Want to nurture nature in your own backyard but don’t know where to start? In this free outdoor workshop, Ecological Landscaper Catherine Rooney will use on-site examples from her restoration plan for Fredonian Park, providing attendees with the know-how to optimize habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Learn how to select and combine native plants and use natural landscape features on your property to provide resilient habitat throughout all four seasons, and how to maximize benefit for species at risk.

Catherine Rooney began working with the Town of Shirley in 2022 to remove invasives and restore the landscape at Fredonian Park and Nature Center, one of Shirley’s hidden gems that includes a small pond and nature trail along a charming stretch of Catacunemaug Brook. Areas that highlight ecosystem principles discussed in the workshop will be marked with QR codes linking to descriptions so that attendees and other visitors to the park can learn more and follow these highlighted areas throughout the park’s 2023 restoration effort.

This program is offered by the Shirley Greenway Committee and Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers Wild & Scenic Stewardship Council as part of the Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture & History, an annual month-long celebration showcasing events and activities hosted by local partners celebrating the unique places, objects, and stories of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. Hidden Treasures programs are free and open to the public. Click to discover more Hidden Treasures!