Coming Soon: Neighborhood Nature

Fall is here!  As the air turns crisp and we prepare to turn
on the heat, the world outside is adjusting its own thermostat.  Trees are losing their leaves as they prepare
to save energy through the long winter, and our lovingly tended perennials have
faded and gone to seed.  Chipmunks are
filling their storerooms underground, birds are feasting on berries as they
prepare for their migration to warmer climes, and worms are burrowing deeper
into the soil.  

The wonders of nature are right there to
behold in our own backyards, but too often we rush through our daily routines
and forget to look. In no time, we will be settling onto the couch for a long
winter of binge-TV-watching.  But hold

that remote:  Sheldrake wants to get you
outdoors just a few more times…

“Neighborhood
Nature” – it’s a new series of nature walks for adults that Sheldrake is
kicking off this fall.  We will be
visiting several local sites that have become familiar to thousands of schoolchildren
who go on Sheldrake trips. Come enjoy these nearby spots for their natural
bounty. 

First up:  Dog Beach!  Familiar to many locals as their dog’s
favorite place to frolic on the shore, this rocky strip of coast is also the
home to a teeming variety of wildlife, from a diverse selection of seaweeds of many hues, to

mussels, snails, and crabs. Come discover the secret to mussels’ ability to

hold onto the rocks (tiny threads), and learn how to tell which barnacles are

alive and which are not.  We’ll count the
legs on the crabs and see how to tell between the males and the females.

Next we’ll head to the Sheldrake River
Trails on Rockland Avenue, a small network of trails nestled in the middle
of our suburban landscape with a great variety of trees, birds and
woodland  animals.  We’ll look for black witch-hat shaped galls
on witch hazel shrubs (a sign Halloween is coming!), hunt for signs of life in
the vernal pool, and match up fallen leaves and seed pods to their owners. 

Finally, we’ll take a tour of the Larchmont
Reservoir, the “hidden jewel” of our community and the conservancy where
Sheldrake makes its home.  We’ll explore
the edge of wildlife-rich Goodliffe Pond, look for the herons and ospreys who
hunt there and the aquatic animals (like immature dragonflies) who reside in
the water.  We’ll also learn a little history
about how a business venture more than 100 years ago has resulted in this
natural oasis.  

Dog Beach: Wednesday, October 9, 9:30-10:30am (meet at end of Beach Avenue by the L.I. Sound)

Sheldrake River Trails:  Wednesday,
October 23, 9:30-11:00am (meet on Rockland Avenue at stone wall between Forest Avenue and
Winged Foot Drive)

Larchmont Reservoir:  Wednesday,
November 6, 9:30-11:00am (meet at Sheldrake parking lot, 685 Weaver Street)

Members free, $10 per walk for non-members

Reply requested:  914-834-1443 or scheduling@sheldrakecenter.org

Sheldrake Environmental Center is a non-profit organization whose mission

is to inspire environmental awareness and action in the community, and to

preserve, protect and enhance local environmental resources. The center is located at 685 Weaver Street
in Larchmont, NY. More information on Sheldrake

and its programs can be obtained by visiting www.sheldrakecenter.org, or by contacting Amy at
(914)834-1443 or at scheduling@sheldrakecenter.org.