Nature walk from the Senior Center

A beautiful afternoon for a walk on Monday, September 12 and a group of hardy seniors joined MsLevy on an excursion down to the waters edge at Lake Wallace, along with 3 BHS students.  Equipped with binoculars, spotting scope, a basin, a few plastic spoons and a great sense of adventure, 5 participants set off on the half-mile walk past the Tadgell building, Foley Fields and on to the open water of the lake.

The birds were quiet but for the crowd of starling in the trees behind the Teen Center.  Neither the beaver nor the wood duck showed, though the preening geese and resting Kingfisher gave us quite a show through the spotting scope.  There were plenty of topics for conversation about this beautiful area ... fall wildflowers and webworms, dragonflies and mushrooms, and the pleasure the site provided to the residents of the former state school.  The geography of the area, the shallow depression of the Lake Wallace basin, the "forest" of dead snags out in the beaver-flooded wetlands, the oxygen-rich upper lake and the oxygen-poor lower "swamp," the feeling of being somewhere wild, while still hearing the sounds of the cars passing on Rte 202, and reminiscences of visits and times past provided yet more opportunities to discuss and appreciate this beautiful place.  All 5 of the participants passed the short quiz at the end of the walk. (kidding!)

A peek into the water revealed a variety of aquatic critters, including some hardy dragonfly larva that will most likely overwinter and be the first of the season in the spring.  There was a great variety of plankton, they were just a bit too small for a good look.   All in all, the ladies decided that they'd just refer to MsLevy as "the walking encyclopedia."  Thanks!

The next walk is scheduled for Monday, October 3.
Sign up at the main desk at the Belchertown Senior Center.