Submitted photo Participants in last year’s Winter Walk examine at one of the trees in Glendale Park as an expert explains how to identify it.

ELKINS — The Elkins Tree Board will host the fourth annual Winter Walk, with the theme “Bark, Birds and Bugs,” in Glendale Park on Saturday.

The free workshop led by Elkins Tree Board members will start at 10 a.m. on Feb. 14 at Glendale Park. Those attending will learn how to identify trees by bark, look for bugs and do some birding. 

Participants will meet at the first pavilion on the left at the entrance of the park. The event is free to the public.

“When leaves are no longer present on trees, it can be a daunting task learning to identify trees in the winter,” The Elkins Tree Board said in a release announcing the event. “However, there are features other than leaves that can help differentiate tree species from one another.”

A Winter Walk scavenger hunt activity will also be available.

Fourth Ward Council Member and Tree Board Member Nanci Bross-Fregonara told The Inter-Mountain before last year’s Winter Walk that the walk itself usually takes an hour, but it has sometimes been longer due to participants’ interest and engagement with the experts.

“It’s a great chance for people to have questions answered directly,” Fregonara said in 2025. “Sometimes you can Google things on the internet, but having somebody right there and being able to touch the bark and see the location of certain trees, that makes a difference in identifying trees.”

Birder Jim Fregonara will also be on hand during the event to assist with bird identification along the way. Feb. 14 is the National Audubon Society’s Annual Bird Count, so sightings made during the Winter Walk will be submitted to add to the Audubon’s international effort.

Some binoculars will be available, but participants should try and bring their own if able.

Participants of all ages are welcome to attend. Fregonara told The Inter-Mountain before last year’s Winter Walk that the event is perfect for those who don’t want to go deep into the woods.

“We have had younger people attend,” Fregonara said in 2025. “Last year we had young people come with binoculars. Any way that you can encourage learning about nature at an early age is always a good thing. So we’ve had people from age 10 to age 75 attend these things. It’s been really exciting just to see this turnout.”

For weather-related updates regarding the Winter Walk, check the Elkins Friends of Trees Facebook page.