Walk

Rain date Oct. 16.  Contact info@flnps.org to register - info on meeting locations, times, and any delays will be sent to you.

Join Torben Russo, aspiring rambler, on a 3 mile section of the Abbott Loop Trail in the Danby State Forest. We will meet at 10 O'clock at CCE or at the trail head on Michigan Hollow Road at 10:30am. The trail head is roughly 2.5 miles in on the right hand side of Michigan Hollow Road (on the right, coming from Ithaca) from Danby Road (96b). There is an obvious pull-off for it. The road turns to dirt and is dirt at that point.If you're a bit of an explorer but would like less of a walk, you can drive to the trail head a little farther up on Hill Rd.

How many species of ferns will we find at Fillmore Glen? Bring your field guides and hand lenses! Meet at CCE at 1 pm to carpool.Alternatively, meet at Fillmore Glen at 1:45. We’ll park at the lower entrance and meet in front of the building with the picnic tables.

Join Robert Wesley for a walk in the varied habitats of Lime Hollow. A rich woods, acid bog and marl ponds are home to a wide diversity of plant life.Meet at CCE at 1 pm to carpool or at 1:45 pm at the parking area on Gracie Road.

Learn to ID wetland bryophytes. Bring boots, otter repellent and a 10x hand lens if you got them. Meet at CCE at 1 pm to carpool, or at the parking area at the preserve at 1:30 pm. 

South Hill, Ithaca, has long been considered a botanical “hotspot”. Fortunately, large portions of its extensive acreage have been preserved as natural areas by Ithaca College and Cornell University. South Hill contains a wide range of ecological communities, from drier, hilltop niches to lower elevation swamps. Timed to coincide with the flowering of its abundant ericaceous species, particularly the blueberries and huckleberries, this 3-hour field trip will survey one or more sites of higher diversity.

Ken was excited to show us a large population of Virginia Bluebells which includes the white-flowered form as well as the usual blue. Other spring flowers abound at this site, including Claytonia virginica and Viola striata. 

As follow-up to his lecture on native violets, Mike Hough will lead a walk at Upper Buttermilk Park, where several species can be found. Mike will focus on identifying common violets of the Finger Lakes and other spring wildflowers. If time allows we may travel to another site nearby. Meet at CCE at 1:00 pm to carpool to the site. Parking fees may be in effect at the park, but you can meet the group at the parking lot for Upper Buttermilk (next to the playground) by 1:20pm. 

Join botanist Robert Wesley for a walk in the Mulholland Wildflower Preserve, home to several spring ephemeral species. Meet at Cornell Cooperative Extension at 1 pm to carpool or at the site at 1:15. 

 NOTE STAGGERED MEETING TIMES. Join Akiva for a walk in the woods as we hike through the spectacular Danby State Forest along the Finger Lakes Trail. The walk will focus on ecology, human interactions with nature, and tree and shrub identification. The Danby State Forest is home to a great number of tree species including wild American chestnuts. This walk will travel through both early successional forest as well as old, mature stands. You can either meet up at CCE at 10 AM to carpool, or meet at the site at 10:30.