Hiking with Braiding Sweetgrass
On our April hike we will be accompanied by the wisdom of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The author is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and a PHD Botanist. In this compelling book we are introduced to indigenous wisdom that focuses on relationship and reciprocity within nature. Robin Wall Kimmerer shows how the factual, objective approach of western science is enriched by the ancient knowledge of indigenous people. She writes: ‘To be native to a place we must learn to speak its language.’
Our hike will begin at the Ipswich River Watershed Association headquarters at 143 Country Road. There is free ample parking. Hike rated ‘moderate’ approximately 5 miles featuring low rolling hills, uneven terrain. We will hike the Riverbend Trail from IRWA through a restored native forest (invasive plants and trees replaced with natives), along the Ipswich River to Julia Bird Reservation (Essex County Greenbelt Association). Our hike will be alive with the sound of birds calling to mates and building nests.
Julia Bird is a 58 acre gem of the most mature forests in Essex County. Comprised of flood plain forest with large red oak and eastern hemlocks that benefited from a forest thinning project in the 1990s. A meandering and lovely hemlock-shaded stretch of frontage on the Ipswich River provides a beautiful overlook of the river. As time allows we will hike into Appleton Farms (a 1000 acre Trustee of Reservation property) before returning to our start via Riverbend Trail.
This hike is part of a series of events Ipswich River Watershed Association is holding in conjunction with North Shore Spirituality in Nature Group (NS SING). NS SING provides monthly outdoor events exploring the watershed once a month via hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking or canoeing. SING offers a contemplative, meditative experience providing opportunities for deepening spiritually in the midst of nature.
Our Guide:
Kent Harrop is an avid hiker, backpacker and kayaker. Year round he hikes trails of the North Shore or paddles along the Ipswich River, local lakes and coastline. Kent is a recently retired pastor in the Christian tradition with a longstanding commitment to interfaith collaboration and environmental advocacy. He is the volunteer founder of NS SING and looks forward to forming a leadership team as the group launches the winter of 2025.
Note: Participants will be asked to sign a liability waiver, “Your participation at the event is understood to hold North Shore SING, its partners and its leaders and staff, harmless in case of illness, accident or injury.” While safety is always a priority, there remains an element of risk in any outdoor activity.