Ants and Plants of Barton Woods

Ants are the little things that run the world, and are very important to the ecology of plants. Yet we know little of the distribution and ecology of many ant species, particularly those in southern Rhode Island. Join two of the authors of the new Field Guide to the Ants of New England for a day of discovering ants in a botanically rich forest. Learn to catch ants using just your hands or with specialized equipment. Identify many genera and species of ants in the field using only a hand lens. Along this moderate 1.7 mile walk with gentle hills, visit a variety of habitats including floodplain, pond-shore, boulder fields, and diverse oak uplands with several unusual plant species. Wear clothing and shoes that protect against wet and ticks. Bring lunch, water, and an open mind about observing and interacting with small and fascinating insects.

Saturday, July 14, 2012, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (Rain date: Sunday, July 15, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.)