BIRDING BY EAR - May 6th and 20th, 2018
Join expert birders Bob Barbieri and Fran Zygmont (two separate dates) for a birding adventure through Aton Forest. 

In these workshops you will learn to distinguish a variety of both breeding and migrant bird species by song and call. Though the programs focus on birding by ear, spring is a good time to see birds as well, before trees and shrubs fully leaf-out. Visual characteristics and behavior useful in identification will also be discussed.  A number of habitat types will be visited (old field, shrubland, mature forest, forested wetland, hayfield, and a beaver pond) so as to observe as many birds as possible.

Dates: 
Sat, May 6th with Bob Barbieri
Sat, May 20th with Fran Zygmont
Times: 8:00 am to 10:30 am
Location: AF Hq, 270 North Colebrook Rd, Norfolk CT
To Register: to reserve your place (the programs are limited to 15 participants each day; you may sign up for one or both dates) go to Workshops on the the Aton Forest website: http://afworkshops.blogspot.com/
$15 per person per day to register.
SIGNUP FOR THIS WORKSHOP HAS PAST

For more information, visit out webiste or email us at contact@atonforest.org or call: (860) 542-5125, office, or (860) 248-1053, cell.

Willows Demystified Tuesday, May 23, 2018 A workshop led by Bill Moorhead We will cover the identification and ecology of the 21 southern New England Salix species and several of the hybrids of this troublesome genus.  The workshop will begin with a lab session at Aton Forest, and then we will hit the field, visiting several sites in the vicinity of Aton Forest.  This workshop will run, rain or shine.  If the weather is bad enough, we will extend the lab session, using fresh and pressed collected material.  Participants are encouraged to bring specimens. Each participant should bring: a good quality hand lens with at least 10X magnification; fine-pointed forceps that can be carried in the field; hip waders, knee-high rubber boots, or shoes that can get wet; his/her choice of insect repellant, sun protection; field notebook; collecting bags; camera, if desired. Lunch is not provided -- participants need to bring their own brown bag lunches.  Water will be provided. 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. Location: Aton Forest Headquarters, 270 North Colebrook Rd., Norfolk, CT 06058 Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2017 Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (NOTE: the workshop will begin promptly at 9:00 AM, so please try to arrive by 8:30); we will carpool to the various field locations. Tuition: $75 - we accept check by mail (Aton Forest, Inc., PO Box 509, Norfolk, CT 06058) or card via PayPal (see below); please bring a lunch; beverages will be provided. SIGNUP FOR THIS WORKSHOP HAS PAST Workshops limited to 15 participants per day.  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.

Distinguishing Invasive Plants and Native Look-A-Likes in Late Winter and Early Spring Led by Bill Moorhead Come learn to identify invasive plants from native look-a-likes 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.  A portion of the workshop will focus on detection of less familiar “watch list” plants, i.e., potential invasive species that are just showing up, or are expected soon to show up, in Connecticut. The workshop will be partly an indoor hands-on laboratory study, using collected specimens, and partly outdoor field study (weather-permitting).  Participants are permitted to, and encouraged to, bring their own specimens/unknowns. 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. Location: Aton Forest Headquarters, 270 North Colebrook Rd., Norfolk, CT 06058 Date: Thursday, March 30, 2017 Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (NOTE: the workshop will begin promptly at 9:00 AM, so please try to arrive by 8:30) Tuition: $75 - bring a lunch; refreshments provided. Workshops limited to 15 participants per day.  Registration and payment required in advance. Continuing Education Units are available.  Please contact us for more information. Do you know these plants? Answers at bottom of page Answers: 1. left - Lonicera morrowii; right Lonicera villosa 2. Frangula alnus 3. Lindera benzoin 4. Acer ginnala 5. Acer rubrum

Connecticut Winter Shrub Identification Laboratory

Thursday, January 19, 2017

[SNOW DATE: Friday, January 20] 

A workshop led by Bill Moorhead

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

This workshop is full and closed to to additional participants.
Look for upcoming workshops later this winter & spring.

This pithy indoor workshop covers the basics of winter identification of woody plants and specifics of identification of a large portion of the ~293 shrub species that occur outside of cultivation in Connecticut.

After a brief lecture, we will learn identification characters through hands-on examination of fresh and pressed specimens and review of images.

We will cover the most commonly encountered species, important non-native species (including recognized and suspected invasives), important wetland indicator species, critical habitat indicator and other uncommon and rare species.

Participants should bring, at minimum, their lunch (there is a microwave oven and refrigerator available) and a notebook and writing implements. Dissecting scopes and illuminators are provided, but if you have your own favorite equipment, feel free to bring it.  If you have a 10× or stronger loupe, please bring it.    

Location: Aton Forest Headquarters, 270 North Colebrook Rd., Norfolk, CT 06058.

Tuition: $75 - we accept check by mail (PO Box 509 Norfolk, CT 06058) or card via PayPal (http://atonforest.org);beverages provided.

Workshops limited to 15 participants. Registration and payment required in advance.

For more information/registration please contact instructor at whmoorhead@optonline.net (860-543-1786) or Aton Forest at contact@atonforest.org (860) 542-5125

Note: If a session is canceled by us for any reason, tuition payments will be refunded in full, by mail or through PayPal.  Tuition will not be refunded if a registered participant cancels less than 2 weeks before the workshop.

BILL MOORHEAD is an independent consulting field botanist based in western Connecticut. He has specialized for 27 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.