On Saturday, June 25, 10 am – noon, old-growth forest expert and educator, Bob Leverett, will be our guide on a walk in the Whately Woods, Kestrel’s newest Neighborhood Nature Retreat located a half mile from Whately’s historic town center.

The land on this expansive, 120-acre conservation area holds a highly diverse forest that includes small streams and at least one vernal pool. Here you’ll find northern species such as sugar maple, yellow birch, and beech intermixed with species characteristic of southern forests, such as tulip poplar and sassafras, as well as many other common species. Bob will talk about these species, and how mature trees contribute to the ecosystem, including carbon sequestration to help mitigate the impact of climate change. You’ll also learn how Bob measures big trees for championship competitions.

In 2017, Bob and his wife, Monica, initiated the Monica and Bob Leverett Forever-Wild Fund at Kestrel Land Trust to encourage the preservation of forests unmanaged and left to natural processes for years to come.

Bob Leverett is the co-founder of the Native Tree Society, president of Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest, and chairperson for the MA Dept. of Conservation & Recreation Forest Reserves Science Advisory Committee. In collaboration with his colleagues, he is most closely associated with discovery and confirmation the old-growth forest remnants in Massachusetts.

Monica Jakuc Leverett is a pianist and Elsie Irwin Sweeney Professor Emerita of Music at Smith College, where she taught from 1969 until 2008.

This will be a SLOW walk with some minor inclines.

This event is now full. If you would like to be added to the wait list, please email marilyn@kestreltrust.org.