By Clark Judge
(April 12, 2023) — When a Killingworth resident who’s lived here since the 1980s recently admitted he’d never been to Deer Lake, he was urged to drive there and walk the property. Then, he was told, he could see first-hand why those familiar with the former Boy Scouts campus call it a “treasure.”
“But I don’t know where the trails are,” he said. “I’d be lost.”
Not anymore, he won’t.
That’s because Deer Lake will offer morning and afternoon guided hikes on Saturday, April 22, 2023 as part of Killingworth’s Earth Day celebration. The 255-acre property includes nearly seven miles of trails, and experienced guides will be on-site to lead tours, one from 10:00 a.m. -11:30 p.m. and another from 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
But that’s not all.
In the intervening hours – from Noon-2:00 p.m., Deer Lake will host A Place Called Hope (APCH), a local rehabilitation and education center for birds of prey. APCH has a long history of rescuing and rehabilitating injured raptors before releasing them to the wild when possible and is expected to have a falcon, hawk and two owls for a Meet and Greet with visitors.
There will be two persons from APCH on-site to make presentations and answer questions.
“This live, up-close-and-personal encounter offers the public a good look at these incredible beings,” said Christine Cummings, President of APCH. “Photos are welcomed. Each bird will be out for a half-hour when we will explain how it came to be an ambassador at our center.
“Since 98 percent of the injuries have something to do with mankind, it is a great platform for us to educate the attendees on simple ways to lessen the most common conflicts our wildlife faces living so closely to humans. Folks will also learn about each species and what they eat, where they live, et cetera.
“These presentations are geared to audiences of all ages, but it’s usually the adults who need to be reminded of bird etiquette: Please, NO TOUCHING!”
A public collaboration with Deer Lake is a first for APCH, which appeared several times in the past at Parmelee Farm. It has been to Deer Lake for private events but nothing public. Likewise, participation in Earth Day events is a first for Pathfinders, Inc., a non-profit that purchased Deer Lake last September.
Pathfinders became involved after it was contacted last month by the Killingworth Women’s Organization (KWO), which coordinated sites for the upcoming celebration.
“I did think Deer Lake would be a perfect group to be involved,” said Nancy McCormick, president of the KWO, “since Pathfinders worked so hard to save the site from development and protect it for future passive enjoyment.”
In addition to the guided hikes and APCH display, Deer Lake also will host an Avenza instruction session with Charlie Shafer from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Avenza Maps is a mobile app that allows users to download maps for offline use with their IOS, Androids or smartphones or tablets and is invaluable for hikes in remote areas.
There also will be a volunteer Master Wildlife Educator on-site with an information table and displays.
Deer Lake is one of 15 local entities involved in Earth Day events, a group that includes Parmelee Farm, the Killingworth library, True Value, the Lions Club, Killingworth Pharmacy, Evergreen Garden Club and Conservation Commission, Lovers Lane Farm, Tower Hill Farm and Running Brook Farm.
And A Place Called Hope.
“We are thrilled to be able to collaborate with Pathfinders,” said Cummings, “and participate in the celebration of saving Deer Lake on Earth Day! This property is a beautiful part of our natural habitat here in Killingworth. We have even released some birds on or near the property in the past.
“We are in support of keeping this land protected and feel fortunate to look to the future with more educational opportunities on site with our ambassador birds. It all falls into place – preserving our natural spaces for our native wildlife. A special Earth Day 2023!”
