(by Anita Fernandez)
It’s Tuesday evening, June 25 just outside the door of the McLane Center at the Silk Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Concord. The weather is pleasantly calm, no threat of rain on the horizon and only the occasional bothersome deer fly circling. 14 individuals from NH Audubon and LGBT+ Outdoors gather for a leisurely nature outing on the All-Persons Trail, beginning in the open fields of our pollinator meadow and then moving into the more secluded area of the woods. Some of us are eager “bird nerds” equipped with binoculars or cameras, and all of us are looking forward to an evening together outdoors. Here to lead our exploration is NH Audubon President Doug Bechtel (he/him), who jokingly confesses how he sees himself every time he spots or hears a bird: like the dog Doug from the movie Up!, with his tendency to lose a train of thought and “squirrel.”
Although in June it is difficult to get glimpses of birds with leaves fully out, we locate 18 species by sight, sound, or both, including Cedar Waxwing, Indigo Bunting, and Pine Warbler. We also learn about the importance of habitat; for example, you can differentiate the very similar-sounding Pine Warbler and Chipping Sparrow song depending on whether the notes are coming from the trees in woodlands (warbler) or from the ground in open grasslands (sparrow). Even for those of us who have traversed this trail many times, it’s a chance to experience, wonder, and learn. Along the paths, we also observe important food and habitat resources for wildlife: Common Milkweed, Dogwood, White Pine, American Chestnut, and both Bracken and Cinnamon Fern.
Our partners Cherie Belanger (she/her) and Diana Moore (she/her), ambassadors for LGBT+ Outdoors, also coordinate kayaking trips and mountain hikes. Please visit their website to join their mailing list and Facebook Group. Also, be sure to check out our Events Calendar for a future winter snowshoeing adventure with NH Audubon and LGBT+ Outdoors at our Massabesic Center!