Flora and fauna are on Earth Week agenda with outdoor walks and talks
During this year’s Earth Week celebration, extending from April 19 through 25, SUNY Fredonia will host various outdoor activities which are open to both college and community members alike.
The activities are intended to increase awareness of the diversity of plant and wildlife on the Fredonia campus and nearby areas.
To accommodate different interests and schedules, the outdoor activities will be held on four different days during Earth Week. Led by both science and literature professors, they will feature nature walks on campus, a trip to the College Lodge, and opportunities to “get your hands dirty” by planting native plants and weeding out invasive species.
Beginning on Sunday, April 19, at 12 p.m., people will meet at the Jewett Hall greenhouse, near the Williams Center, to plant native forbs and grasses in the university’s Native Plant Garden, which will have plants like lupines, columbines, penstemons, agrimonies, and other native plants added.
At noon on Earth Day, April 22, a series of three on-campus nature walks will embark from Jewett Hall’s main entrance. Dr. William Brown will lead the first walk, entitled, “Wings, Paws, Teeth, and Claws: Spring Wildlife on Campus.” Dr. Jonathan Titus will serve as the guide for “There is pleasure in the pathless woods: The Ring Road Woodlot in Early Spring.” Lastly, “Exploring Aquatic Life in Canadaway Creek” will be led by Dr. Timothy Strakosh.
On Friday, April 24, free busing will be provided to nature walks at the Fredonia College Lodge, located in Brocton. The Lodge features 80 hectares of property including evergreen plantations, mature timber stands, a northern hardwood forest, open fields, and a wooded swamp. Buses depart at noon and 1:30 p.m. from the Park & Ride lot on Ring Road.
Lastly, on Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m., students will travel to a local natural area to help curb the invasion of non-native species, which take over fields, streams, and forests, and provide no food or resources to wildlife. To participate, meet once again at the Jewett Hall entrance to obtain transportation to the plant-pull site.
