The joys of walking slowly

About a month ago, my friend, Ed, and I rode the train to New York to hear Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh talk.

We arrived at Penn Station about thee hours before the dharma talk, and rushed to the Broadway theater where he would speak about slowing down to be more mindful.

That’s right, we rushed to hear about slowing down.

Since then, I have been reading “Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life” by Daniel Klein.

In his 70s, the author visited his dentist. “He said I had to get these implants over the course of a year [or] I would look older with denture plates …and my teeth would pop out once in a while,” Klein recalled. “And I thought, ‘what do I care if have a goofy old man smile? I am an old man!’”

So began his quest to find the way to grow old pleasurably. With a bag of philosophy books, he traveled to the Greek Island Hydra to study the wisdom of Epicurus and of modern day Greeks who age in grace and the pleasure of companionship.

On the island’s hills, Klein also discovered, at first by necessity, the pleasure of walking slowly.

Writing in Ladies Home Journal, Carol Mithers says, “Most of the time you walk with a destination in mind and the urge to get there as fast as possible. You hurry, head down, eyes anxiously scanning the phone for messages, fingers frantically typing a text, completely oblivious to your surroundings. But walking slowly…ambling…strolling…whether you’re going somewhere or nowhere in particular is a whole different experience. Slow walking — no iPods or cell phones allowed — isn’t a workout; it’s an exercise only in observation, a way to look at the places and people around you as a small child might, with curiosity and wonder.”

Thick Nhat Hanh frequently writes about the rewards of walking meditation. Since his talk in New York, my almost-daily hikes have become strolls, saunters. I do carry a phone because I am seeing so much more than I ever have, and I want to make photographs. And I try to follow the Zen master’s advice:

“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.”

Take a walk to Hanging Rock in Richmond #RI

The round-trip walk to Hanging Rock is less than two miles, but it’s a pretty good work-out with some ups and downs and a couple of spots that demand mindfulness.

The trails to Hanging Rock wind through the Bradner Preserve, maintained by the Richmond Rural Preservation Land Trust in southern Rhode Island. The 63-acre preserve is one of several wild places in the rural community; the others are featured on the Richmond Conservation Commissions website.

The canopy here is varied, dominated by American beech, oak and white pines with many yellow birches and some hickory. All but the beech and pine tress have dropped their leaves, so you can see though the woods for a long way off. Over the weekend, we spotted four deer running about 100 yards away in the middle of the day.

Throughout the preserve, old stone walls say the land was farmed, probably for livestock, because the land is much too rough for a plow.

From a little parking area on Gardiner Road, take the blue trail though a grove of immature beech trees and over a rocky spot that demands attention. The trail turns to the right here. Soon after, you can continue straight ahead on blue or turn onto the yellow trail which re-joins the blue trail just before Hanging Rock.

The blue trail has two sturdy bridges over streams that must be crossed. The yellow trail has one short bridge and requires a stream crossing. This time of year, with extremely low water, the crossing is easy, but when spring comes, it may be difficult.

Just up the hill from the stream, turn right onto the blue trail, and look up to see Hanging Rock. An “erratic” left by the great glacier, Hanging Rock rests atop a massive outcrop. The trail loops around it.

Though the trails of the Bradner Preserve are too rough for a stroller, they are ideal for a family walk with children;

For a trail map, click here.

To find more places to hike and paddle in Rhode Island, visit ExploreRI.org.

Related articles

• New bridge completes Grills trails in Westerly & Hopkinton #RI (outdoorlivingne.com)
• Carter Preserve tells a great glacier and nature story (outdoorlivingne.com)

Beautiful: ‘Weeds and Wildflowers in Winter’

The first snow of the season fell on Massachusetts, eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island this morning. It sent many gold finches, tufted, titmice , nuthatches and other birds to the feeders before dawn.

In the withered perennial garden, there were more birds – mostly finches – feasting on the seeds of cultured plants and weeds left standing. High winds had blown seeds of goldenrod, beebalm, and Queen Anne’s Lace to the ground, and the birds scooped them up.

We encourage native “weeds” to find their way into the garden to feed the critters that depend on them.

We also love to look at the plants after they have withered and stand in contrast to winter’s snow.

We appreciate them even more since receiving a copy of Weeds and Wildflowers in Winter by Lauren Brown, a beautiful and helpful guide for plant lovers.

Her pen-and-ink drawings are lovely, and her text is succinct.

For anyone who lives and walks in the Northeast, Weeds and Wildflowers in Winter would be a perfect holiday gift.

If you’d like to learn how to sketch wildflowers, check out the wonderful blog, Let’s Paint Nature.

New bridge completes Grills trails in Westerly & Hopkinton #RI

Harvey Buford, left, and Ted Dionne complete a day’s work on the new bridge over Tomaquag Brook yesterday.

A new bridge, connecting the Grills Sanctuary in Hopkinton RI to the Grills Preserve in Westerly RI, may be ready for hikers this weekend. The span crosses Tomaquag Brook, connecting the 3.1-mile trail from the trailhead off Route 216 in Hopkinton (pictured below) to the parking area on Bowling Lane in the village of Bradford.

