Join the Anti-racist Collective of Avid Birders for a winter walk!
Questions? Contact us at fbc.wma@gmail.com
Driving Directions: Take the Mass Turnpike (Rt I-90) to exit 45 (Rt I-91 north) to exit 23 (Rt 5, Northampton). Take a right onto Rt 5 south. After 1.4 miles, take a right onto East St at the sign for Easthampton Center. Follow East St for 1.2 miles and turn right onto Fort Hill Rd at the Mass Audubon sign. Go 0.9 miles and bear right at the next Mass Audubon sign and turn left into the sanctuary. Please note when planning your route that the Old Springfield Road metal bridge is closed this time of year.
Trip leader: Rebecca Doris
Accessibility and what to expect: Let’s find some weird winter ducks! Arcadia features diverse habitats (forest, meadows, grasslands, marsh, and wetlands). There’s a total of 4 miles of trails and 850 feet of an ADA compliant universally accessible trail overlooking a vernal pool. Expect well-kept trails and boardwalks on wetlands, however due to the time of year, some parts of the trails may be snowy and icy. Accessible restrooms located in the Nature Center will be available.
Some birds we might find include Canada geese, Mallards, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Black ducks, Black-capped Chickadees, Mute Swans, Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers, gulls, woodpeckers, nuthatches and more.We’ll definitely check out the vernal pond on the universal trail (0.1 miles), and if the group is up for it we can walk over to the observation tower to look out for ducks on Hubert’s Pond. We will walk at a slow pace and plan to make frequent stops.
What to bring: one or more masks, binoculars if you have them. Safety: This event is open to vaccinated participants only. Please be prepared to wear a mask if social distancing becomes difficult or if high-risk individuals are in attendance. (If a disability prevents you from meeting these requirements, you are still welcome here, but please contact us prior to the event so we can talk through how we can best support everyone's safety!) Sunday’s weather is projected to be cloudy and 38 degrees. If the forecast changes and conditions become unsafe, we will reschedule the date.