Today we spent the fifth and last full day of our Intensive Learning program at the Franklin Parker Preserve. The trail began at the same location as Tuesday’s hike to Apple Pie Hill, but we went in a different direction. Our trip today was focused on hiking along train rails and bird watching.
We travelled again with Stephen and Monica about 3.5 miles in the preserve and got to learn about its history. Particularly, we learned that the preserve historically had cranberry bogs as well as a train track that a famous express train passed through (Blue Comet). We were surprised by how cool it was near the cedar swamp and the beaver ponds.
Last Friday, Stephen encouraged us to download the apps iNaturalist and Merlin to identify plants, animals and bird calls. Today, we used the apps and the knowledge of Stephen and Monica to find Redwing Blackbirds, Pine Warblers, Woodpeckers, and more. Some of our interesting finds today were a beaver, a wooden cross, and blueberry bushes. Stephen’s dog, Loki, also accompanied us on the trail and had fun dipping in the ponds and being petted by the students. He was delighted by the taste of Zeek’s lunch!
For lunch, we ate in an open space near the entrance. After lunch, we continued to hike for about a half hour and left the preserve. On our way back to campus, we stopped at Evergreen Dairy Bar in Southampton and ordered ice cream, despite the windy, cold weather! It was another beautiful day in the Pines!