North Woods Land Conservancy

09/28/2026

Next Nature Rangers!!

09/28/2026

LOST HOLLOW BUS TOUR:

https://www.northwoodslc.org/latest-news-and-events?fbclid=IwRlRTSAUneURleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWZkaWQWUPRwjAmEok31GoGFvnxT7-5XQaZwJnNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4pzpp6DpeYasMkFKPyRIKcK0mYhmfs6B6GFuBm9Ra7kqe9WduIuAad-LvDDA_aem_c3N9RpDZqZVVG1T4yF9m_Q

North Woods Land Conservancy Events and News including CT Trails Day Scavenger Hunt or Educational events

09/22/2026

NATURE RANGERS CLUB
This month our little Nature Rangers learned about the beautiful female Yellow Orb Weaver spider.

In September, as the growth in our gardens slows and the foliage dies back, it is a good time to look for orb weavers, as they're otherwise quite skittish and reclusive. Given her size and striking black and yellow markings, the female orb weaver is quite something to lay eyes upon. She will often sit on her web with her legs paired up to look as though she only has four. If you see her, look nearby to see if you can also locate her egg sac, or two or three. The more the merrier!

The female yellow orb weaver is quite large. These images really don’t do her justice. She has a 3 inch legspan! Known by many other names: the writing spider, the zigzag spider or zipper spider, one look at her web will tell you why. Her webs sport a distinctive thick zigzag pattern down the center of them called a "stabilimentum".

Scientists don't have a single, definitive answer as to why the yellow orb weaver includes this zigzag pattern in her web design, but the most supported theory is that the bright white silk makes the web more visible to birds, deer, and other large animals, stopping them from accidentally flying or walking through and destroying it. Pretty smart if you ask me.

The most famous spider of children’s literature, Charlotte, of E.B. White’s beloved book, “Charlotte’s Web” was based on an orb weaver spider. With the fall fair season upon us, it seems to me to be the perfect time to visit (or revisit) the sweet story of a pig named Wilbur and his lovely friend Charlotte the spider. The Hartland Public Library has a copy if interested, as well as copies of the following two delightful books donated this month by our local land trust, the North Woods Land Conservancy:

“Seaver the Weaver” by Paul Czajak and
“Argiope Aurantia” by Deborah Keever

And as always, much gratitude to the Hartland Public Library and it’s staff for volunteering their time and their hearts to host our little club and to the North Woods Land Conservancy for their continued generous sponsorship. Thank you all!

09/08/2026

ATTENTION!!

New date! Now on September 17th @10:30!
Please adjust your calendar!!

09/02/2026

This program has become a truly wonderful and much looked forward to event.

08/31/2026

📣 EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: On September 17, the Simsbury Public Library will host The Lost Forests of New England, the first in a series of films that comprise its America 250 Forest Series 🌳.

What were New England’s woodlands like prior to 1600? What do the small old-growth remnants look like today and what special values, if any, do they hold? "The Lost Forests of New England", a one-hour documentary film by New England Forests, addresses these and other questions in an effort to bring clarity to a subject that is often lost in the mists of time. The film tells the story of central New England's pre-settlement primeval forests, factors that led to the nearly complete clearing of those forests, and the discovery of remnants of those wonderful woodlands.

The audience will be treated to a visual tour of woodlands that have endured for centuries, through compelling images that contrast the old growth sites with today’s highly altered landscape. The result is a side-by-side comparison between original and reshaped woodlands that makes a strong case for preserving the ancient remnants.

This film is intended for the general public, but will serve the needs of resource managers, conservationists, and environmental interpreters alike. Reception at 6pm with the film following shortly after at 6:30pm in the Program Room at Simsbury Public Library. The Granby Land Trust is proud to support the America 250 Forest Series.

👉To register, go to https://simsbury.librarycalendar.com/event/grange-docuseries-86714

08/24/2026

This month’s Nature Rangers Club was dedicated to the “jewels” of our summer nights…aka fireflies.

We learned that fireflies are not flies at all, but rather beetles who spend most of their lives (up to 2 years) living in the soil and leaf litter as bioluminescent larva (aka glowworms); and who are loved by farmers and gardeners alike for their voracious appetites for consuming slugs, snails and other garden pests. Once emerged from their pupal stage, these glowworms become the flying lightning bugs we remember and love from our childhoods.

Fireflies are the most efficient light producers in the world! Nearly 100% of the energy created during the bioluminescent chemical reaction fireflies create goes directly toward light production. By comparison, only 10% of the energy used in the lighting of an incandescent light bulb goes towards light production, with the remaining 90% lost to heat.

The flight and light patterns of fireflies are thought to be unique to each species and the way they communicate and identify one another during their mating season. Connecticut’s most common firefly for instance, the Common Eastern Firefly (Photinus pyralis) acquired the nickname the “Big Dipper” due to its distinct “J” shaped flight pattern – the male flies in a downward dip and then curves back upward like a hook.

Gratitude
A big thank you to North Woods Land Conservancy for its support of our Nature Rangers Club via their generous book donations to the Hartland Public Library community. This month the following two beautiful children’s books were donated to the library in their name: “It’s a Firefly Night” by Dianne Ochiltree and “Fireflies and Muddy Boots” by Kelly Grettler. Check them out!

And to our host the Hartland Public Library and library volunteer Miss Linda, thank you so much for your time and for opening your space for our little club to meet and learn about the natural world around us. Your generosity is much appreciated!

08/20/2026

The Kaitlyn Walker Memoiral Pollinator Garden is continuing to feed and provide habitat to all our lovely pollinating friends.

As we shift our attention to autumn and school, we remind everyone to “Have a GREAT day, you deserve it!” 💕🪴🪏

08/20/2026

“Hidden in Plain Sight” David Leff Trail Walk
with Joanne Groth Saturday September 5th 10:00 AM
The trail is located in the American Legion State Forest in Hartland at the end of School Street in Riverton. Joanne Groth from the Hartland Historical Society, will guide you on a leisurely walk on this ¼ mile trail and share tidbits of the history of the site along the way. Parking is limited at the trailhead, so please reserve for those with a handicap sticker. You will need to park in the lot for The Shops at Riverton and walk a short distance to the trailhead.

08/06/2026