Trees and Buzzing Bees

Reports on Guided Tree Walk with Tom Ingersoll and What’s All the Buzz About? with Heather Cupo and Amy Pulley.

On July 14, 2018, Massachusetts Certified Arborist Tom Ingersoll made a return visit to River Walk and led a guided exploration of the riverine forest.  Tom discussed the great variety of native tree and shrub species that are essential to River Walk’s healthy habitat, focusing on its upper section, a deeply wooded area with specific advantages and challenges. He identified and discussed boxwood, horse chestnut, hemlock, Norway maple, sugar maple, silver maple, Japanese maple, hackberry, ash, catalpa, katsura, and sycamore trees. Tom talked about thinking of our yards as an “urban landscape” and what it takes to cultivate healthy trees for the long run. To contact Tom with your arbor questions: Tom@Ingersolllandcare.com Tom loves to talk trees, let him know if you have any concerns or questions.

Then, on July 19, 2018,  River Walk’s landscape gardener and pollinator program  director  Heather Cupo, assisted by Amy Pulley. focused on the significance of pollinators for a healthy ecosystem and the importance of diversity of native plants needed to support them. They toured the downstream section of River Walk, pointing out the tree, shrub and herbaceous species that play special roles in supporting pollinators as a food source and winter home. They noted things we can do in our own outdoor spaces to enhance the habitat for pollinators. Plants included: blue vervain, milkweed, butterfly weed, Culver’s root, Joe-Pye weed, native bee balm, spice bush, American basswood, and hackberry. This program was made possible with a grant from Project Native, building on their 15 years of preserving numerous native habitats in the Berkshire Taconic Region and aimed at furthering awareness of the importance of native habitats.