On June 7, 2025 from 10:00 am to noon, join Nathan Lambstrom, for a walk through the various ecosystems at George B. Parker Woodland Wildlife Refuge in Coventry RI. Participants will review basic identifying features of various native plants in leaf and flower, as well as practice the pattern recognition and other techniques used by field botanists to identify unknown species.
The walk begins in an upland meadow, traverses a mixed deciduous woodland, and passes through a wooded wetland before culminating at a stream bank. By seeing native plants in their wild habitat, we will get a sense not only of where to find them in the wild, but also the ecological niches they occupy, and how we can apply that information to plant selection as horticulturists. We will review identification characteristics and techniques for woody trees and shrubs, flowering perennials, and ferns. Please bring any relevant field guides and hand lenses if you have them (some will be available to borrow).
Nathan Lambstrom is a garden ecologist with 15 years of experience in ecology and horticulture. He currently runs his own business designing and planting gardens that support wildlife, conserve water, and enrich home environments. Nathan is also a lecturer in the Agriculture Department at URI and holds a MS in plant biology and conservation from Northwestern University.
This walk is free and open to the public. Donations to help support our walks are appreciated. DONATE NOW
General walk guidelines
Wear clothing and sturdy footwear appropriate for the weather conditions and for protection against sun exposure, ticks and other insects, briers, tree root etc. Bring a sufficient supply of water and nourishment for your needs.
Dogs are not permitted.
Cancellations
Should you need to cancel, contact us as soon as possible. office@riwps.org
We walk light rain or shine. In case of cancellations due to poor weather conditions, we will email you. We tend to wait until the day before the walk to make this call as weather forecasts can be changeable.
Registration is required
The number of participants is limited to maximize the ability for everyone to observe the plants and participate in the conversation.
Note: Only one person can register at a time. To register a second person, just repeat the process.
More specifics about the location is provided upon registration.
