Since we got rained out over the 4th of July weekend for an iNaturalist gathering, @radbackedsalamander, @pat_huckery_masswildlife, and I thought we'd try again for August 27th. Please join us - and let's hope it doesn't rain! Here's a repeat of much of what I said before the July date:

You all are invited to climb Mount Watatic in Ashby/Ashburnham, MA on Sunday, August 27th. The plan is to meet at the eastern summit (the big ledges with a view to the east) around noon, eat our lunches, meet each other, and make loads of observations. There might be dragonflies hill-topping, for example. Or interesting grasshoppers. Certainly there will be Sibbaldiopsis and Red Spruce and Turkey Vultures (maybe Black Vultures?) and grasses I'll never be able to identify. I'll figure out some way to make it obvious where exactly to meet - maybe an iNaturalist flag?

Whatever organisms we find there, it's a beautiful view from a mountain that's now mostly protected by a coalition of conservation groups; take a look at the map at the bottom of this article to see what's protected there: https://www.mass.gov/news/land-protected-at-mount-watatic

Logistics: This isn't an organized hike where we all start at the same place at the same time; you are free to start whenever and wherever you want to. Depending on which way you go up, it can be a steep hike, but a relatively short one. To my knowledge, there are no facilities like porta-potties at any of the trailheads. Dogs are permitted on leash. There are four parking spots I know of:

DCR Ashburnham State Forest, off Rt. 119, more or less opposite Old Pierce Road. This area has limited parking for about 15 cars, which often fills up quickly. Sometimes, people park on Old Pierce Road itself.

On Rt. 119 itself, a little east of the DCR lot. This is a paved pull-off with maybe 8 spots.

MassWildlife Ashby WMA, off Rt. 119 to the east of pull-off right on Rt. 119. This spot is shown as a P on the map I linked to above; there's a blue MassWildlife sign there. Parking for probably 8 cars.

MassWildlife Ashby WMA, at the end of Watatic Mountain Road in Ashby. This is at the end of the woods road at the end of the paved road, and there's only parking for 2 cars here.

While everyone is invited, here I'm going to mention people I think might be particularly interested: @adamkohl, @agave6_tomwalker, @bkatzenberg, @btk, @cbuelow45, @ceiseman, @cpellegrini, @davidhsmall, @deparia1950, @jackcadwell, @janice22s, @jcarm, @julie_richburg1, @karro_frost, @maygrz, @mohale, @mtjones, @naturalist2073, @stevemirick, @stevetobin, @threepogonias, @tmurray74.

The weather looks good for a meeting of any and all iNaturalists on top of Mt. Watatic in Ashby/Ashburnham, MA, this Sunday at noon - hooray! If you're just seeing this, see my previous journal post for details.

I hope to meet many of you there!

We had a wonderful time up on Mt. Watatic yesterday, at least till the rain started. Thank you to everyone who came!

Some of the highlights, at least for me: The young Bald Eagle circling overhead before anyone else showed up. The Eastern Milk Snake, unfortunately dead. All the grasshoppers @stevetobin and @flamingninetales77 caught (three species, do I have that right?). The cool rock tripe @mohale showed us and the Peregrine zooming by that she pointed out. That goldenrod growing in the cracks of the ledges that @tsn identified as Squarrose Goldenrod. And meeting people I've only known from iNaturalist, like @radbackedsalamander and @bkatzenberg . I didn't know my cousin @danlharp was going to show up, but it was great to see you, Dan!

So, let's do this again some time, yes? I was thinking that it might be fun to go to Burrage Pond WMA in Hanson and Halifax, or to Muddy Brook WMA in Hardwick, or to the Trustees' Bart's Cobble in Sheffield, or hey, why not Mt. Greylock? I haven't been to the top of Greylock in decades. Where would you all like to go? How often would you like me to set up a get-together like this?