by Kristi Hobson Edmonston ·
Friday, February 27, 2026
Ashwin Parchuri roasts a marshmallow as his father Rama Parchuri warms up and Alana Kane sips a cup of hot Carlson’s cider at the Harvard Conservation Trust new moon hike. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
An overcast sky and light flurries greeted participants on Saturday, Feb. 21, as they gathered for the Nordic-themed new moon hike hosted by the Harvard Conservation Trust (HCT). The hike to Barba’s Point, originally scheduled for Friday, was rescheduled to Saturday due to weather.
Despite chilly temperatures, a festive atmosphere prevailed as people gathered for the walk. Kids jumped, dug, and played in the fresh snow. The hike’s youngest participants, bundled in winter layers, took in the view from rugged kid-carrier backpacks. Friends warmly greeted each other. Nearby a trail, freshly groomed by a snowmobile and illuminated by several hundred tea candles, beckoned.
Approximately 50 people joined the night hike led by naturalist and current HCT associate trustee Bob Douglas. Attendees included longtime Harvard residents, newcomers to the community, and visitors from nearby towns, including Acton, Leominster, and Worcester, and others from as far away as Jersey City, New Jersey.
As Douglas said, “I want everybody to have a chance to get out in the woods. I had parents come up to me and say, ‘My kids were always afraid of the woods at night. This is remarkable that they’re out and laughing and having a good time.’”
Heading out on the trail, the group passed under towering trees, snow crunching underfoot, before briefly pausing at a vernal pool. Douglas pointed out that the vernal pool is currently dormant. When the weather warms and snow melts, this seasonal wetland will host salamanders, fairy shrimp, and other life forms dependent on the pool for their life cycle. He invited everyone to HCT’s late spring hike to the vernal pool to observe the changes firsthand.
As conversations quieted, ethereal sounds echoed through the wooded landscape. One young participant, Cole Perry, attending the walk with parents Nick Perry and Dani Forshay and his younger brother Chase, observed, “We heard [an] orca.” Perry made an apt observation. A haunting song, performed by Nicole Edgecomb, a vocalist from Salem, mimicked the recorded sounds of orcas and whales. It was an example of kulning, meant to evoke the Nordic theme of the evening. According to Douglas, these melodic Nordic herding calls were traditionally used to call livestock in from the fields.
From left: Dani Forshay, Cole Perry, and Nick Perry try out a drum after the new moon hike.
The Nordic theme continued as the group found its way to Barba’s Point, where a blazing bonfire and drumming by The Hooves of Sleipnir greeted participants. (In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is Odin’s eight-legged horse.) When asked about the origins of the group’s name, musician James King, chuckled and replied, “Today is the first day I’m hearing that name, [but] it’s a good name.” Douglas admitted the name had stuck, although it had been suggested by Justin Monaco, another drummer at the event, as a bit of a joke.
The drummers were from four different states—Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine—and had volunteered to support the HCT by performing Saturday night. One of the musicians, Suzanne Archutowski, brought a drum with its own special story. The instrument, made during a drumming camp in Vermont attended by several of the musicians, was gifted to Archutowski with the understanding she would use its music in support of community events. Two giant Viking drums, 3 feet in diameter, had traveled across Bare Hill Pond by sled. Douglas invited attendees to join in the drumming, and many jumped at the chance, including Scott and Jody Harris, residents of Acton and members of the HCT.
Reflecting on other HCT winter hikes, Jody Harris said, “They put a different spin on it every year. It’s always fun, always cool.” They are already looking forward to another of their favorite HCT events, the spring cider walk at Carlson Orchards, in April.
For new Harvard resident Greg Boais, the hike was his first event with the Harvard Conservation Trust. Looking for a way to combat the winter doldrums, he thought the event would be a great way to get outside. He said, “I really had no idea what to expect. Getting to the end of it [the hike], and seeing all the folks out there, getting into the mood was really interesting.”
As Gina Ashe, HCT president, said, Harvard has permanently protected 1,200 acres of conservation land, making for a unique community resource. Added Douglas: “There is a reason why Harvard is such a great place. It has the trails, it has the woods, it has the permanent protection of so many of our natural spaces.”