The 56 acres of meadows, woods, and wetlands of the Preston Nature Preserve are at their prettiest in August, when the fields are dominated by Joe Pye Weed, various goldenrods, milkweeds, grasses, thistles, asters, and a remarkable expanse of Bee Balm, to name some of the botanical treasures. The abundant blossoms always attract an array of exquisite butterflies, from Monarchs and swallowtails to fritillaries and skippers, with a collection of mesmerizing hummingbird moths thrown in for good measure. And that’s just the tip of the insect iceberg: PNP in August is alive with dragonflies, beetles, true bugs, bees and wasps, and other invertebrates.

Join naturalist Bruce Fellman on Saturday, August 14th, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., for an exploration of the plants and animals—yes, it’s a great birding spot, too—that thrive along PNP’s gentle trails. Bring binoculars, hand lenses, cameras, notebooks, your natural history curiosity, and, if you have them, your kids and grandkids, since this is a Hike and Seek area that we’ll also be using for a smart-phone-based digital scavenger hunt.

Please register for the walk today.  For more information, please contact our hike leader, Bruce Fellman at bruce.fellman@yale.edu; for information about Hike and Seek, click here.

Register