View of the College Lodge forest (photo by Jude Merchant).
The Western New York Land Conservancy will be hosting events designed to showcase the College Lodge forest and assist in its preservation.
Stella Preserve Manager Priscilla Titus will be leading a fall foliage walk at the College Lodge Forest on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 11 a.m. Those participating are asked to meet at the College Lodge parking lot. The ecologist will discuss leaf pigmentation and identification, and those attending are encouraged to bring their cameras (or phone) to capture the magnificence of the autumn’s colors at the forest. Registration is required online.
A second event, on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m., with the land conservancy’s naturalist, Erik Danielsen, will focus on fall tree identification. Again, participants are asked to meet at the College Lodge parking lot. Those attending will learn how to identify the trees that populate the Hemlock-Northern Hardwoods forest community, and how the ecology of that community functions over the decades and centuries. Registration is required online.
Later in the month, a free online event will highlight the importance of old-growth forests including information about supporting the efforts of the Western New York Land Conservancy to purchase the College Lodge Forest lands from the Faculty Student Association. On Thursday, Oct. 29, from 7 to 8 p.m., Joan Maloof, writer, professor emeritus, and founder of the Old-Growth Forest Network will discuss her book “Nature's Temples: The Complex World of Old-Growth Forests.” Participants will also hear from Jajean Rose-Burney, the land conservancy’s Deputy Executive Director, about efforts to preserve the College Lodge Forest. Registration is required online.
