Boston Inspiring Connections Outdoors
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March 24, 2012 - Hike and Maple Tapping Tour with St. Peters
On March 24 ICO and St. Peters joined for an energy-filled, teen-led hike up to the accessible peak at Doublet Hill in Weston, followed by a trip to Weston's maple "Sugaring Off" festival. Two St. Peters staff members-- Culi and Alex, a junior counselor-- joined 11 middle school boys and four Boston ICO volunteers for what started as a one hour nature hike in the Weston Conservation Lands. We stopped along the way at a pond. Challenged with finding signs of spring, we examined the pond for frog eggs, noticed little brightly-colored blossoms close to the ground, and spotted plants that on hot days smell like skunks. Not only did we enjoy listening to the sounds of our surroundings during 10 seconds of silence (where birds, the wind and even route 95 were cited), but we were soon rewarded at the top of the hill with a breathtaking view of the Boston skyline that left some of us speechless for a little longer! For some, it was the first they'd seen the city in this way. We later found out that at least 4 of the kids had never hiked before.
Next stop was to the Land's Sake sugar shack at the Weston Middle School, where middle schoolers gave us a great tour of the maple sugaring process. While listening to live folk music, we worked up a bit of an appetite taking turns pedaling the stationary bicycle to power a blender-- and enjoyed maple smoothies as the fruits of our labor. Then we hit the nearby basketball courts, shooting hoops and throwing around footballs before lunchtime. The day ended with a brief and educational but (thankfully) otherwise uneventful visit to the Land's Sake bee farm, where we saw where the bees lived. The photo at left was taken before we left for home, while posing underneath a gorgeous blossoming tree.
Thanks to ICO first-time volunteers Andrew (who took the majority of the terrific photos) and Chuck, and for Allison and Rucker for co-leading.
And, thanks to our Poet-Photographer Andrew, we have an historic first: A Trip Report Poem!
The Tree and Seeds of the City
by Andrew Kinlock
Few hear the call of the tree,
As its insides groan under strain and oppression from the wind,
So strong the branches lose their bearing and rescind.
But one can count on Allison,
And she answers by being Ally to Sons,
Whom with enough warmth by her will grow brighter than the sun.
Few hear the call of the tree,
As its roots in earth get so dry and thirsty,
That it makes its root network cry out for mercy.
But it does not stop Rucker,
And she answers by Rucking to irrigate,
So the roots and seeds benefit from the steady flow rate.
Few hear the call of the tree,
As the ground around may soon make it lose its balance,
Flooding-- one of nature's and weather's many talents.
But you ask, "How much wood would a woodChuck Chuck if a woodChuck could chuck wood?"
And his answer to the age old question is... "Enough,"
As his tireless effort of tunneling through to seeds gives them space to breathe.
Few hear the call of the tree,
But it never stops the Sequoia of Culi.
Because by his nature he calls upon Allys to fill in Rucks with help from the woodChuck,
As he protects the seeds from the baking sun, underneath his canopy
Of St. Peter's Catholic Charity,
And prays to God the seeds have hope enough to grow,
With sustenance to one day leaf a helping hand in the Sierras of the City
Just as The Sequoia of Culi did show.
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