The History Hike

This weekend we welcomed a slower pace.  After three weeks of back-to-back events (Easter, the Massachusetts Cheer Competition, and then the annual egg hunt), we were excited to have a weekend with nothing planned.  On a whim, I went to the Ansonia Nature Center website to gather ideas for our next Cub Scout meeting when I saw they would be offering a free "history hike" this Sunday. Unfortunately, none of the other Cub Scouts could join us, but Lewie and I made a plan and luckily, the weather held out.

The hike, led by Ranger Dan, focused on historic sites like stone walls, old roads, and even places where arrowheads had been found.  We learned about Colonial times (dating back to the 1500s - 1800s) and the early American Indian Wars.  We also learned a lot about native Americans and how they lived.  We learned that they used bark and cattails to build their wigwams, and they often used fire to clear land to grow crops like corn, beans, and squash.  Clearing land also opened areas to plant more berry bushes and to assist with hunting, traveling, controlling pests, and warfare.  (There's an interesting article here: https://www.na.fs.fed.us/fire_poster/nativeamer.htm.)

On our hike, we also talked a lot about different plants and animals.  We learned about native species vs. invasive species, and we all learned how to spot and protect ourselves from poison ivy.  The best part was admiring the beauty and the wildlife.  We saw a couple of interesting birds, took pictures of a Box turtle chilling out in the woods, and saw some animal tracks and habitats.

Robins built this next right under a picnic table.

Can you see the Robin eggs when you look down the hole of the table?

Cattails

Skunk Cabbage--it really does smell "stinky"

A "hidden" spring...the perfect place for Native American settlements.

Although the weather was overcast and cloudy, the rain, thankfully, held off.  The "one hour" hike lasted an hour and forty minutes, and even then, our little group still kept on asking questions.  The Ansonia Nature Center has many more themed hikes planned throughout the year.  With over 145 wooded acres, which connects to Naugatuck State Forest, which contains over 5,000 acres, there are plenty of hikes to take.  We look forward to our next visit!