ChicoryLane Fall Open Day

Exploring Our Waters

Saturday, October 25, 2025 ~ 9:30am - 3:30pm

Even in dry times water is everywhere at ChicoryLane. As our conservation easement says, “ChicoryLane includes water resources including perennial as well as intermittent seasonal surface streams, storm runoffs, several types of wetlands, pond and vernal pool impoundments, ground waters and subsurface flows. This Conservation Easement seeks to protect the quality of water resources within or in the vicinity of the Property....”

Water Explorations & More

On October 25, discover ChicoryLane's 68 acres on your own or join one of the three water explorations. Come and go as you like or stay all day. Maybe bring a picnic lunch. Sit beside the pond or near a stream. Wander the many trails, they connect people to places and people to wildlife. Walk to the top for the 360° view. John will be ready to talk about ecology and Catherine about the log house history.

The Water Cycle - Where Are We?

with Rick Henry, Hydrogeologist

9:30AM

We all know the water cycle. Maybe you have a cartoon image of it in your head. In this talk and walk, Rick Henry will explore where ChicoryLane sits in this big cycle. We’ll learn what's happening to the water before it enters the property, while it traverses through the property, and its fate downstream. Rick will explain how local geology creates the framework of the surface-water and groundwater flow system. Together, we will refresh our memories on the water cycle, learn how the geology controls the flow of water, and how it has shaped the land to create the ecological diversity we see today.

Young Forest and Vernal Pool Habitat

with Adam Smith, Fish and Wildlife Biologist

11:30AM

How did we get from ideas to habitat restoration at ChicoryLane? Years of thinking and doing, that’s how. In the 1990’s Adam Smith and volunteers planted Aspen and Alder thickets here to restore "young forest" habitat for a suite of birds including American Woodcock and Eastern Towhees. Adam designed the vernal pools in the 1990’s as well, but it took about 10 years before they could be built! They provide great habitat for salamanders and newts as well as box turtles and wood turtles. It is visited regularly by both Green and Blue Herons among many other bird species, frogs and dragonflies aplenty, as well as snapping turtles and muskrats. These are just two of ChicoryLane's riparian and palustrine projects that were once just ideas. Join Adam for a fun-and-fact-filled talk and walk to learn more.

Explore the Stream

with Suzy Yetter, Ecologist

1:30PM

Join Suzy Yetter for a hands-on field activity to explore the tiny creatures living in ChicoryLane's streams — macroinvertebrates like mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies. These “stream bugs” are natural indicators of water quality and give us clues about how past and present land use has shaped the health of our watershed. Together, we’ll collect, identify, and interpret what these organisms reveal about our local environment.

Free event held rain or shine. No pre-registration required.

Water and light refreshments available. BYO snacks or lunch if you wish.

Restroom available.

ChicoryLane is an ecological reserve near Spring Mills protected by a Conservation Easement held by Clearwater Conservancy. Its 68 acres are actively managed for conservation.

The landscape is natural and scenic. It includes wetlands and meadows, streams, remnant and successional forests, and a grassland. This diversity of habitats is especially inviting to birds and butterflies. A system of mowed trails makes most of the property accessible to walkers.



• Email Catherine Smith if you wish to visit ChicoryLane at a time other than our scheduled events.
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