The Pioneer Valley Fern Society

The mission of the Pioneer Valley Fern Society is to share the enjoyment of ferns with those of mutual interest by observing ferns in their natural environments and in gardens and conservatories; and to provide a forum for exchange of information and opportunities for outreach and education

The PVFS will hold a series of regularly scheduled walks and fern forays during the growing season to areas of interest.  Informal and recreational, these will be posted in advance and open to the general public. We also offer fern identification workshops to schools, groups, and other organizations.

Who is the Pioneer Valley Fern Society?

The idea for a local fern club was the brainchild of several friends and fern-lovers in the Connecticut Valley region of western Massachusetts.  The region is home to diverse natural habitats rich with fern species, such as Lawrence swamp in Amherst, Mt. Toby in Sunderland, and magnificent Quabbin, and offers great opportunities for exploring ferns.

The group of friends met in the fall of 2014 to share their ideas for an organization that would provide a forum for fernophiles in the area to both share their individual experiences and to partner together, joined by the common bond of a love of ferns and an appreciation for the beauty, wonder, and complexity of nature.

So, the Pioneer Valley Fern Society was born, and this website is the fruit of their efforts.