About this Event
Late April is the time when the Spring Peeper Frogs(Pseuddacris Crucifer) create one of the most beautiful symphonies on earth, and this easy dusk hike will take you by the wetlands where you will hear some of the best Spring Peeper performances in the whole region, and get to see beavers, a huge array of migratory & indigenous birds, and bats.
Alec Gillman, the long-time Regional Interpretive Coordinator for Mass Department of Conservation & Recreation West Region and an expert on the natural & human history of Fountain Pond State Park and the nearby CHP & BNRC wetlands, and
Bart Church, Q-MoB's Wilderness First Responder & Outdoor Recreation Coordinator, will lead us on a relatively easy hike from CHP Great Barrington to a series of wetlands, meadows, and forests that play home to an amazing symphony of Spring Peepers Frogs (Pseudacris Crucifer), beavers, bats, birds, & if we're lucky the first fireflies.
If we have time we'll make our way up to Fountain Pond State Park, and end with an optional after-hike dinner at Barrington Brewery or the Backstage Grille (please call us at 413-344-8162 if you'd like to help organizae the after-hike dinner).
PARKING: When you drive into the parking lot of CHP Great Barrington, turn left and drive north past the main Health Center Building and park near the Trail Head Kiosk & Sign at the very north end of the parking lot at
444 Stockbridge Rd,
Great Barrington, MA 01230
WHAT TO BRING: Regardless of the forecast, in the Berkshires in the Spring, please be prepared for rain, cold, wind, mud, mosquitos, ticks, & low light conditions, & even snow or ice, and specifcally consider bringing:
- Rain-gear, and layers like wool hat, gloves, fleece, sweater, puffy jacket in case it becomes wetter, colder, or windier than was forecast
- Appropriate footwear for hiking in potentially wet, muddy portions of the trail
- Headlamp or flashlight
- Mosquito/tick repellant and/or long sleeve light colored shirt & light colored long pants tucked into your socks
- Water bottle & snacks
- Trekking poles or a walking stick (they make it safer in mud, or ascent or descent)
- $10-$20 Tax-Deductible Donation, in cash, or check made out to "Q-MoB Inc" (Q-MoB is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit), or so you never have to donate at any regular Q-MoB event, or just come for FREE if this is the very 1st Q-MoB event you have ever attended or you want a low-income work-exchange or scholarship.
WEATHER: Before you leave home, please check the weather for the hike location so you will know current conditions and how to dress for them. Please let us know your cell phone number when you register so we can text you 1-2 hours before the event should an unexpected weather threat arise that causes us to have to cancel or postpone the activity.
ABOUT THIS
This hike is part of a series of Q-MoB LGBTQ outdoor recreation activities (hiking, biking, paddling, walking, swimming) funded by the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation (MOOR) Inclusive & Accessible Events Grant Program and several grants from the (South Berkshire Fund, Central Berkshire Fund, Barrett Fund for North Berkshire) and is designed to:
1) reduce isolation and build community connections between LGBTQ people in the Berkshires & Western Mass; click to learn about the many activities that have already been scheduled
2) build a diverse capacity in the LGBTQ community to regularly lead & offer outdoor recreation activities throughout the year; please if you'd like to learn how easy it is to help lead outdoor recreation activities for the LGBTQ community
3) educate the community about the natural & human history of important recreation sites, as well as how the native flora & fauna are responding to climate change & human use/restoration so the LGBTQ community will fall in love with those places and the organizations that maintain them and thereby participate in stewarding & enjoying those sites. Please call us at 413-344-8162 if you know LGBTQ or allied outdoor experts who know the ecology and/or history of any of the amazing Berkshire recreation sites and might want to get paid a small stipend to co-lead.
IMPORTANT: PLEASE if you would like to learn how you might volunteer or even get paid to help coordinate this series or co-lead a particular outdoor recreation activity, or just give us a call with your ideas and feedback: 413-344-8162.
OR : Please donate $10-$20 to help assure Q-MoB can continue to offer more than 20 activities & multiple resources & services to rural queer people all over the region. If you attend 2 or more Q-MoB events/month, please consider becoming a monthly sustaining donor member. By donating $25, $50, $75, or $100/month you can help to sustain the incredible variety of activities, services, and resources Q-MoB provides and assure all of these activities are accessible to men regardless of their age, income, or ability, and best of all you can avoid having to donate at each and every event you attend. Monthly Sustaining Members pay only once a month and then can attend all our activities with no further donation.
ACCESSIBILITY: We design our recreation activities so they are relatively easy & accessible to ambulatory adults with average strength, but if you have moblity challenges and want to know our capacity to support you, please or give us a call 413-344-8162. We are a very small non-profit with very limited access to outdoor recreation mobility devices and volunteers trained to provide accessibility assistance, but if we know about your needs, we will make our best effort to meet them, and we enjoy making our activities accessible to as broad a range of our community as possible.
REACHING US DAY OF EVENT: If you have trouble finding us, are running late, or decide not to come, please text or call Bart at 413-344-8162
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
CHP Great Barrington Health Center, 444 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, United States
USD 0.00
