Winter’s End Bug Hunt!
Location: Meet at the Chamberlain Reynolds Memorial Forest West Fire Road Trailhead parking lot. Click here for a google map.
This 169-acre forest is owned by the New England Forestry Foundation and has approximately 3.5 miles of trails managed by the Squam Lakes Association.
Registration: This event has been cancelled due to weather.
This Week's Program: From butterflies to bumblebees, bugs are a beautiful (and sometimes inescapable) part of spring and summer in the Squam Watershed. While we don’t have to worry about mosquito bites in the winter, bugs don’t just disappear when the weather gets cold! Many are hiding all around us this time of year, and some even have made snow and ice a critical part of their life cycle. Join Lakes Region Conservation Corps members as we search for bugs and signs of bugs in the winter landscape, and learn about different ways these creatures are adapted to harsh northern winters. Families are welcome and encouraged to attend, but all children must be accompanied by an adult. Be prepared to spend some time outdoors in cold weather and potentially muddy conditions.
What to Bring: Depending on the weather, participants should be prepared for winter hiking. Water-resistant footwear or footwear that is OK to get muddy will be useful. Feel free to bring your own magnifying glasses as well!
Audience: All are welcome! This program is family and child oriented. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
This Week's SLA LRCC Guide: Peter Laskin is a Lakes Region Conservation Corps member and huge bug nerd. He wishes that everyone found arthropods as beautiful as he does! Peter recently graduated from Harvard University in his hometown of Cambridge, MA, with a degree in Integrative Biology. A long time visitor, camper, and seasonal worker in the Lakes Region, he’s excited to get out and explore the trails with you!
SLA's Adventure Ecology Trips:
Throughout the year, the Squam Lakes Association offers free programs open to the public on a variety of nature and conservation related topics. Adventure Ecology programs are presented by Lakes Region Conservation Corps members, who perform important conservation work in support of the Association's mission.
Lakes Region Conservation Corps
The Lakes Region Conservation Corps (LRCC) is an AmeriCorps service program that develops skills and experiences for conservation professionals. LRCC members are the driving force behind the Squam Lakes Association’s conservation efforts. The program provides hands-on conservation work experience and numerous certifications over a broad range of areas, which ensures that LRCC members are capable of independently approaching a variety of tasks in the environmental conservation field. Members remove invasive species from the Squam watershed, manage and act as caretakers at our backcountry campsites, maintain the SLA’s 50+ miles of trails, educate the public on local and regional conservation initiatives, spearhead reports on conservation efforts, lead SLA volunteer crews and ensure the daily functioning of the Squam Lakes Association’s programs. Click here to learn more about the program.