Lesley Farlow and Steve Winn, experienced birders and members of the Hampshire Bird Club, will lead a bird walk along Boggy Meadow Rd. to the Fitzgerald Lake dam. We will look for breeding migrants and resident birds as we pass through a number of different habitats. We should be able to see and hear some…
Find out more »Spring Bird Walk with Lesley Farlow and Steve Winn
Lesley Farlow and Steve Winn, experienced birders and members of the Hampshire Bird Club, will lead a bird walk along Boggy Meadow Rd. to the Fitzgerald Lake dam. We will look for breeding migrants and resident birds as we pass through a number of different habitats. We should be able to see and hear some…
Find out more »June 2022
Beavers at Sundown with Laura Beltran
Discover the natural history of beavers, how they alter the landscape and provide habitat for other wildlife on this walk at Fitzgerald Lake. Evening is the ideal time to observe beavers, and if we’re lucky, we’ll see them and maybe get slapped at. We’ll meet at the Cooke Ave. entrance (next to the Moose Lodge)…
Find out more »Beavers at Sundown with Laura Beltran
Discover the natural history of beavers, how they alter the landscape and provide habitat for other wildlife on this walk at Fitzgerald Lake. Evening is the ideal time to observe beavers, and if we’re lucky, we’ll see them and maybe get slapped at. We’ll meet at the Cooke Ave. entrance (next to the Moose Lodge)…
Find out more »Late Spring Wildflowers with Janet Bissell
Join Janet Bissell for a walk to look for late spring ephemeral wildflowers and other flora. We'll discuss the natural history, folklore, and identification of these wonderful forest plants. We'll also discuss the identification of invasive species and the impact they have on biodiversity as well as the impacts climate change could have on our…
Find out more »Late Spring Wildflowers with Janet Bissell
Join Janet Bissell for a walk to look for late spring ephemeral wildflowers and other flora. We'll discuss the natural history, folklore, and identification of these wonderful forest plants. We'll also discuss the identification of invasive species and the impact they have on biodiversity as well as the impacts climate change could have on our…
Find out more »September 2022
Mushrooms in the Woodland Ecosystem with Peter Russell
Mushrooms are an essential component of our Woodland ecosystems, yet much of their taxonomy and diversity remains undescribed even in sites such as Fitzgerald Lake. A lot of such recording is nowadays performed by citizen scientists and amateurs. Take a walk in the woods to learn about this diversity, how to recognize some of the major…
Find out more »Mushrooms in the Woodland Ecosystem with Peter Russell
Mushrooms are an essential component of our Woodland ecosystems, yet much of their taxonomy and diversity remains undescribed even in sites such as Fitzgerald Lake. A lot of such recording is nowadays performed by citizen scientists and amateurs. Take a walk in the woods to learn about this diversity, how to recognize some of the major…
Find out more »May 2023
Spring Bird Walk with Lesley Farlow and Steve Winn
Lesley Farlow and Steve Winn, experienced birders and members of the Hampshire Bird Club, will lead a bird walk along Boggy Meadow Rd. to the Fitzgerald Lake dam. We will look for breeding migrants and resident birds as we pass through a number of different habitats. We should be able to see and hear some…
Find out more »Wildlife Habitats at FLCA with Brad Timm
Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area has a wide diversity of habitats which are used by the hundreds of wildlife species present at FLCA. Wetlands of a variety of types, forests, and early-successional patches are just some examples, and wildlife habitat can even be defined at a much finer-scale such as decaying logs on the forest floor…
Find out more »June 2023
Shrubs, Lichens, and Plants of the Forest Floor with Molly Hale
Come learn about the plants we see at eye level and at our feet. We’ll see hazelnuts, musclewood, hop hornbeam, trilliums, clubmosses, wild sarsaparilla, enchanter’s nightshade and lots more! Plus we’ll peek into the world of lichens, which are found growing on trees, soil, and rocks. This will be a slow 2- hour walk starting…
Find out more »Learn Your Ferns with Randy Stone
Ever wonder if you might be susceptible to fernophilia? Join Randy Stone of the Pioneer Valley Fern Society for a walk through the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area, finding common ferns and club mosses of our area. Learn the key features for easy identification of our “top 10” native ferns and maybe some uncommon ones too. …
Find out more »September 2023
Mushrooms in the Woodland Ecosystem with Peter Russell
Mushrooms are an essential component of our Woodland ecosystems, yet much of their taxonomy and diversity remains undescribed even in sites such as Fitzgerald Lake. A lot of such recording is nowadays performed by citizen scientists and amateurs. Take a walk in the woods to learn about this diversity, how to recognize some of the major…
Find out more »Insect Tracks and Signs with Charley Eiseman
Insects are extremely specialized in their habits, and because of this it is often possible to learn which ones are around us just by noticing the characteristic patterns and objects they create as they go about their lives. Participants will search for signs such as egg cases, cocoons, webs, burrows, droppings, galls, leaf mines, and the…
Find out more »October 2023
Beavers at Sundown with Brad Timm
Discover the natural history of beavers, how they alter the landscape and provide habitat for other wildlife on this walk at Fitzgerald Lake. Evening is the ideal time to observe beavers, and if we’re lucky, we’ll see them. We’ll meet at the North Farms Road entrance and walk about 3/4 mile searching for signs of…
Find out more »- North Farms Rd. entrance is off Bridge Rd., N. off Mountain St. or N. Maple St. in Florence.
- Cooke Avenue entrance is off Hatfield St., which runs behind the WalMart/Big Y shopping center, to the end of Cooke Avenue (former Moose Lodge). Park only on the right side.
- Coles Meadow Road entrance is on the eastern end of FLCA, about 0.7 miles from North King Street (Routes 5/10). Park carefully on the street.