2024 Summer & Fall Getting to Know Your Watershed Series

The Green River Watershed's Deep History
DATE CHANGE TO POSTED RAIN DATE: 10 am to 1 pm on Sunday, August 11
Meet at the south end of Greenfield Community College’s Main Building. Look there for the Geology Path sign. Park in the nearby lot.

Travel back in time 500 million years to learn about the mighty forces that shaped the watershed landscape we know and love. We'll look for evidence of momentous events from the “Age of Dinosaurs” preserved in rocky outcrops. Also to be revealed is the much more recent history of glaciers and Lake Hitchcock that have left indelible marks on our landscape.

Our guide will be geologist Richard Little, who has been studying and teaching about this landscape for many years. His lively and humorous presentations bring this deep past back to life.

We will start at the Geology Path at Greenfield Community College, proceed to Highland Park for a short walk along a woodland trail, then to the Poet Seat Tower. We’ll end, drumlin-side, at an overlook at West Valley Cider.


Floodplain Forest Exploration
1 - 3 pm on Sunday, September 8
Meet at the Green River Swimming Area parking lot on Nash's Mill Road in Greenfield. Park near the footbridge that crosses the river.

The Floodplain Forest Restoration Project began in October 2023. Its purpose is to dramatically reduce the invasive plants in the 11 acres of forest adjacent to Greenfield’s Green River Swimming Area in order to protect and preserve native plant species. Since its inception, the project has expanded to include the management of hiking paths originally created by nature enthusiasts intent on exploring the treasures of this forest.

Wisty Rorabacher, who lives in Greenfield and is a member of the Floodplain Forest Restoration Project, will be our guide. During your visit you will learn about the project’s efforts, challenges, and discoveries, including viewing a healthy floodplain forest uniquely rich in type and abundance of wildflowers.

Wear clothing and footwear appropriate for a moderately hilly woodland hike. Bring clippers for the fun of helping manage the knotweed along the hiking paths.


The Nature of The Green River Watershed
1 - 2:30 pm on Saturday, September 14
Meet at the Green River Wildlife Management Area parking area on the west side of Green River Road in Colrain (1.5 miles south of 10 Mile Bridge).

Enjoy a pretty time of year in one of the many lovely natural areas in the Green River Watershed—MassWildlife's 382-acre Green River Wildlife Management Area in Colrain.

Jennifer Jones, Stewardship Specialist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, will be our guide. Jennifer studies turtles and is an amateur mushroom sleuth. We will take a hilly loop trail about 1 mile in length. The pace will be slow as we stop to look at points of interest. Bring your walking shoes and your curiosity.


Apple Growing & Cider Making in the Green River Watershed
1 - 2:30 pm on Saturday, September 21 (rain date on Sunday, September 22)
Meet at West County Cider, 208 Peckville Road in Shelburne

West County Cider was started by the Maloney family in 1984 with a commitment to making small-batch ciders with apples from local orchards. Their tasting room, located high up on the western side of the Green River watershed, has spectacular views across to the eastern side of the watershed.

Proprietor Field Maloney will talk about the history of apple growing and cider making in Colrain and Shelburne and the larger watershed. He will then lead us on a walk on the nearby hiking trails where we can take in the views across the orchards of this region and see as far as Mount Monadnock. We'll end with a tasting of his highly prized ciders.


Angling & Donuts
10 am - 12 noon on Sunday, September 22
Meet at 10 Mile Bridge (junction of West Leyden Road and Green River Road) in Colrain

Join the Green River Watershed Alliance, the Connecticut River Conservancy, and our friends from the Deerfield River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited for some fishing. We will provide some fishing poles (or bring your own) and delicious donuts made by local bakeries. Come discover the abundance of trout and other fish in the Green River, try your hand at fly or reel fishing and learn about the impacts of climate change on our fish populations. Bring your favorite humans and morning beverage for this sweet gathering. Oh, and bring a comfy camp chair, too. We'll have fishing lessons and poles for adults and kids!

This event is FREE, but we ask that you register so we order enough donuts and bring enough fishing poles. Email your name, phone number, and number of people attending to Margo Ghia (mghia@windhamregional.org) by Friday, September 20,

Anyone age 15 or over will need a MA fishing license. You can buy a fishing license at Pipione's Sport Shop in Turners Falls or online at massfishhunt.mass.gov/licenses before the event. More information at www.mass.gov/info-details/license-types-and-fees