Highlights
November 2019 - Bioreserve Walk, Woolly Bear, Weetamoe
ACTIVITY ALERT - Reminder - Part 2 - November's Walking in the footsteps of Metacomet (Philip) and Weetamoe (Tattapanum) and a few words about groundnuts
"I went to one wigwam, and they told me they had no room. Then I went to another, and they said the same; at last an old Indian bade me to come to him, and his squaw gave me some ground nuts; she gave me also something to lay under my head, and a good fire we had; and through the good providence of God, I had a comfortable lodging that night. In the morning, another Indian bade me come at night, and he would give me six ground nuts, which I did. We were at this place and time about two miles from [the] Connecticut river. We went in the morning to gather ground nuts, to the river, and went back again that night.
- Mary Rowlandson - Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary RowlandsonIf you haven't read Mary's story yet, here it is: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/851/851-h/851-h.htm
October's Exploring the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve Walk found us following what is left of the old Mowry Path that Metacom, Weetamoe and their followers, way back in July of 1675, walked to reach Tabadacason's ferry at Winslow' Point to cross the Taunton River.
November's walk will find us following their back trail to King Philip's Spring located on the edge of a wild and once remote cedar swamp.
November 9, Saturday, 9 a.m.
We will meet at Blossom Road at the gate leading to Brightman Path. Brightman Path gate is approximately one mile north, east side of Blossom Road, from the Blossom Road and Indian Town Road intersection. Because of the extremely poor road conditions, that may disable your vehicle, make sure you approach our walk meeting location from the Westport, south end, of Blossom Road.
Length of walk approximately 5 miles. Wear appropriate shoes/boots for hiking woodland paths and trails. Water and snack always a good idea.
Rain cancels walk.
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INFO ALERT - What does your Woolly Bear say?
Have you seen a woolly bear this autumn? No, not a shaggy bruin living in the forest …we mean the woolly bear caterpillar that makes its appearance every fall here in New England. It is often seen walking down wooded lanes and rural roads, but is also encountered perambulating along suburban sidewalks or crossing busy roads and highways at this time of the year searching for the ideal hibernation site.
Woolly bears are black ...fore and aft ...and have a reddish-brown middle. In the fall early colonial farmers consulted a local woolly bear to see how severe the upcoming winter would be.
November, after the first hard frost, usually provides a few warm and dry "Indian summer" days. An ideal time for a hike in area forests and woodlands to see if you can find a woolly bear. If you're successful in your search be sure to check the width of the woolly bears reddish-brown band. If the reddish-brown band is broad and the black ends short, milder the winter will be. If narrow, between broad black ends, winter will be snowy and cold.
Some woolly bears are shy and if picked up will curl their body into a circle and not move until placed back on the ground. Bolder bears will crawl around on your hand searching for a way to escape to continue their search for the ideal spot to sleep away the winter.
With the arrival of spring the woolly bears awaken from hibernation and transform into attractive Isabella tiger moths which then mate and lay their eggs. From these eggs hatch that fall's winter weather prognosticating woolly bears ...and the cycle continues.
INFO ALERT - The true, genuine, Woolly Bear and its look-alike relative
We've received a few reports that woolly bear searchers have been finding all black woolly bears. Inquiring minds that want to know have asked us if that means winter will never end.
Have no fear. What folks are seeing is the caterpillar of the giant leopard moth, a close relative of the woolly bear/Isabella moth and also in the tiger moth family. Don't be fooled. Those black woolly bears are impostors. They can't predict squat!
For more information on "black woolly bears" and what they become, you can read all about them in the second to the last article in our September 2014 Newsletter here: http://www.greenfutures.org/?content=bevoad8gcgcCVG8a
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ACTIVITY ALERT - November's Exploring the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve - Walking in the footsteps of Metacomet and Weetamoe
This past Saturday found us meeting at Blossom Road and Brightman Path to follow, as closely as possible, the route taken by Metacomet, Tattapanum and their followers from their camp at King Philip's Spring, where they had been hiding from the colonial militia, to the Mowry Path that leads to Winslow's Point.
It was a beautiful, sunny, fall morning for a hike in the woods with a 9 a.m. start out temperature of 24 degrees, the coldest yet this fall season, eliminating the mosquito hordes until May 2020.
Hiking down Deadman's Trail toward King Philip Spring
At King Philip's Spring
Photos courtesy Liz Garantt
December's Exploring the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve Walk will be December 14. Meeting location to be determined. Watch for an "alert" the first week in December.
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INFO ALERT - MORE ON KING PHILIP, WEETAMOE AND THEIR PEOPLE AND THE SOWAMS HERITAGE AREA PROJECT JUST ACROSS MOUNT HOPE BAY
Many of you know Dr. David Weed, always with a camera or two in hand, from his many years of working in our neck of the woods advocating for healthy communities.
Dave now coordinates the Sowams Hertage Area Project, an effort to illuminate the events of the 17th century that saw the transition from indigenous to colonial control of Southeastern Massachusetts and nearby Rhode Island.
The Sowams Heritage Area Project site is loaded with information that we know many of you who have an interest in local history and our shared environment will enjoy.
Dave was along on our recent Bioreserve walk and recorded a good portion of it at https://youtu.be/v0U5v0K6u5U . You can also find photos at https://photos.app.goo.gl/mHyKFKZLEpoAtjvL7 and one of his web pages describing the event at http://sowamsheritagearea.org/wp/hike-the-mowry-path-that-metacom-weetamoe-and-their-followers-took-to-the-taunton-river/
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INFO ALERT - Multitude Descends on Interlachen
This past Saturday Watuppa watershed forester Mike Labossiere and local historian Bill Goncalo conducted probably the largest tour ever of Interlachen, the former estate and farm of Colonel Spencer Borden. Hundreds of individuals and entire families were in attendance. The size of the multitude that descended on Interlachen was especially remarkable because the temperature was only 31 degrees at the 10 a.m. starting time and a gusty north wind was sweeping across the Watuppa directly onto the Interlachen peninsula that juts out into the pond. Imagine how many more might have attended if free hot coffee and donuts had been available?
A portion of the multitude that turned out for the tour of Interlachen this past Saturday.
Adults and children experiencing Interlachen as it is today.
On the road leading to the where the mansion once stood.
The cellar hole. All that remains of Colonel Spencer Borden's mansion.
The old ice house on the southwest corner of Interlachen.
If interested in excellent info on Interlachen and Colonel Borden, go here: http://lizzieandrewborden.com/HatchetOnline/interlachen-the-man-between-the-waters.html
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INFO ALERT - Happy Thanksgiving!
Wild cranberries and wild turkeys complement each other nicely on the fourth Thursday in November. Both are native Americans, both are delicious …and both can be found in our neck of the woods here in southeastern New England.
"Our corn did prove well, and God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but our peas not worth the gathering, for we feared they were too late sown, they came up very well, and blossomed, but the sun parched them in the blossom; our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a more special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the company almost a week, at which time amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."
- Edward Winslow, December 11, 1621
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