Walk/talk with Brad Timm Learn about the fascinating species of amphibians at Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area in this morning hike. Join Brad Timm, who has conducted amphibian research in New England for 15+ years, as we walk the trails and learn about the natural history and conservation of the amphibians that dwell in the streams,…

Walk/talk with Brad Timm Learn about the fascinating species of amphibians at Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area in this morning hike. Join Brad Timm, who has conducted amphibian research in New England for 15+ years, as we walk the trails and learn about the natural history and conservation of the amphibians that dwell in the streams,…

Walk/talk with Jeff Ritterson Jeff is a field ornithologist at Mass Audubon, where his focus is on working landscapes and forest management, including the coordination of the Foresters for the Birds program. Originally from Delaware, Jeff attended graduate school at UMass Amherst, and remained in Massachusetts for the vibrant conservation community and magnificent forests. Jeff…

Walk/talk with Jeff Ritterson Jeff is a field ornithologist at Mass Audubon, where his focus is on working landscapes and forest management, including the coordination of the Foresters for the Birds program. Originally from Delaware, Jeff attended graduate school at UMass Amherst, and remained in Massachusetts for the vibrant conservation community and magnificent forests. Jeff…

CANCELLED Walk/talk with Nolan Fernandez Join Nolan Fernandez, the outreach coordinator for the Laboratory of Medical Zoology at UMass Amherst, for an informative talk about ticks and the diseases they can transmit, including Lyme disease, babesiosis, and a number of newly emerging pathogens. He will describe ticks’ life cycles and preferred habitats as well as…

CANCELLED Walk/talk with Nolan Fernandez Join Nolan Fernandez, the outreach coordinator for the Laboratory of Medical Zoology at UMass Amherst, for an informative talk about ticks and the diseases they can transmit, including Lyme disease, babesiosis, and a number of newly emerging pathogens. He will describe ticks’ life cycles and preferred habitats as well as…

Walk/talk with John Burns After the spring ephemerals and before the late bloomers of fall, there are the glorious flowers of summer. John Burns, of Burns Environmental in Cummington, will lead participants along Boggy Meadow Rd., past the beaver pond, and out to the dam in search of midseason wildflowers. Bring a hand lens and…

Walk/talk with John Burns After the spring ephemerals and before the late bloomers of fall, there are the glorious flowers of summer. John Burns, of Burns Environmental in Cummington, will lead participants along Boggy Meadow Rd., past the beaver pond, and out to the dam in search of midseason wildflowers. Bring a hand lens and…

Walk/talk 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,…

Walk/talk 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,…

Walk/talk with Pat McDonagh Mushrooms are visible outgrowths of fungal networks that make our forest ecosystems possible. Take a walk in the woods to learn about the essential role that mushrooms play as recyclers and symbiotic partners to other forest life forms. Collecting edible mushrooms will not be a major focus of this walk, but…

Walk/talk with Pat McDonagh Mushrooms are visible outgrowths of fungal networks that make our forest ecosystems possible. Take a walk in the woods to learn about the essential role that mushrooms play as recyclers and symbiotic partners to other forest life forms. Collecting edible mushrooms will not be a major focus of this walk, but…

Walk/talk with Laurie Sanders From colonial times to the damming of Broad Brook in the late 1980s that created Fitzgerald Lake, the 850 acres of FLCA have undergone momentous changes. Laurie Sanders will lead a walk along Boggy Meadow Rd. to the dam and Cooke’s Pasture, focusing on the economic, social, and environmental history of…

Walk/talk with Laurie Sanders From colonial times to the damming of Broad Brook in the late 1980s that created Fitzgerald Lake, the 850 acres of FLCA have undergone momentous changes. Laurie Sanders will lead a walk along Boggy Meadow Rd. to the dam and Cooke’s Pasture, focusing on the economic, social, and environmental history of…

by Bob Leverett Join Bob Leverett, co-founder of the Native Tree Society, for a walk through the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area to learn about our eastern woodlands. The leaves may have mostly fallen, but trees can still be identified by their bark, their buds, their shape, and their habitat. And once identified, each species tells…

by Bob Leverett Join Bob Leverett, co-founder of the Native Tree Society, for a walk through the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area to learn about our eastern woodlands. The leaves may have mostly fallen, but trees can still be identified by their bark, their buds, their shape, and their habitat. And once identified, each species tells…

Led by Marcia Merithew and Betsy Higgins (rain date Sun. 4/28) Meet at North Farms Rd. entrance Spring is in the air –time to get out and go birding! At this time of year residents and returning migrants alike are bursting with song as they busy themselves with the urgent task of finding mates and…

Led by Marcia Merithew and Betsy Higgins (rain date Sun. 4/28) Meet at North Farms Rd. entrance Spring is in the air –time to get out and go birding! At this time of year residents and returning migrants alike are bursting with song as they busy themselves with the urgent task of finding mates and…

Led by Laura Beltran (rain date Sun. 5/5) Meet at Cooke Ave. entrance Early evening is the ideal time to observe beaver activity. We’ll meet at the Cooke Ave. entrance (former Moose Lodge parking lot) and take a walk along Boggy Meadow Rd., with a short off-trail segment, to a place where beavers have recently built…

Led by Laura Beltran (rain date Sun. 5/5) Meet at Cooke Ave. entrance Early evening is the ideal time to observe beaver activity. We’ll meet at the Cooke Ave. entrance (former Moose Lodge parking lot) and take a walk along Boggy Meadow Rd., with a short off-trail segment, to a place where beavers have recently built…

Led by Brad Timm Saturday, May 11 Meet at North Farms Rd. entrance 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…

Led by Brad Timm Saturday, May 11 Meet at North Farms Rd. entrance 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…

Led by Bob Leverett Meet at North Farms Rd. entrance Forests may feel timeless as you walk through them, but they are complex, dynamic ecosystems, and each has its own distinct history. Join Bob Leverett for an examination of the New England forest as represented in the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area. We’ll learn to identify individual…

Led by Bob Leverett Meet at North Farms Rd. entrance Forests may feel timeless as you walk through them, but they are complex, dynamic ecosystems, and each has its own distinct history. Join Bob Leverett for an examination of the New England forest as represented in the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area. We’ll learn to identify individual…

Led by Michael Jacobson-Hardy Meet at North Farms Rd. entrance A walk in nature is always inspiring, but capturing that feeling with a camera is not always so easy. Join photographer and film teacher Michael Jacobson-Hardy on a walk at the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area to learn techniques for taking better pictures outdoors. Michael will…

Led by Michael Jacobson-Hardy Meet at North Farms Rd. entrance A walk in nature is always inspiring, but capturing that feeling with a camera is not always so easy. Join photographer and film teacher Michael Jacobson-Hardy on a walk at the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area to learn techniques for taking better pictures outdoors. Michael will…

Led by Tom Gagnon Meet at Cooke Ave. entrance Join naturalist, birder, and butterfly enthusiast Tom Gagnon in search of the rare DION SKIPPER and other butterflies around Fitzgerald Lake. We will meet at the Cooke Ave. entrance (the Moose Lodge parking lot) and hike along Boggy Meadow Rd. to the dam, where grasses and wildflowers…

Led by Tom Gagnon Meet at Cooke Ave. entrance Join naturalist, birder, and butterfly enthusiast Tom Gagnon in search of the rare DION SKIPPER and other butterflies around Fitzgerald Lake. We will meet at the Cooke Ave. entrance (the Moose Lodge parking lot) and hike along Boggy Meadow Rd. to the dam, where grasses and wildflowers…