Have you noticed? Something sweet is happening on the trail, from Walsh Park on the east end to Ridgeway on the west: the serviceberry trees (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’) are bearing their ripening fruit, which is an important food source for local birds, as well as a seasonal treat for trail visitors who can pluck a handful of berries as they enjoy an elevated June stroll. In fact, one of the many nicknames for serviceberries is “juneberry” since this is typically the month when the fruit is ripe and ready to be eaten.

In celebration of these trail wide trees, Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail will host a Pop Up Station at Kimball on Saturday, June 15th from 10 am to 2 pm. Volunteers will have information about the serviceberries on the trail and a few recipes to share. They will also have details about an exciting new project and the chance to learn more about the Phenology Volunteers who make observations of the serviceberries from March to November and enter their data into the National Phenology Network’s database.

It promises to be a sweet and simple affair — we hope you can stop by to learn more about serviceberries and upcoming events and projects for the trail.