Quincy Bog Natural Area

Nature Walks and Workshops -- Summer 2007

Walks are free and open to the public. Workshops require pre-registration and may have a minimal charge (see individual descriptions). All (except the Dragonfly Workshop) will be held rain or shine. All Walks and Workshops will leave from the Quincy Bog Nature Center located on Quincy Bog Road, off Quincy Road, in Rumney, New Hampshire. (Click link for a Map to Quincy Bog ). Wear comfortable walking shoes (except as noted in individual descriptions), and bring drinking water and bug spray. For further information or directions, phone Betty Jo Taffe at (603)786-2553

Saturday, May 5 at 9:00 a.m. "Early Spring Wildflower Walk"
Join Christine Perron, Betty Jo Taffe and Pat Barker to look for early spring flowers.
Saturday, June 2 at 9:00 a.m. " Wildflower Walk "
Once again Sarah Schwaegler will share her passion for wildflowers and her extensive knowledge of the subject. Her years of experience include work with the New England Wildflower Society.
Saturday, July 7 at 9:00 a.m. "Nature’s Engineer – The Beaver - A Walk "
Come learn about nature’s engineer - the beaver. Some people consider beavers to be among the most unique creatures on the earth. This program will focus on some of their special adaptations, why they live where they do and their impact on providing habitat for a wide variety of other wildlife. Dr. Judy Silverberg, Wildlife Education Programs Supervisor from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will lead the walk around the Bog as we look for evidence of this fascinating creature. Judy is also the wildlife viewing coordinator for the state and will provide information on how to view wildlife and other likely places to find beavers to watch.
Saturday, July 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. "Dragonfly Workshop "
Can you tell the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly? Join amateur odontologist Bill Taffe to learn about these fascinating insects. The workshopwill include both lab and field work. Wear shoes or boots appropriate for standing in water, bring drinking water, a lunch and a hand lens (7X – 10X). This workshop is free but is limited to 6 participants – preregister by calling Bill Taffe at 786-2553. Call Bill if there are questions about cancelling due to rain or clouds (dragonflies only appear when it’s sunny).
Saturday, July 28 at 9:00 a.m. "Aquatic Insect Walk"
Insects comprise roughly 75% of all known animal species and have adapted tonearly every environment on earth. Explore the underwater insect world at Quincy Bog with Kerry Yurewicz and Melissa Greenawalt-Yelle to learn which insects carry their air supply with them, which ones build their own homes, and which ones are virtual "eating machines." Try your hand at collecting and identifying some of the many insects that call a bog home. Boots or waders are helpful but not required. Bring a hand lens if you have one.

Melissa Greenawalt-Yelle lives and plays in Campton, and is currently working toward her Masters in Environmental Science and Policy at Plymouth State University. She is helping to assess water quality in the Lake Waukewan Watershed by looking at invertebrate communities, water chemistry, and physical habitat in relationship to land use. Right now, she is really fascinated with mayflies. Dr. Kerry Yurewicz has been studying freshwater ponds for more than a decade, with a special interest in amphibians and insects. She is a biology professor at Plymouth State University, where she teaches courses in Invertebrate Zoology and Freshwater Ecology and tries to convey the value and complexity of the natural world to her students.
Saturday, August 11, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. "Grass Identification Workshop"
The grass family is a very diverse group in the plant kingdom, yet frequently overlooked because of unfamiliarity with grass terminology and perceived complexity in identification. Grasses are also a very beautiful group of organisms in very subtle ways. In this one day workshop we will learn about what makes a grass a grass, and methods for grass identification. After a brief overview of the grass family, we will examine the parts of a couple representative grasses in the lab, then go outside and observe some of the grasses in their local haunts. We will collect a few specimens to bring back to the lab, then spend the rest of the workshop keying them out. While the workshop is geared towards the beginning grass student (“poaist” as our instructor calls them), more experienced botanists are also encouraged to attend and brush up on their grass identification skills. Our instructor, Brett Engstrom, is an independent forest ecologist based in central Vermont. He is widely recognized for his expertise on the native grasses and sedges of New England. This workshop is a follow-up to a popular workshop that Brett led for us last year on sedges. Limited to 12 participants, pre-registration required. Call Betty Jo Taffe at 786-2553 to reserve your spot and arrange to pay the $15.00 fee. Bring drinking water and a lunch.
Sunday, September 16 from 1:00-3:30 p.m. "Mushroom Walk"
Join mycologist-naturalist Dr. Rick Van de Poll for a fun-filled, fascinating tour of fabulous fungi! Find out what these mysterious creatures are and why they are so loathed and loved. Discover the myriad of shapes and sizes amidst hundreds of fruiting bodies, all within an easy walk of Quncy Bog. Learn the facts about 'old wives tales' when it comes to determining their edibility and find out how nutritious they are - if you dare! Young and old alike are welcome - just bring good weather gear, a basket, knife and hand lens if you have one.

Dr. Van de Poll is the principal of Ecosystem Management Consultants (EMC) of Sandwich, New Hampshire. Beginning in the mid-1980’s, his company was one of the first to perform natural resource inventories for the public and private sector of New England. With an emphasis on biodiversity conservation, Dr. Van de Poll has included inventories of fungi among many of his projects. He has completed field-based biological inventories on over 100,000 acres of land, including the Castle-in-the-Clouds Preserve in Moultonborough, the Hersey Mountain Preserve in Sanbornton and New Hampton, the Peirce Reservation in Stoddard, and the Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge in Errol. He has recorded over 1200 fungi in New Hampshire, including a number of undescribed species. After studying with Dr. Harry Thiers at San Francisco State University for 2 years, he taught Mycology at Antioch New England from 1985 to 2001, and currently teaches Mycology as an adjunct faculty at Plymouth State University. As a lecturer, Rick has presented at dozens of seminars and conferences as an invited guest and keynote speaker. He co-founded the Monadnock Mushroom Club in 1988, and founded the local Sandwich Area Mushroom (SAM) Club in 2001.