The top of Tomaquag Trail in Hopkinton RI at sunset yesterday

The new bridge, built by volunteers from the Hopkinton Land Trust, is less than a mile from the Polly Coon Bridge, an aluminum span, built by the Westerly Land Trust, over the Pawcatuck River.

The new bridge over Tomaquag Brook is 55 feet long, said Harvey Buford. It is about a foot higher than the 100-year-flood mark, but the boardwalks leading to it probably will be submerged in times of flooding, he said.

The new bridge has fiberglass braces and black-locust wood walkways that should endure for 100 years or so, he said.

Both of the Grills sanctuaries offer wildlife a variety of habitats, and hikers can enjoy some gorgeous New England scenery and sounds throughout the year. (For the past week, barred owls have been hooting away during the day.)

Trail maps ave available online from ExploreRI.org.

#RI mom and environmental educator asks Toys R Us to pull TV ad

As conservationists and educators encourage American children to go outdoors, a new commercial by retailer Toys R Us is portraying a trip outdoors as boring. Shopping is much more fun, the commercial says.

In the ad, a group of kids are put on a bus for a fictional “Meet the Trees Foundation” field trip. The bus ride seems purposely boring, until the leader announces that they are actually going on a shopping spree in a Toys R Us store.

Jeanine Silversmith (pictured with her family at right), founder of RI Families In Nature, has launched an online petition asking Toys R Us to pull the ad. “Just like healthy food and a good night’s sleep, spending time in nature is essential to our health and well being,” Jeanine says. “There is a growing body of research showing the connection between interaction with the natural world and the physical, mental, academic, and emotional health of both children and adults. Research studies show that children who regularly play and learn outside are healthier, happier, and smarter than those who do not.” She cites evidence posted on http://www.childrenandnature.org/research/.”

To Toys R Us, Jeanine says, “Stop attacking environmental education. Take down your TV commercial that portrays spending time outdoors as a boring activity that children do not enjoy.”

Halloween woodland critters teach kids without frightening them

Kids meet friendly woodland critters on Audubon’s Halloween walks.

Join the Audubon Society of Rhode Island Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Caratunk Wildlife Refuge in Seekonk, MA, for a fright-free celebration of Halloween – Mother Nature style.

Bundle up and rustle through the leaves on a guided lantern-lit hike in the cool night forest.  Families encounter costumed woodland creatures that explore the myths, legends, and creatures associated with Halloween. Fun-filled and fright-free, these walks are a great alternative to the usual haunted happenings. Audubon’s woodland characters are friendly and fun, perfect for young children and the whole family.

Walks will begin at 5:30 p.m., with groups of 15 going off every 10 minutes. Registration is required to reserve a time. Refreshments, children’s activities, and a special treat await your return. Spaces are limited, so make your reservation today. REGISTER HERE or call 401-949-5454.

In the event of rain, the fun will be moved into the Caratunk barn, completely transformed for fall with pumpkins, hay and lanterns.

Related articles

• Get back to nature with the kids at the Audubon center (heraldnews.com)

NY parents sue summer camp for $41.75 million after tick bite

The parents of a New York girl are suing a Connecticut summer camp for $41.75 million after, they allege, their daughter was bitten by a tick and contracted Lyme disease.

The federal lawsuit names YMCA Camp Mohawk in Litchfield, CT. It was filed filed by attorney Antonio Ponvert III on behalf of Ariana Sierzputowski and her parents, Abby Horowitz and Joseph Sierzputowski.

For the whole story as it appeared in The Courant, click here.

Photo courtesy lymediseaseassociation.org

Related articles

• Parents Suing Summer Camp For Nearly $42M After Daughter Contracts Lyme Disease (connecticut.cbslocal.com)

Carter Preserve tells a great glacier and nature story

The Nature Conservancy’s Francis C. Carter Memorial Preserve in Charlestown, RI is a natural wonder.

Encompassing 841 acres, this is the Rhode Island Chapter’s second largest nature preserve. It straddles the rocky uplands of the Charlestown moraine and the sandy floodplain of the Pawcatuck River, the property supports a variety of natural communities, most notably are pitch pine/scrub oak barrens, vernal pools, and a 35-acre grassland.

If you park in the lot off Carolina Back Road (Route 112), the 1.3-mile Yellow Trail will soon take you to an observation deck overlooking a vernal pool. Empty now, the area is surrounded by colorful maples.

My Brittany, Penny, and I turned off onto the Red Trail. What a treat! The woods tell the story of the great glacier as it covered and then receded over the region. The boulders are nature’s sculpture. Erratics, as they’re called, he enormous stones weer tossed about throughout the region, and today, trees and ferns spout from many of them, along with colorful lichens and mosses.

We turned left on the 1.5-mile Blue Trail to take a short cut back to the Yellow Train and our truck. Much of the trail was rocky, but the footing was pretty easy except for one tiny bit of rock, covered by some slippery leaves. (Most f the trails are not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers, however, a young dad was there with two children, one of them in a stroller, so it can be done.)

There was plenty of autumn color in the trees and along the ground. A stand of high-bush blueberries was aflame in autumn red.

