Come learn all about beneficial bugs in the woods! BUG OUT! A Forest Insect Walk will be led by Julie Michaelson on Sunday, June 22, at 2:00 p.m., to observe and learn about captivating insects as we explore Young’s Pond Park and Bob’s Woods. We will hike through woods and wetlands, discuss the role of insects in forests, and identify the beneficial bugs we encounter along the trail!
When you see an insect, what is your first response? Curiosity? Indifference? Terror? A few insects, like mosquitoes, have dominated how we feel about a diverse and important group of organisms. Don’t let a few pests keep you from learning about the fascinating and complex world of insects! Only a small fraction of insects are pests, so who are the other thousands of species?
Meet in the parking lot off 60 Blackstone Avenue, Branford. From there, we will head into the forest for a beautiful 1.5-mile hike around Young’s Pond, where we will see wetlands, rock outcrops, beautiful pond views, wildflowers in bloom, and hopefully, some interesting insects! Feel free to bring friends and family members, including children, but no dogs, please. Wear appropriate clothes and comfortable, supportive walking shoes for moderate terrain. Long sleeves and light-colored clothing are recommended to deter mosquitoes. Severe weather will cancel. If in doubt, check our website or Facebook page: www.facebook.com/branfordlandtrustCT.
Julie Michaelson, who was our Annual Meeting guest speaker, is a Pollinator Conservation Specialist and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Partner Biologist, Connecticut River Valley. As a pollinator conservation specialist and partner biologist, Julie collaborates with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the American Farmland Trust (AFT) to provide technical support, training, and conservation planning assistance to producers and land managers seeking to develop pollinator and beneficial insect habitat.
Photos by Julie Michaelson, Branford Land Trust.
About the Area
Young’s Pond Park exists thanks to Alden M. Young of Waterbury. Young was a backer of the shoreline trolley system, and also the primary developer of the Pine Orchard neighborhood as a summer colony in the early 20th century. In 1971, the company that he founded gave much of his estate to the Town to create Young’s Pond Park. The park contains a small pond (popular for ice skating), woods, and a baseball field. Old carriage roads and vigorous stands of planted rhododendrons are among the remnants of the estate that give this property a distinctive feeling of a bygone era. In contrast to these reminders of human activity, deed restrictions explicitly forbid additional man-made structures, even benches. In 2004, a for sale sign appeared at the southern end of the pond; land that many had thought to be part of the park was actually privately owned. Park lovers were distressed, but the day was saved by the Pritzker-Schwartz-Vlock family foundation, which bought the property and donated it to the Branford Land Trust. The parcel was named Bob’s Woods in honor of Robert A. Pritzker, the father of one of the foundation members.
