Friends of Willard Brook Fall Schedule 2008

 

 

Saturday, September 20.  2:00-3:30.  Afternoon Walk.  Go on a leisurely walk through town and state property.  View the Squannacook River, and visit Black Rock and The Point. 

Meet at Squannacook Elementary School upper parking lot on route 13 just north of Townsend center.  Leader:  Rhonda Plamondon.  Call Rhonda at 978-877-8489 with questions.

 

Saturday, September 27.  Trails Work Day.  Friends of Willard Brook’s annual trail maintenance day meets at 9:30AM at the parking lot of Pearl Hill State Park.  Bring water, a bag

lunch, bug spray, and work gloves.  We will be working on new trails in Pearl Hill State Park.  For more information call Sussie Holzberlein 978-502-6137.

 

Saturday, October 4, 10:00-12:00.  Fessenden Hill Road Litter Clean-up.  Friends of Willard Brook continues its assault on trash and litter, this time focusing on Fessenden Hill Road

 in Townsend State Forest.  Meet at the Dudley Road trail head across from Atwood Acres.  We’ll carpool to the site.  DCR will provide gloves, bags and a dump truck to haul the trash

 away.  Many hands make light work …. join us!  Call Emily Norton at 978-597-3553 for more information.

 

Saturday, October 11,   9:00-10:30.  Morning Walk.  Go on a leisurely walk through town and state property.  View the Squannacook River, and visit Black Rock and The Point. 

Meet at Squannacook Elementary School upper parking lot on route 13 just north of Townsend center.  Leader:  Rhonda Plamondon.  Call Rhonda at 978-877-8489 with questions.

 

Sunday, October 19, 1:00.  Stream Ecology at Pearl Hill State Park.  Chris Picone, biologist from Fitchburg State College, will lead this natural history walk along Pearl Hill Brook. 

Discover the invertebrates living in the stream and compare them with those living in the pond. This is a great program for both kids and adults.  Children must be accompanied by

an adult. Meet at the Pearl Hill State Park parking lot located on New Fitchburg Road in West Townsend. Bring waders if you’ve got them! Call Emily Norton at 978-597-3553 for more

 information.

 

Saturday, October 25,  11:00-1:00.  Blood Hill Hike.  Hike up Blood Hill in Ashby on conservation land.  Enjoy the view from the top, find a geocache, and have a quick

 picnic lunch.  Join us!  Call Tom Nevins at 978-597-8151 for further information.  Bring a light lunch or snack, water and good hiking boots.  Meet at the Ashby Elementary School 

Parking lot (just west of the common).

 

Sunday, October 26, 10:00-1:00.  Pre-Halloween Hike to the Dead Swamp.  Join Emily Norton for a spooky hike to the Dead Swamp in Townsend State Forest.  Meet at the

Memorial Hall parking lot in Townsend center.  We’ll carpool to the trailhead on Fessenden Hill Road.  Wear sturdy hiking boots, and bring water and a picnic lunch.  Costumes

optional!  Call Emily at 978-597-3553 for more information.

 

Saturday November 1.  9:00-2:00. Friends Trail Hike.  Meet at 9AM in the Damon Pond parking lot to join us for a lengthy and invigorating hike from the Damon Pond section

of Willard Brook State Forest along the Friends Trail to Pearl Hill State Park and back.  The total hike will be about 8 miles and take about 5 hours.  The trail has some ups and

downs, but the terrain is never steep so the challenge is in the distance, not the difficulty of the walk.  This will be a great hike for seeing fall colors.  Dress in layers and bring a

snack/lunch and plenty of water.  For more information, call Sussie Holzberlein  at 978-502-6137.

 

Saturday, November 8, 9:00-1:00.  Picking the Wild Cranberries!  Join us for a trip to a wild cranberry bog.  Pick enough cranberries for homemade cranberry sauce at

Thanksgiving, with plenty left over to freeze.  We will meet at Pearl Hill State Park parking lot in West Townsend, and then we’ll carpool to the bog about 45 minutes away. 

Wear waterproof boots, long pants, and bring baskets to gather your berries.  This trip is limited to 10 participants, and you must pre-register with Emily Norton at 978-597-3553.

 

Saturday, November 15,   9:00-10:30.  Morning Walk.  Go on a leisurely walk through town and state property.  View the Squannacook River, and visit Black Rock and The Point.

 Meet at Squannacook Elementary School upper parking lot on route 13 just north of Townsend center.  Leader:  Rhonda Plamondon.  Call Rhonda at 978-877-8489 with questions.

 

Sunday Nov. 30,  10:00-11:30.  Post-Thanksgiving Hike. Get some fresh air and exercise after your Thanksgiving dinner and the weekend football games are over by

hiking the Friends Damon Loop.  Meet at the Damon Pond Parking Lot at 10AM.  The hike will be 2.3 miles and will take about 1.5 hours.  This is a kid friendly hike. 

For more information call Sussie Holzberlein at 978-502-6137.

Sunday, December 7, 1:00.  Bare Bones Botany.  Take a nature walk with Emily Norton and learn to identify some of the dried remains of summer’s wildflowers.

We’ll walk along the old ski slope of Mt. Watatic.  Hike starts on Bennett Road in Ashby.  Directions:  Take 119W through Ashby center.  Just beyond the Ashburnham

 town line, take a right onto Pillsbury Road, and then a left onto Bennett Road.  Hike starts approximately ¾ mile up Bennett Road.  Call Emily at 978-597-3553 for more

 information.