Q-MoB LGBTQ+ Pride Eco-Hike: Wahconah Falls (Dalton, MA)

6/28 Q-MoB LGBTQ+ Pride Eco-Hike: Wahconah Falls (Dalton, MA)
Sunday, 11:00am-1:00pm
68 Wahconah Falls Rd
Dalton, MA 01226

Ranger-led easy hike up beautiful Wahconah Falls to learn about flora, fauna, & history of this unique historic site.

HIKE LEADERS:

Alec Gillman, the long-time Regional Interpretive Coordinator for Mass Department of Conservation & Recreation West Region and an expert on the natural & human history of Wahconah Falls, will lead us on a relatively easy hike to and above beautiful Wahconah Falls. You will learn about the history of the falls, the reservoir that feeds it, and how climate change is affecting these unique set of ecosystems.

Bart Church, Q-MoB's Wilderness First Responder & Outdoor Recreation Director, has been leading outdoor recreation activities for more than 30 years, and has led more than 80 outdoor recreation activities for the LGBTQ community in the Berkshires in the last 3.5 years. He believes that when queer people develop a deeper sustained relationship with the eco-systems they depend on, they help to heal humanity's disconnection and dis-ease -- and they are able to build a much more resilient and creative community rooted in inter-connection.

WHAT TO BRING: Regardless of the forecast, in the Berkshires in the Spring, please be prepared for rain, cold, wind, mud, mosquitos, ticks, & low light conditions, & even snow or ice, and specifcally consider bringing:

• Rain-gear, and layers like wool hat, gloves, fleece, sweater, puffy jacket in case it becomes wetter, colder, or windier than was forecast
• Appropriate footwear for hiking in potentially wet, muddy portions of the trail
• Mosquito/tick repellant and/or long sleeve light colored shirt & light colored long pants tucked into your socks
• Water bottle & snacks
• Trekking poles or a walking stick (they make it safer and easier in mud, and for ascent or descent)
• $10-$20 Tax-Deductible Donation Paid Online, in cash, or check made out to "Q-MoB Inc" (Q-MoB is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit), or JOIN Q-MOB so you never have to donate at any regular Q-MoB event, or just come for FREE if this is the very 1st Q-MoB event you have ever attended or you want a low-income work-exchange or scholarship.

WEATHER: Before you leave home, please check the weather for the hike location so you will know current conditions and how to dress for them. Please let us know your cell phone number when you register so we can text you 1-2 hours before the event should an unexpected weather threat arise that causes us to have to cancel or postpone the activity.

Tick Prevention & Post-Hike Tick Prevention Protocol: We recommend the following to prevent tick bites and disease: 1) wear long pants tucked into your socks & long-sleeve shirt; 2) spray bottom of pants with pyrethrin and/or DEET to discourage ticks; 3) avoid hiking in tall grass or brushing against bushes (stay on the main trail); 4) Before getting back in your car, do a quick inspection & brush-down of your pants & shirt sleeves; 5) Once you get home, throw your hiking clothes directly into the dryer on high heat for 15 minutes (the dry heat kills ticks instantly, whereas the washing machine will not) and 5) do a thorough full-body tick check in the shower.

ABOUT THIS SERIES OF LGBTQ OUTDOOR RECREATION ACTIVIES

This hike is part of a series of Q-MoB LGBTQ outdoor recreation activities (hiking, biking, paddling, walking, swimming) funded by the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation (MOOR) Inclusive & Accessible Events Grant Program and several grants from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (South Berkshire Fund, Central Berkshire Fund, Barrett Fund for North Berkshire) and is designed to:

1) reduce isolation and build community connections between LGBTQ people in the Berkshires & Western Mass; click LGBTQ OUTDOOR RECREATION CALENDAR to learn about the many activities that have already been scheduled

2) build a diverse capacity in the LGBTQ community to regularly lead & offer outdoor recreation activities throughout the year; please SEND US A NOTE if you'd like to learn how easy it is to help lead outdoor recreation activities for the LGBTQ community

3) educate the community about the natural & human history of important recreation sites, as well as how the native flora & fauna are responding to climate change & human use/restoration so the LGBTQ community will fall in love with those places and the organizations that maintain them and thereby participate in stewarding & enjoying those sites. Please call us at 413-344-8162 if you know LGBTQ or allied outdoor experts who know the ecology and/or history of any of the amazing Berkshire recreation sites and might want to get paid a small stipend to co-lead.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE SEND US A NOTE if you would like to learn how you might volunteer or even get paid to help coordinate this series or co-lead a particular outdoor recreation activity, or just give us a call with your ideas and feedback: 413-344-8162.

DONATE OR BECOME A MONTHLY SUSTAINING MEMBER: Please donate $10-$20 to help assure Q-MoB can continue to offer more than 20 activities & multiple resources & services to rural queer people all over the region. If you attend 2 or more Q-MoB events/month, please consider becoming a monthly sustaining donor member. By donating $25, $50, $75, or $100/month you can help to sustain the incredible variety of activities, services, and resources Q-MoB provides and assure all of these activities are accessible to men regardless of their age, income, or ability, and best of all you can avoid having to donate at each and every event you attend. Monthly Sustaining Members pay only once a month and then can attend all our activities with no further donation.

ACCESSIBILITY: We design our recreation activities so they are relatively easy & accessible to ambulatory adults with average strength, but if you have moblity challenges and want to know our capacity to support you, please SEND US A NOTE or give us a call 413-344-8162. We are a very small non-profit with very limited access to outdoor recreation mobility devices and volunteers trained to provide accessibility assistance, but if we know about your needs, we will make our best effort to meet them, and we enjoy making our activities accessible to as broad a range of our community as possible.

REACHING US DAY OF EVENT: If you have trouble finding us, are running late, or decide not to come, please text or call Bart at 413-344-8162