Wickaboxet Management Area

Saturday, August 6, 2011

See, I'm catching up!

No pictures again. Sorry.

This was the second summer hike I invited my Cub Scout Pack to attend, and once again I got a low turnout. In fact, two scouts. Partially because of this I didn't plan any summer hikes for 2012. Besides, my youngest transitioned over to Boy Scouts earlier this month. I'll be finishing up my stint early next year and saying goodbye to the Pack I called home for about ten years.

Anyhow, the two scouts and two parents made a leisurely stroll around the property, menaced not by neither ATV riders nor mound ants. We made it to rattlesnake ledges and the boys wanted to climb up and down all day. After a brief Leave No Trace talk that included the abomination of leaving behind cans of lousy beer in makeshift (illegal) fire pits, we progressed on our way.

I've said it before but it bears repeating: it is so important to bring youngsters into the outdoors, even if for a short while. A simple day hike can do wonders for the child who sees the outdoors only as the small spaces between the chain link fences. They don't need to go survivorman, certainly not at Cub Scout ages, but we must not foster the world view that wild spaces are irrelevant. Our drinking water does not come from chemlawn runoff. Or at least, it shouldn't.