Land trust rings in 2023 with first guided hike of the year
Jan 2, 2023
A New Year’s walk along the boardwalk. Photos by: Christopher Shea
Land Steward Walt Granda talks about the boardwalks came to be constructed on the DNRT property.
Dogs Tristan and Rosie share some sniffs, which was presumably their resolutions for 2023.
Prim, 6, is dead serious to go on a walk.
The winter marsh.
Granda chats with the hikers.
The Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust is starting 2023 on the right foot… and the left.
To kick off the new year, the land trust hosted its annual walk through a section of its Frank Knowles/Little River reserve, which saw a couple dozen nature enthusiasts hop over rocks, walk over boardwalks, and take in the winter salt marsh.
Though rain canceled the DNRT’s end of 2022 walk the day prior at Destruction Brook Woods, Sunday’s excursion saw nothing but bright sun and warm weather.
“You couldn’t have asked for a better day,” said Land Steward Walt Granda, who helped guide the trek.
During a “practice walk” just a few days prior, Granda said he was slightly skeptical if the trail would be fit for the annual walk, noting that there was still some significant damage leftover from the previous week’s storm.
“There were a lot of trees down,” he said. “I counted eight different trees.”
Fortunately, he said “someone cleared them off” just in time for the new year.
Granda began the walk by going over a quick history of the 194-acre property which contains a number of networks of stone walls, old barn foundations, and possible ties to rum-running during Prohibition.
According to Granda, a previous owner of the land said shacks in the area were used to stash illegal alcohol and ship in and out using speed boats along the local estuaries.
Granda theorized about a red shack near one of the trail paths.
“It’s possible they used that,” he said. “I’ve always wondered what exactly that shack was used for.”
With the first walk of the year in the books, Granda said the land trust hopes to conduct a number of guided walks.
One such, which will be held Jan. 16, is the annual “Long Dam Walk” over the Copicut Reservoir Dam, which is normally closed to the public.
Starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 16, Fall River Water Department Reservation Superintendent Mike Labossiere will lead a 6.5 mile hike over the dam, through Ridge Hill Reserve, Copicut Woods, and the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve.
This walk features uneven terrain, rocky areas, inclines, and muddy spots.
The hike is free for DNRT members and $5 for non-members. To learn more, or to register, visit dnrt.org/event/longdamwalk/.
