Local residents joined the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center on June 7 to participate in Trails Day, a program held in conjunction with the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and the American Hiking Society. Jennifer Johnson, director of marketing and communications, said in a recent release that more than 1,000 other organizations across the country issued an open invitation for people to get outside, connect with others in the community, and experience some of the many features that the great outdoors has to offer.
The nature center hosted two free hikes on the High Ledges Hike Trail in North Stonington and on the Stone Bridges Trail located throughout the nature center and Denison and Avalonia land conservancy properties in Mystic.
“Hiking is a wonderful activity for people of all ages and fitness levels,” said Maggie Jones, executive director of the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center. “Not only does hiking provide good exercise, but by participating in events such as Trails Day, people can connect with nature and learn to better appreciate and understand the importance of protecting habitats for plants and wildlife. In Connecticut, we have many beautiful nature preserves accessible by hiking trails. Spiritually and physically, wildness nurtures our well-being. Trees improve the air quality by providing more oxygen and removing greenhouse gases. They also filter soil and rainwater before they reach waterways and help to prevent erosion. Birds eat insects that would otherwise defoliate our forests. It’s all about connections.”
The nature center is currently seeking scholarship donations for its annual Summer Nature Camp, Johnson noted. She explained that children and young adults in southeastern Connecticut have come to the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center’s summer camp programs for more than two decades to spend their time hiking, pond dipping, ocean seining, and meeting animals to learn about the natural world and their place in it.
“This year, interest in the camps remains strong as area families are eager to find ways for their children to connect with the natural world and the great outdoors,” Johnson said. “At the same time, however, scholarship requests for summer camp programs are reaching record highs.
“Between school schedules, extra-curricular activities, video games, and television, children and young adults end up spending much of the year indoors,” Jones stated. “As a society we suffer from ‘nature deficit disorder,’ but programs such as the nature center’s summer camp help youth discover the physical and emotional rewards of reconnecting with nature. This year we have received more camp scholarship applications than before from interested children, and we try our best to help families who are in need. We appeal to all of those in the area to consider donating to our Camp Scholarship Fund to help give area children a nature camp experience that they will never forget. One hundred percent of the money given for scholarships will enable children of need to attend camp, and no donation is too small.”
Donations can be made by calling the nature center at 860-536-1216 or sent directly to DPNC, P.O. Box 122, Mystic, CT 06355.
The nature center is a private, not-for-profit organization, funded entirely by admission fees, memberships, and contributions. With 10 miles of trails, live animals, and a natural history museum, the nature center provides many recreational and instructive opportunities. More information about the DPNC and its programs can be found at www.dpnc.org.