Explore a hidden gem of Hudson Valley ecology with forester Annabel Roberts-McMichael! Our first ecology walk of the season will meander through the Old Growth Forest at Bard’s Montgomery Place Campus, where we'll discuss what makes old-growth forests unique and spend time connecting with the forest community, including special trees, fungi, flowers and more. We'll learn to identify the native and non-native plants we encounter, with special attention to edible and medicinal uses, and learn ways to care for local woodlands of all ages and sizes. Participants should be comfortable navigating uneven terrain in a forest setting.

Annabel Roberts-McMichael is a Hudson-based forester, forager, and environmental educator. Her ecological forestry practice, Tend and Gather, offers foraging and ecology walks as well as consultation and labor services to enhance ecosystem and forest health, biodiversity, and climate resilience, while connecting people with foods in the ecosystem and tending wild abundance.