Indian Rock Nature Preserve
Hi Everyone!
For all of you nature lovers out there you must visit the beautiful Indian Rock Nature Preserve in Bristol, CT. Indian Rock is Environmental Learning Center of Connecticut's environmental learning facility made up of 280 acres that includes a lake, stream and miles of trails. Many school programs are taught at this facility and is also where the Indian Summer Camp is held. The facility is open for scheduled group and programs only and does not have public open hours.
The preserve used to be a spot for the Fuller Barnes family to spend their vacations. I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the family members who shared some wonderful memories with me that she had from when she was a young girl. I can tell you she had a beautiful childhood. For example, she remembered ice skating on the lake with friends and then returning to the house by the lake to warm up and have hot chocolate.
This preserve has so much to offer. Not only is the staff great, the camp is open to kids all all the way through 12th grade which I find to be very rare. These days our youths have very little to do that is constructive. I toured this facility and saw it as a great opportunity for youths to get out there and experience something different. The preserve provides the opportunity for youths to interact with others and animals such as the resident pigs, chickens, cow, turkeys and sheep. The preserve has a Native American program with two authentic wigwams. The preserve has held overnight adventures in the wigwams during summer camp which is a great way for our youths to see that there is a such thing as life without electronics, lol.
Inside the wigwam I imagined a fire crackling and a family spending time together.
As you can see, its quite spacious inside. Imagine living with a fire to provide heat and being without a tv, radio, cell phone or XBox!
Below is the view of the wigwam in the woods.
The preserve has two wigwams within close proximity of each other. Here is the second smaller wigwam. The entrance was a bit too tiny for me to get into with all my equipment, lol.
There is a great lake for all to swim in or take a walk around. I have a favorite spot on one side of the lake where there is wooden walkway and benches to sit on. I attended Earth Day and sat there for a bit and just took in the surroundings. I could hear people in the distance but I also listened to the birds and a few moments of just good ole plain silence and cleared my mind.
Take a look at some of the pictures from Earth Day:
Some of the farm animals....I admit I enjoyed the sheep the most. They loved all the attention they were getting and were more than willing to let you feed them.
I think this pig was camera shy......I hung around for a bit and just couldn't get him to look in my direction.
This looked like so much fun! I could tell the kids were really enjoying themselves. They were able to feed and interact the farm animals, learn about climbing trees and archery, to name a few.....
The lake is empty this time of year but summer is just around the corner and pretty soon there will be laughter and the sound of many splashes in the water!
My peaceful spot to sit just off the lake. This spot is great for bird watching.
A deck to view the lake. In the distance you can see the house that is just overlooking the lake. The house now serves as a community room for events.
Many came out for Earth Day. The day started out a bit overcast and chilly and ended up being a beautiful, sunny, warm day. There were exhibits to view such as turtles and frogs, activities and a hayride. It was refreshing to spend the day with nature and meet new people.
Warmer weather is approaching and the preserve is a great way to get away from it all and get in touch with nature.
The preserve is a non-profit organization and has many volunteers. For more information about the preserve, to volunteer, or to learn about upcoming events, visit the Early Learning Centers of CT, Inc.online at elcct.org.
Til next time,
K
For all of you nature lovers out there you must visit the beautiful Indian Rock Nature Preserve in Bristol, CT. Indian Rock is Environmental Learning Center of Connecticut's environmental learning facility made up of 280 acres that includes a lake, stream and miles of trails. Many school programs are taught at this facility and is also where the Indian Summer Camp is held. The facility is open for scheduled group and programs only and does not have public open hours.
The preserve used to be a spot for the Fuller Barnes family to spend their vacations. I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the family members who shared some wonderful memories with me that she had from when she was a young girl. I can tell you she had a beautiful childhood. For example, she remembered ice skating on the lake with friends and then returning to the house by the lake to warm up and have hot chocolate.
This preserve has so much to offer. Not only is the staff great, the camp is open to kids all all the way through 12th grade which I find to be very rare. These days our youths have very little to do that is constructive. I toured this facility and saw it as a great opportunity for youths to get out there and experience something different. The preserve provides the opportunity for youths to interact with others and animals such as the resident pigs, chickens, cow, turkeys and sheep. The preserve has a Native American program with two authentic wigwams. The preserve has held overnight adventures in the wigwams during summer camp which is a great way for our youths to see that there is a such thing as life without electronics, lol.
Inside the wigwam I imagined a fire crackling and a family spending time together.
As you can see, its quite spacious inside. Imagine living with a fire to provide heat and being without a tv, radio, cell phone or XBox!
Below is the view of the wigwam in the woods.
The preserve has two wigwams within close proximity of each other. Here is the second smaller wigwam. The entrance was a bit too tiny for me to get into with all my equipment, lol.
There is a great lake for all to swim in or take a walk around. I have a favorite spot on one side of the lake where there is wooden walkway and benches to sit on. I attended Earth Day and sat there for a bit and just took in the surroundings. I could hear people in the distance but I also listened to the birds and a few moments of just good ole plain silence and cleared my mind.
Take a look at some of the pictures from Earth Day:
Some of the farm animals....I admit I enjoyed the sheep the most. They loved all the attention they were getting and were more than willing to let you feed them.
I think this pig was camera shy......I hung around for a bit and just couldn't get him to look in my direction.
This looked like so much fun! I could tell the kids were really enjoying themselves. They were able to feed and interact the farm animals, learn about climbing trees and archery, to name a few.....
The lake is empty this time of year but summer is just around the corner and pretty soon there will be laughter and the sound of many splashes in the water!
My peaceful spot to sit just off the lake. This spot is great for bird watching.
A deck to view the lake. In the distance you can see the house that is just overlooking the lake. The house now serves as a community room for events.
Warmer weather is approaching and the preserve is a great way to get away from it all and get in touch with nature.
The preserve is a non-profit organization and has many volunteers. For more information about the preserve, to volunteer, or to learn about upcoming events, visit the Early Learning Centers of CT, Inc.online at elcct.org.
Til next time,
K
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