Reading To Mark 90th Anniversary Of Town Forest

READING, MA — Reading will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the establishment of a town forest on Saturday, Sept. 25.

The event, delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will include a half-day of activities throughout the forest. The festivities begin at Wood End School and will include outdoor activities like introductions to map reading, nature journaling, local wildlife and more.

See below for the schedule of events:

8:00am Opening Remarks

Town Forest Committee and invited Town guests will gather at the Wood End School entrance to the Reading Town Forest for opening remarks.

8:00am Buckthorn Pulling Orientation

The 90th Anniversary Celebration of the Reading Town Forest will kick off with the orientation for the day long pull of the invasive buckthorn species in the forest. Teams and individuals will be guided through the removal process by members of the Town Forest Committee. Directions to the location of the buckthorn pull will be posted starting at the Wood End School entrance to the Town Forest.

9:00am to 10:00am An Introduction to Nature Journaling

Walter Kittredge, Harvard Botanist and native species expert along with Kaye Kittredge, Innovation Artist and Project Manager for Innovation, will lead an hour-long walk through the Town Forest using simple techniques to get started on nature journaling and drawing with examples to inspire. The use of photography and online guides to facilitate identification of native species will be discussed. This event will start at the Wood End School field and will return to the same location.

9:00am to 9:30am Map Reading & Getting to Know a Compass

REI Outdoor Team experts will lead a 30-min workshop for 20 individuals on the basics of map reading and how to use a compass for hiking and outdoor use. No prior experience is required and this workshop will take place in the Wood End School field.

9:00am to 12:00pm Come Outside and Play

Cate Zannino, Reading Children's Library and colleagues will conduct hands on nature projects based on popular children's books throughout the day located on the Wood End School field. This will be a chance to engage in creative focused play for children.

10:00am to 11:00am Celebrate Reading Town Forest

Join Phil Benjamin and Jeffrey Ritterson as they team up to conduct an hour-long walking tour through the Town Forest highlighting conservation goals for the forest and the natural habitat. This event will start at the Wood End field and return to the same location.

Phil Benjamin, Forester and President of Benjamin Forestry, has managed woodland properties for private, municipal, non-profit and corporate landowners with a focus on long-term sustainability. Jeffrey Ritterson is a Field Ornithologist with Mass Audubon focusing on working landscapes and the habitat management of forest birds.

10:00am to 10:30am Know Before You Go: How to Recreate Responsibly

REI Outdoor Team experts will conduct a 30-min workshop for 20 individuals on the basics of outdoor activities with a focus on conservation and preservation. Leave no trace behind tips and practical techniques to do before your next outdoor activity will be discussed. This workshop will be conducted on the Wood End School field.

10:00am to 11:00am New England Raptors

Marla Isaac, from New England Reptile and Raptor, is a naturalist that specializes in teaching the biology and conservation of reptiles and birds using non-releasable animals and animal artifacts as teaching tools. This fabulous hour-long presentation will be located on the Wood End School field.

11:00am to 11:30am Map Reading and Getting to Know a Compass

REI Reading Store Team will offer another chance to attend the workshop offered earlier at 9:00am. Limited to 20 individuals.

11:00am to 12:00pm Snakes of New England

Rick Roth, Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team - a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to vernal pond conservation and education, will present “Snakes, Not on a Plane, of New England”. This exciting presentation offers hands on experiences. The hour-long presentation will be held at Wood End School field.

12:00pm to 12:30pm Know Before You Go: How to Recreate Responsibly

REI Outdoor Team experts will offer another 20 lucky individuals a chance to attend the same 30-min workshop offered previously at 10:00am.

12:00pm to 5:00pm Buckthorn Pulling in Town Forest Continues

Buckthorn pulls will continue in the Town Forest. An orientation video on the identification of buckthorn and removal techniques is available on the Town’s website (www.readingma.gov), Town Forest Committee page.