Goldenrods, with their beautiful late-season blooms, gently usher us out of the growing season and into the senescence of autumn. Join ecologist Nate Marchessault for an exploration of these diverse but approachable native plants. Through a mix of indoor lectures and outdoor field experiences, we’ll learn to identify the species that occur locally — and gain a new appreciation for these late-summer beauties. Day One will start with an indoor presentation, followed by some time practicing our new identification skills on the Harris Center grounds. Day Two will be spent in the field.

This Environmental Studies Institute (ESI) course will meet on Thursdays, August 28 and September 11, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Harris Center and local field sites. (Note: the second class was originally scheduled for September 4, but has been changed to September 11 due to a scheduling conflict.)

Cost: $40 for Harris Center supporters / $60 for all others. Space is limited, and registration is required. For questions about registration, contact Miles Stahmann. For all other information, including questions about accessibility, contact Nate.

About Nate Marchessault

Nate grew up in southeastern Massachusetts, where he dip-netted in local marshes and fished along the beaches. After his undergraduate studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he caught the birding bug, which cemented his passion for nature and desire to work in the environmental field.

In addition to his work as an ecologist with the Harris Center, Nate is a graduate student at Antioch University, with a focus on Conservation Biology. He is also a rare plant surveyor for the Native Plant Trust, and is on the Board of Directors of the birding journal, Bird Observer.

Nate makes a conscious effort not to take for granted the everyday happenings in the natural world, and appreciates the mountainous backdrop of the area and a good sunrise or sunset. In his free time, he can be found kayaking around boggy areas looking for plants, birding the most obscure locations possible, or sitting by a random brook, appreciating the moment.