HIKE – Nature Preserves Day: In the Footsteps of Anna Botsford Comstock

We’re kicking off the Summer long series of outings in conjunction with the Art of Zoar Valley III exhibit by hiking the trails at Deer Lick Conservation Area to identify flora and fauna. Bring your knowledge or your smartphone apps like iNaturalist and eBird to explore the preserve.

Deer Lick is a National Natural Landmark owned and stewarded by The Nature Conservancy. Our biodiversity efforts will contribute to the decades of conservation work in Zoar by The Nature Conservancy and The Nature Sanctuary Society in maintaining and protecting several nature preserves in Zoar Valley.

This is also a way to honor the legacy of Anna Botsford Comstock (1854-1930), a naturalist, scientific illustrator, scholar, author, first female Cornell University Professor, and early leader of the Nature Study Movement who grew up a stone’s throw from Zoar Valley in Otto where the outdoor explorations of her childhood sparked her life’s work furthering conservation of the natural world.

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Go to Events – Springville Center for the Arts

Registered hikers meet at noon at the Deer Lick trailhead kiosk on Point Peter Road located about one-half mile past the Forty Road turn on the left side of Point Peter Road.

HIKE LEVEL: Easy to moderate on marked trails. We’ll split up into small groups across the various trails, so you can pick a short, easy walk or a moderate, longer hike.

Sturdy footwear and long pants recommended. Hiking poles if desired. Please bring a sack lunch, water, snacks, and anything that makes you comfortable in the woods – hat, insect repellent, etc.