North Shore SING

Welcome to Spring: Hiking with the Celts

NS SING event is scheduled for March 22nd, 9 a.m. - Noon, two days after the Spring equinox. In Celtic spirituality, both pagan and Christian, the natural world is understood as a place of meeting. They speak of a 'thin place' between the consious world and that of the sacred. For the Celts a 'thin place' is approched via three practices: Listening, noticing and responding.

On our hike we'll be accompanied by a wisdom reading from John O' Donohue, a modern mystic, philosopher. Rooted in the wilds of western Ireland, O'Donohue invites us to be present to the beauty of nature. Who knows ... you too may find yourself in a thin place!

Hike rated as moderate. 4 - 5 miles based on comfort of group. Terrain uneven with several steep uphill climbs. Vernal ponds and the singing of peeper frogs along the route.

Location: Ravenswood Park (a Trustees of Reservations property), 481 Western Avenue, Gloucester. MA Parking available, no fee.

Space is limited to 18 participants. RSVP for SING If Full a 'wait list' is provided.

Note:  Participants will be asked to sign a liabitlity 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.

Save the date for April 19th, 9 a.m. - Noon, Hiking with Braiding Sweetgrass. 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 HQ of Ipswich River Watershed Association (IRWA), 143 Country Road, 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.

Watch for 'Live' Reservation link in mid March. Limited to 18 participants (adult/youth) a Wait List if full.