Free naturalist-led programs, river tours focus on natural world

WILMINGTON | The Ausable River Association (AsRA) is offering 10 free guided paddling, hiking, and interpretive programs in the lesser-known corners of the Ausable and Boquet watersheds this spring and summer, with an emphasis on their flora and fauna. New for 2021 are an art and ecology workshop, waterfall hike, underwater mussel exploration, interpretive history tour, and women's fly-fishing clinic. The art and ecology tour, Drawing Your Watershed, will focus on the botanical diversity of the Ausable watershed with artist and biologist Cris Winters. Along the way, participants will draw the natural world with simple materials, including pencil, pen, and watercolor pencil. The underwater mussel exploration, led by accomplished photographer and birder Dr. Larry Master, will use unique underwater viewing buckets that allow participants to look at aquatic life without being immersed in the water. On the paddling trip to the mussel viewing site, Larry will also point out birds and mammals common in the Boquet watershed. Returning guided tours include a birding walk, moth and bat research night, tree identification hike, Adirondack "riverwalking" experience, and paddling trip on Lake Everest. Dr. Larry Master will lead the birding walk at Ausable Marsh and the moth and bat research night. The tree identification tour will be led by Ed Kanze, expert naturalist and Adirondack author with more than 30 years' experience leading walks in wild places. An AsRA staff member will accompany all of the tours to provide a first-hand look into the work they do around the watershed, including environmental DNA, water quality testing, and ways to enjoy the outdoors while leaving the least amount of impact. AsRA's free guided programs will take place on weekends beginning May 22 and ending on Sept. 12. Program dates, registration, and other information is available at ausableriver.org/events.

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Free naturalist-led programs, river tours focus on natural world

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