Ecologist Ted Elliman will lead an exploration of native New England plant communities, part virtual and part outdooor field trip.
A Thursday evening Zoom lecture will cover many of the forest, meadow and wetland habitats found in Berkshire County, discussing their physical and ecological features — topography, geology, soils, and moisture — as well as their characteristic plant associations, including both common and rare plants.
The Saturday field trip will explore a variety of forested, open and wetland habitats, to take a close look at the flora and elements of each of them. Ted will also discuss the impacts of invasive species and possible changes to natural communities in response to climate change.
Thursday, July 13, 6 to 8 p.m. online lecture. Saturday, July 15, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. field study.
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The field trip group will travel in BBG’s passenger van. Please dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes (we will be walking nearly the entire day) and bring a bagged lunch if attending the Saturday field study. * Rain date for field day, Sunday, July 16.
Ted Elliman worked for many years for Native Plant Trust as a staff botanist, invasive species program manager and instructor of botany, ecology and conservation classes. His book, Wildflowers of New England, an identification guide to much of the region’s native flora, was published in 2016 by Timber Press. Ted founded and directed an environmental education and wilderness adventure center in the Berkshires. He periodically leads natural history tours to southwest China, where he worked for two years as a teacher and forest ecologist.