Editor’s Note: Listings in Trail Mix are free. Email: outdoor@recorder.com. The deadline is Tuesday by 8 a.m. Questions? Call 413-772-0261, ext. 276. Weather may cancel or force the rescheduling of some of these events. Additionally, space is often limited. Please contact organizers to ensure you can attend. This is particularly important if registration is required.
Explore Satan’s Kingdom Wildlife Management Area in Northfield with Greening Greenfield and the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst on Sunday, Nov. 13, from 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Join wildlife ecologist Pat Serrentino and tree enthusiast Nancy Hazard for an exploration of the forest, ponds and wetlands in the 1,300-acre Satan’s Kingdom. It will be a relaxing walk through a mixed hardwood forest, with scattered ponds and vernal pools. Discussions will include the nut-bearing trees important to wildlife. You’ll listen and look for resident birds and other animals. You’ll learn how animals and plants prepare for winter.
The walk will be easy to moderate in difficulty. Wear sturdy shoes and warm clothes. Binoculars will be helpful, but not required. The walk is free and geared toward adults and children age 8 and older. Hikers will meet at Cherry Rum Plaza’s north end at 12:30 p.m., or the small parking lot off Old Vernon Road. It will be limited to 12 participants, so register by calling Edie Heinemann at 413-465-1646 or mailing her at: ediesh82346@gmail.com
“Red, Black and Scarlet — Identifying the Oaks” will be offered by Ted Watt, Nancy Goodman, Kim Noyes and Petti Steinman, all collaborative naturalists, on Thursday, Nov. 10, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the new Hitchcock Center in Amherst.
Then, join the Hitchcock Center, Northfield Mountain and Arcadia for a collaborative unraveling of the mysteries of oak identification on Sunday, Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon for a field trip. After a review of the many oak species found in the Pioneer Valley, there will be a closer look at buds and acorns. Specific identification tips and strategies will be shared and the group will work together to gain skills and confidence in identifying this challenging group. Bring a hand lens if you have one, and join in the fun. The cost is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Register by calling 413-256-6006. Visit: www.hitchcockcenter.org
Massachusetts Woodlands Institute presents, “Building Better Bird Habitats: Woods Walk in Heath” on Friday, Nov. 18, from 2 to 4 p.m. The easy hike will demonstrate forestry practices that enhance wildlife habitat, specifically for birds.
Join experts from Mass Audubon and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation to learn about wildlife species that are in decline, forest management programs designed to enhance wildlife habitat and how forest stewardship can help build better habitat in the woods. The event is gree and open to the public. To register, call Melissa Patterson at 413-625-9151 or email her at: melissa@masswoodlands.org