EDUCATIONAL TREE WALKS

“Matt brings magic to every forest and makes every tree unforgettable.” – The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council

Matthew “Twig” Largess has led energetic and educational tree walks all over the Northeast, including Robinson State Park, “The Yellowstone of the East” in Agawam Massachusetts, Blue Hills of Boston, Massachusetts, 'Trails Day' of Rockfall, Connecticut, and Mount Hope Farm in Bristol, Rhode Island, and many more. Twig brings a wealth of knowledge, insight, and lore, with over 25 years of experience to his talks. 

Contact us to arrange a “Twig Talk” or forest adventure! 

 

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Herrick Park (2017)

For over a decade, Matt "Twig" Largess has led tree walks for Connecticut Trails Day. This year, Matt co-led a walk with expert birder Ernie Harris at Herrick Park in Bolton, CT. Connecticut Trails Day is part of the larger National Trails Day--put on by the American Hiking Society--which aims to connect people with trails. It's a coordinated nationwide event that takes place on the first Saturday in June. Rod Parlee, chairman of the Bolton Conservation Commission, organized this educational hike.

The preserved forest at Herrick Park is home to a wide array of flora and fauna. Throughout the hike, Matt pointed out a number of trees in wetlands, uplands and old growth habitats. Here are some of the trees he pointed out to curious participants:
- American beech (indicator of old growth) Fagus grandifolia
- Yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis
- Grey birch Betula populifolia
- Red maple Acer rubrum
- Possible American chestnut Castanea dentata
- Hop hornbeam Ostrya virginiana
- American hornbeam Carpinus
- Sassafras Sassafras albidum
- Red oak Quercus rubra
- White oak Quercus alba
- Black oak Quercus velutina

This forest is very special for a number of reasons. For one, there are pockets of old growth American beech trees. Old growth American beeches are rare because most of them have been cut down. Secondly, there was a stand of mystery chestnuts. It was unclear whether the chestnuts were American or some type of hybrid. American chestnuts are a highly endangered species that are almost extinct. On the other hand, these could be chestnut hybrids. Either way, this forest needs to be studied. If those are American chestnuts, it would be an amazing and rare find.