Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada
LEARNING NATURAL AND HUMAN HISTORY
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 (Napanee Beaver)
Friday, September 28, 2007 (Picton Gazette)
The late Freeman Tilden – teacher, mentor and philosopher – once said, “The chief aim of interpretation is not instruction, but provocation.” He also said that any interpretation that does not somehow relate what is being described, to something within the personality or experience of the visitor, will be sterile.
Nature interpretation is a tough challenge. I know, for I have been struggling along since I was introduced to the discipline when I was a Park Naturalist at Sandbanks Provincial Park some 20 years ago. It was during my tenure there when I learned the importance of blending human history into the mix. For the story to be complete, it is necessary to know what activities took place in a given area, and how they may have contributed to the plants and animals that are to be found there now.
The program of interpretive hikes and other outdoor events at Quinte Conservation, began in 1996. It soon became apparent after only a few events, that Quinte area residents wanted more out of their hikes than just a monotonous rhyming off of animal and plant names. They had a need to learn about the flora and fauna that occurred in some of their favourite places, and to better understand not only their identities, but how they are all connected in the natural scheme of things, and they wanted to know more about the historical background of these areas.
The annual program of Monday evening hikes that started 11 years ago with a handful of participants, has now burgeoned to this year’s total of 68 registrants. In total, the 18 guided hikes from May through August, attracted 530 outdoor enthusiasts, a 17 percent increase over last year’s totals. Those who registered generally chose only those hikes within the 18-week series that appealed to them the most, with attendance hovering in the 25 to 30 mark every night. Highest attendance on any single night was 47.
While the guided hikes are usually geared to families, encompassing all age groups, a few scheduled hikes this year were advertised as extremely rugged. Those who registered were cautioned about the terrain, and anyone with physical challenges were asked to use their own judgement whether or not to attend. Without fail, it was on these hikes that we routinely attracted record crowds! Challenging terrain always suggest special places, and nature enthusiasts enjoy special places, for it here where you find that rare walking fern, or the prickly pear cactus that grows nowhere else in Ontario, or the side oats grama, or a look at a rare Kentucky warbler.
Quinte Conservation has always recognized that the value of its conservation areas, and other natural areas within the 6,200 square kilometre watershed, is more meaningful if the public can learn the story of what makes these properties so special. With environmental interest at an all time high, is it any wonder that Quinte Conservation’s interpretive programs, like the evening hiking series, various workshops and conservation day camps, have become so popular?
With the conclusion of the evening hike series for this year on August 27th, a program of full day autumn events has now begun. The fall program got underway September 9th with a four kilometre hike at Sheffield Conservation Area, 11 km south of Kaladar. This is hiking at its most rugged, with the relatively short trail taking at least four hours as participants scramble over huge granite outcroppings and climb a 10 metre high rock face before returning to the parking lot.
Other fall events, however, are less rigorous. A casual full day interpretive canoe paddle on the Salmon River, from the village of Roblin to Croydon on September 30th, is now full. However, a nine kilometre interpretive walk at Thomasburg’s Vanderwater Conservation Area on October 7th still has a few openings. This 635-acre conservation area will keep us occupied all day as we bask in the autumn colour through a wide variety of habitats from mature hardwood and coniferous forests that cover slopes and high ground, to over two kilometres of Moira River shoreline. This area boasts exceptional beauty in the fall of the year. Advertised as “Flora, Fungi and Finches,” the hike promises plenty of flora and fungi, and we may even find a few finches. If not, there will be other birds present to satisfy our palates – perhaps even the resident barred owl. We will blend this potpourri of natural history with the human history as we learn why the area was so-named, and a bit about its early years when the far end of the property was once a popular campground. And the walking conditions are excellent!
Join us if you can on this hike October 7th (registration is mandatory), and also plan to join us in 2008 on a few of our outdoor events in Quinte Conservation’s exciting program as we set off to explore even more special places in the Quinte area.