Sessions: Monday afternoons from 1-2:30, March 5 through March 26, 2012,  rain or shine.

 Cost:          $15 per child per session, $12 for WRLF members

Description: Parents!  Come with your child to Sheep Hill for stories, activities and discovery walks to engage children in gentle exploration of nature. Basic principles of observation will be involved as we experience how plants and animals live in the winter and connect to the natural world around us.

Come to one session or all!  Pre-registration is suggested but not required.  One parent per two children, please. 

Call 413-458-2494 for more information.

Winter Open House

In this workshop, you will learn what integrated pest management practice is and the importance of managing your environment with fewer toxic pesticides and herbicides.  Using a management plan for your garden or in your home helps balance the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides, and restores your natural landscape.  A solid integrated plan draws on knowledge, experience and techniques from many different fields, to promote healthy plants, soils and tolerable pest levels. By using trusted homemade recipes and tips, you will reduce the amount of wastes accumulated in landfills, prevent chemical health risks, and greatly reduce the amount of toxic run-off in local watersheds.

Topics Included:
*Integrated pest management practice
*What pests can be problematic
*Solutions to reducing pests that are safe for you, your children and your pets
*Ways to deter pests in your home, lawn and garden in the future

 The workshop is free, but please pre-register by calling Amanda at 413.445.4556 ext. 10,  or register online at cetonline.org on the events page.

Sponsored by the WRLF, Williamstown COOL Committee , and Center for Eco Technology

Sessions:  Tuesday afternoons from 1-2:30 , February 7 through Feb. 28, 2012,  snow or shine.

 Cost:          $15 per child per session, $12 for WRLF members

Description: Parents!  Come with your child to Sheep Hill for stories, activities and discovery walks to engage children in gentle exploration of nature. Basic principles of observation will be involved as we experience how plants and animals live in the winter and connect to the natural world around us.

Come to one session or all!  Pre-registration is suggested but not required.  One parent per two children, please. 

Call 413-458-2494 for more information.

There were several males singing, and male and female birds were checking out the nest boxes around Sheep Hill that we hope they will find suitable for raising their broods this year. It’s still early, and they won’t be nesting before true spring, but it is a good reminder that it’s time to open up the boxes and remove last year’s nests. It’s an annual rite that invokes spring even when there is still snow on the ground.  Cleaning out the boxes gets rid of  nest debris and unwelcome pests, and gives the opportunity to assess the condition of the nest  boxes and make any needed  repairs.

The nest boxes provide homes for other cavity nesting birds (and the occasional overwintering mouse or Flying Squirrel),  especially when there aren’t enough suitable natural sites. You’ll know what kind of bird nested in your box by the nests they leave behind.  Eastern  Bluebirds use dried grasses and straw-like stems to make their cup-shaped nest. The Black-capped Chickadee nest is soft and mossy; Tree Swallows always incorporate feathers into their nests;  House Wren nests are a collection of uncomfortable looking sticks.

It is much more common to see Eastern Bluebirds and American Robins overwintering in our area today than it was a few decades ago.  They are able to survive on wild fruits and berries, and worms and insects gleaned from seeps and wetlands.  An open winter like this year’s means natural foods are plentiful, but robins have learned to visit bird feeders for some high-fat supplement to their winter diet when the natural food supply is limited.

If you have bird nest boxes, this weekend will be perfect for rounding up the kids  and cleaning them out.  Before removing each nest, take a look at its structure and try to identify its maker. Be sure to take out all remaining nest materials and wipe the inside of the box clean with  disinfectant.  Repair any leaks or cracks, and your box will be ready for spring and its next colorful occupant.

No snow in January

What’s wrong with this picture?  This is a much different mid-January landscape than at this time last year.

With today’s rain even the remnants of ski tracks have disappeared, the pond is muddy and high, and the January thaw

has persisted throughout the month.

Even if there’s no snowshoeing, skiing or sledding, put on your yaktrax © and get out on the trails.  It’s a great time of

year to look at structure; the forms of trees and their branches against the sky;  the rocks and outcrops hidden by foliage

during the summer; the openness of the views through the woods…it all adds up to a unique experience.

Put your tracking senses into gear, and without snow to show their tracks, see what signs of animals you can discover.

Claw marks on tree bark, half-eaten nuts and cones, antlers, and disturbed leaves where turkey or deer have

been looking for food, are all clues  to the inhabitants of the forest.

We’re still hoping for snow, but in the meantime there’s plenty to do outdoors, and lots of outdoors in Williamstown to enjoy.

ruraland@wrlf.org.

No snow in January 2012