Workshop Registration Instructions

To register click “Add to Cart” on the desired workshop. From the cart you may change the quantity of spots reserved as well as “Continue Shopping” which will allow you to add other workshops. To pay through PayPal you do not need your own PayPal account, just a credit card. If you choose to pay by check (payable to “Aton Forest, Inc.”) please email or call us and send payment to:

Aton Forest // PO Box 509 // Norfolk, CT 06058

After registering, you will be directed to a confirmation page. If you required a receipt, please email us at contact@atonforest.org.

By registering for an Aton Forest workshop you are also added to our mailing list. You may unsubscribe at any time.


April 7th & 14th - Invasive Plant Identification



Distinguishing Invasive Plants and Native Look-A-Likes in Late Winter and Early Spring. A workshop led by Bill Moorhead.

Come learn to identify invasive plants in the field in leaf-off condition! Late winter/early spring is prime season to touch up on your skills and get a jump on these pesky plants. This time of year is ideal for certain methods of management, but identification can be tricky. With the help of consulting field botanist Bill Moorhead you will learn to identify invasive plants (emphasis on woody species) in both terrestrial and wetland ecosystems, and distinguish them from those native plants with which they may be confused. Emphasis is on identification, but the workshop includes discussions of management and control methods and strategies for various species.

The workshop is divided into two days, Thursdays, Apr 7th and 14th. The first day is geared more to beginners, starting with a brief classroom session and followed by field visits to a number of sites in and near Aton Forest, including calcareous soil sites. The second day is an all-field day in the vicinity of the town of Litchfield, and is geared to the more experienced and/or those having taken the first day of the workshop.

BILL MOORHEAD is an independent consulting field botanist based in western Connecticut. He has specialized for 28 years in the search for populations of rare plants and their habitats, and the study of plant communities and the factors determining their species composition and distribution.

Locations: 

  • April 7th: Aton Forest Headquarters, 270 North Colebrook Rd. Norfolk, CT 06058
  • April 14th: Municipal Parking Lot behind 25 West St, Litchfield, CT 06759

Dates: Thursdays, Apr 7 and 14, 2016
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (for those who can stay later, the instructor will be available till 5 PM for questions, discussion, identification of specimens brought by participants, etc.)
Tuition: $75/day - we accept check by mail (Aton Forest, Inc., PO Box 509 Norfolk, CT 06058) or card via PayPal (www.atonforest.org); lunch and refreshments provided.

Workshops limited to 15 participants per day. Participants may register for one or both days, but preference is given to those who register for both days. Registration and payment required in advance.

For more information, please contact instructor at whmoorhead@optonline.net (860-543-1786) or Aton Forest at contact@atonforest.org (860) 543-5125.

Continuing Education Units are available. Please contact us for more information.


Days / Quantities
Note: If a session is canceled by us for any reason, tuition payments will be refunded in full, by mail. If a registered participant cancels, tuition may or may not be refunded, at our discretion, depending upon the final class size.

5/9 - Birding By Ear



led by Bob Barbieri

Come learn to recognize bird calls and identify species by their song.  Expert birder Barbieri will lead the workshop through Aton Forest's fields and woodlands in search of the many birds residing in and passing through the preserve. 

Please dress appropriately for weather.


BOB BARBIERI is a highly experienced local birder from Litchfield County who has been leading this particular workshop since its creation. He is a regular leader of bird walks and participant in Aton Forest Breeding Bird Surveys.

Continuing Education Units Available:

Location: Aton Forest (270 North Colebrook Rd. Norfolk, CT)
Date: Saturday, May 9, 2015
Time: 8:00AM - 11:00AM
Registration: $15, refreshments provided

7/26 - Ferns of New England


led by John Burns

UNFORTUNATELY THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN CANCELLED

Botanist John Burns will be teaching a class about the non-flowering species of plants of New England: ferns, clubmoss, and horsetails.  In the morning we will review the distinctive features of each of these groups used in identification and learn how their life cycles are different from the seed producing flowering plants.

Participants can expect to see fabulous slides of ferns, clubmosses, and horsetails as well as fresh and pressed specimens collected during the previous field season.  This will prepare us for our afternoon foray into Aton Forest’s fields and woodlands where we’ll be able to find numerous species and more clearly see the settings in which they grow.


JOHN BURNS has worked for the New England Wild Flower Society as the Administrative Coordinator for the Plant Conservation Volunteer Program.  He has traveled as far as southern Brazil to study ferns and has done fieldwork throughout the northeast.

Continuing Education Units Available:
CT Forest Practitioner - 1.0 CEU
NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals - 4.0 CEU

Location: Aton Forest (270 North Colebrook Rd. Norfolk, CT)
Date: Sunday, July 26, 2015
Time: 10:00AM - 2:00PM
Registration: $25, lunch and refreshments provided

5/16 - Birding By Ear




led by Fran Zygmont

Come learn to recognize bird calls and identify species by their song.  Expert birder Fran Zygmont will lead the workshop through Aton Forest's fields and woodlands in search of the many birds residing in and passing through the preserve. 

Please dress appropriately for weather.


FRAN ZYGMONT is the president of the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society and has been birding in the region for decades.  He is a regular leader of bird walks and owl prowls as well as participant in breeding bird surveys.

Continuing Education Units Available:
CT Forest Practitioner - 1.0 CEU

Location: Aton Forest (270 North Colebrook Rd. Norfolk, CT)
Date: Saturday, May 16, 2015
Time: 8:00AM - 11:00AM
Registration: $15, refreshments provided


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