Above: This fall’s programs at Chestnut Hill Farm are limited to learning about fungi. But you can also just swing by to enjoy the property. (images cropped from the farm’s Facebook posts)
The Trustees have posted the details for this fall’s programs at Chestnut Hill Farm. For now, they are sticking with one educational hike per month. The theme is fungi.
It’s a huge change from last fall when the schedule was packed with activities at the farm. But as I wrote about this summer, the Trustees dialed way back on events at the Southborough property when they decided to layoff staff and (hopefully temporarily) eliminate farming of the farm.
The two upcoming guided Fungi hikes are geared to families with children ages 6+.
Both events require pre-registration and include a fee. The cost for Trustees’ members is $12 per child and $20 per adult. For non-members, the cost is $15 per child and $25 per adult. (You can find membership details here.)
Finding Fungi Guided Mushroom Hike
Saturday, September 21st, 4:00 – 5:30 pm
On Facebook, the Trustees promoted the September hike:
We’ll stroll through Chestnut Hill Farm’s historic 170-acre property while discussing the role mushrooms play in our ecosystem, how sustenance foraging can be utilized to diversify our diets and combat food insecurity, as well as the future possibilities of mushrooms as medicine, cosmetics and a valuable source of protein in our growing and changing world. We will focus on safety while foraging, how to avoid poisonous look-alikes and do a deep dive into a handful of easily identified common edible and medicinal fungi found in Massachusetts.
Our mushroom programs are led by knowledgeable guides and focus on the ecology of mushrooms and their vital role in the ecosystem. Please note, we will forage mushrooms for educational purposes only and not for consuming. Join us as we discover the wonders of mushrooms and their natural habitats.
This is a family-friendly program best suited for families with children ages 6 and up.
For details and to register, click here.
Hunt for Halloween Mushrooms Guided Hike
Saturday, October 26th, 5:00 – 6:30 pm
The event page describes a similar event, but with seasonal twist.
Focus on finding some “scary” and Halloween-themed mushrooms (e.g., Witches’ butter, Jack o’ Lantern mushrooms, Dead man’s fingers, and bleeding fungi). At dusk, experience how certain mushrooms glow in the dark!
For details and to register, click here.
Free Enjoyment & Volunteering
As I also wrote about in July, educational programs aren’t the only way to enjoy time at the farm. From dawn to dusk, the public can explore the property for free, including wooden play equipment, trails, and the seasonally refreshed StoryWalk. (You can find the trail maps here and read more about the StoryWalk here.)
Another way the public is encouraged to continue engaging with the farm is through volunteerism. D.A. Hayden, the Trustees’ Regional Vice President for MetroWest wrote:
Our Chestnut Hill Farm volunteer programs continue and are open to all, including volunteer opportunities with the trails team, gardening/weeding, engagement programs, ground-nesting bird monitoring and more.
The currently posted volunteer opportunities are:
Click on the above links for more details or to apply.
Updated (9/13/24 4:57 pm): The date of the first workshop was moved up by a week.
