Conservation Associates Winter Walk This Saturday
The Holliston Conservation Associates will be hosting their annual winter walk on Saturday, January 16th at 9:00 AM. Marc Connelly is a fountain of knowledge about all things in nature--and about railroads and the Rail Trail too--so it should be a fun and informative walk. We will be walking on the Rail Trail from Hopping Brook Industrial Park. The walk will be about a mile each way and it should be an easy walk, even if we have had snow by that point. Actually, a fresh cover of snow might yield some good animal tracks. We do not walk quickly on these outings because Marc finds so much to look at.
Meet at the Rail Trail at Hopping Brook Industrial Park off Washington Street. Park on Hopping Brook Road or at New England Water Works, 125 Hopping Brook Road, Holliston.
There is weather of some sort predicted for Saturday. Marc is a hardy soul, so I imagine he will be willing to go rain/ice/snow or shine. I had not heard back from him as of press time, but if you have questions about the walk, you can call Mary at 429-5929.
I hope you join us as we see what there is to see this year!
Marc Connelly greets the walkers at the Hopping Brook entrance for a fall walk a few years ago.
Even in winter we can look at things like rock formations. Notice how trees and ferns have taken root in the little dirt collected on rocks.
Marc bends a witch hazel bush so people can better see the flowers and seed pods. Witch hazel blooms in late fall.
Winter walking allows us to better see the shapes of trees and note things like their bark. This photo of tree bark shows the lenticels--the horizontal lines--that allow the tree to breathe all winter when its leaves have fallen.