Are you curious and anxious for the beginning of 2021? I am. I want to start off fresh, new, happy and active. I need to be more active. I don’t want to be as round as I am. So I looked at the public calendars to see what activities in the age of Covid I could participate in safely. A similar activity would be amazing to have in Norwich’s own Mohegan Park. Perhaps not as extensive and perhaps with different prizes but the photos could be used to begin and build a photographic library of sorts for the promotion of the City of Norwich, CT. Maybe something the Department of Recreation and the Mohegan Park Advisory Committee could work on together? The Avalonia Land Conservancy in Old Mystic also has a year-round Hike & Seek program. Check it out at avalonialandconservancy.org/hike-and-seek/ or #avaloniahikeandseek or hikeandseek@avalonialc.org. 860.884.3500.
Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don't hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs
The activity that caught my eye was in Hampton, CT, at Goodwin State Forest, 23 Potter Road. It is entirely free. Here are the rules: For this Hike & Seek event, you will receive a list of 30 nature-themed objectives to find and take a picture of (this list is also available at the bottom of this page). You are allowed to work in teams or as an individual—it’s a great weekend adventure for a family! In order to find all 30 objectives, you’ll have to explore multiple trails throughout Goodwin.
At the end of the weekend you can send me your checklist and labeled pictures at meaghan.rondeau@ct.gov.
If you find at least 15 (50%) of the objectives, you will receive a Smokey Bear poster and special bandana. Plus, the team or individual with the most objectives found/pictured will win a special secret prize! Winners will be contacted by Friday the 8th.
For the safety of both yourselves and our native habitats, please stay on the trail, watch out for poison ivy, and do not attempt to handle any wildlife. We also ask that you wear a mask when walking in close proximity to other hikers, and follow all social distancing guidelines.
This is a FREE event but registration is required.
Hike & Seek Checklist
Animals:
☐ A wild animal on the ground
☐ A wild animal in/on a tree
☐ A woodpecker hole in a tree
☐ Animal scratches on a tree*
☐ A wild animal track
☐ A hoof print
☐ A bug
☐ An animal hole in a tree or the ground
☐ A beaver lodge or dam*
☐ A tree cut down by a beaver
☐ An animal skull
Man-made:
☐ An old stone wall
☐ A stone foundation*
☐ A fire pond*
☐ A chain sawed tree
☐ A trail blaze*
Plants:
☐ Witch hazel in bloom
☐ A gall on a tree*
☐ An invasive species*
☐ A face in a tree
☐ A leaf shaped like a hand or mitten
☐ A redwood tree*
☐ A tree growing on a rock
☐ A nut, berry, or cone on a plant
Scenery:
☐ A sunset or sunrise
☐ A view of the pond from Governor’s Island
Other:
☐ A face in a rock
☐ A cloud shaped like an animal
☐ A split rock*
* What Does That Mean? *
*Animal scratches on a tree:
There are many animals that will leave scratch marks and peel the bark off trees. Some animals, like bears and bobcats, do this for scent marking. Other animals, like woodpeckers, peel away the bark to look for insects.
*A beaver lodge or dam:
Did you know that a beaver lodge and beaver dam are two different things? When a beaver finds a new water body to call home, first it makes a dam—a long pile of sticks to slow the water flow and flood the area behind it to raise the water level. Then, the beaver will make the lodge—this is where they live. Lodges are usually away from the edges of the pond where they are safe from predators.
*A stone foundation:
The old stone foundation at a junction of some of our trails is the remnant of an old shack or barn. The square foundation is easily identifiable by its straight walls and 90˚ corners.
*A fire pond:
There are many fire ponds throughout the property; most can be seen along the edges of trails. They are identifiable as bowl shaped holes in the ground lined with large rocks. James Goodwin had this created when he owned the property, to have quick access to water in case of fires started by the nearby train tracks.
*A trail blaze:
Our trails are each named after a color—Yellow trail, Red trail, Blue-White trail, etc. We use these same colors to make marks on trees so you know you’re still on the same trail. Sometimes there will be multiple blazes, where a trail turns, or two trails meet.
*A gall on a tree:
Galls are lumps growing on the trunk of a tree. They can be caused by an old injury (like a branch breaking off and healing poorly) or by insects or diseases. Many of our older trees have galls.
*An invasive species:
An invasive species is any plant or animal that is not native to CT and causes harm, either directly or indirectly, to our native species. For example, Japanese Barberry grows quickly and is hard to kill, allowing it to outcompete native plants and decreasing biodiversity in our forests. What other invasive species can you find?
*A redwood tree:
You’re probably thinking, ‘Wait, aren’t most redwoods native to the west coast??’ And you would be right! While we don’t have any native redwoods at Goodwin, we do have to species of redwoods that James Goodwin planted several decades ago. Keep your eyes on the arboretum for these ones.
*A split rock:
While some rocks can be split by machines, many of the boulders found along the trails were deposited by glacial movements and split by a freezing and thawing process over a period of thousands of years.