If you go, wear a blaze-orange hat or vest, to be visible during archery deer hunting season.

Depending on the trails you choose, the Francis C. Carter Memorial Preserve can offer an hour to a full day of exploring.

For a map of the Carter Preserve, click here. (It may take a while to load.) For driving directions, click here.

Paddle Hopeville Pond in Griswold, CT

When you’re looking for an easy paddle on a pretty pond, consider Hopeville Pond in Griswold, CT.

It’s a lovely, long and narrow pond formed when the Pachaug River was dammed.

The Pachaug was a major fishing ground for the Mohegan Indians, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection which manages Hopeville Pond State Park. “At low water the stone weirs, constructed by the Indians at angles from the river banks, are still visible,” according to the DEEP website. “These weirs directed water flow as well as eels, shad, and other fish toward the center of the stream where the Indians placed baskets to trap them. Until blocked up by a dam, constructed in 1828 at Greenville, shad passed up the Quinebaug River in great numbers.”

If you go, get there before the end of October when the park’s main gate will close. It will re-open in April. The large playing field near the entrance on Route 201 is open year around. To find it, set your GPS to 929 Hopeville Rd., Griswold, CT.

The boat launch has already closed, but you can launch easily at the swimming beach. The park also offers some delightful hiking. For a map, click here.

My dog Penny and I hiked there last week, and my brother Donn (pictured here) and I paddled there today. We plan to return frequently, and the next time, we will pack fishing rods.

 

Related articles

• It’s Walktober in The Last Green Valley (outdoorlivingne.com)

Janet Coit: ‘What I did this summer’

Janet Coit, director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, wrote these loving memories of her summer among her state’s natural wonders. The essay has appeared in The Providence Journal and the latest newsletter of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association. We’re pleased to share it here, too.

Last week, I bit into my first apple of the season, a fresh MacIntosh from Phantom Farm in Cumberland, and tasted the sweetness of September. As they have all summer, my senses felt acutely alive.

Showing off the tastes, smells, sights and sounds of beautiful Rhode Island to millions of residents and visitors is the work and pride of dedicated professionals at the Department of Environmental Management and organizations across the state. The special qualities of the experiences and places that we safeguard and steward provide tens of thousands of jobs across a variety of economic sectors.

When I think back on “what I did this summer,” here’s what comes to mind.

Kayaking down the Blackstone River, enjoying conversation with other paddlers, who also marvel at how the teeming, green corridor has rebounded from the pollution and stress associated with its industrial past.

Picking strawberries in the sun, my daughter’s fingers and lips stained red with juice, anticipating my favorite dessert — strawberry shortcake.

Climbing to the Fishermens’ Memorial at Camp Cronin on a lovely summer evening, paying respects to the people who have lost their lives at sea, and recalling the power of the surf the day I watched the waves toss boulders around that cove during Superstorm Sandy.

Fly-fishing (poorly) in the Narrow River, my heart pumping as I pulled in a small and feisty skipjack, and later, watching the sun drop behind the ridge lighting up the spartina in Pettaquamscutt Cove.

Attempting “geo-caching” for the first time in the woods of Arcadia (and deciding it is for those who are more techno-savvy).

Frying my first, homemade calamari, and enjoying the special texture and tang of squid harvested earlier that day from Narragansett Bay.

Pedaling down the East Bay Bike Path and seeing every kind of person — from a little girl in her patent leather shoes to a bald, buff, tattooed fisherman — taking in the view off the bridge over the Palmer River, as I ride to my destination at Colt State Park.

Crunching sweet kernels of fresh-picked corn purchased hours earlier from a farmer at his road-side stand, and swearing there is nothing better.

Shooting at a modern range in a beloved old club in Tiverton, excited to finally hit a bullseye.

Drinking Rhody Fresh milk at the “Great Outdoors Pursuit” event at Fort Adams State Park, while drinking in the sights of the kites and kids on the north lawn, surrounded by the breezy backdrop of Newport’s world-class sailing venue.

Spotting the bright-red bill of an oystercatcher at Napatree Point, and delighting in the diversity of birds that find sustenance where the shifting sands and eel-grass beds frame the edge of Little Narragansett Bay, and the Pawcatuck River meets the sea.

Slurping a raw oyster off its rough shell in Matunuck, appreciating the unique flavor, and knowing that, for thousands of years, others have enjoyed the same sensation.

Meeting friends in the gray light of dawn to motor out beneath the Mount Hope Bridge and catch some stripers — my friend’s daughter reeling in one big enough to take home for a delicious dinner.

Getting lost in the maze at the Clayhead Trail on Block Island’s northern bluffs on a hot day in July, and then cooling off with a therapeutic swim in the cold Atlantic.

Helping to measure and weigh the fish we hauled in as part of DEM’s regular trawl survey, and seeing firsthand what our fishermen know innately, that the diversity of life in our salty waters is a natural bounty that sustains us (and sometimes confounds us).

Laughing with sheer joy at the power of the waves that toss me on the sand as I boogie-board at the beach.

Joining family and friends in a towering natural amphitheater at Camp Yawgoog for my son’s Boy Scout ceremony.

Clambering up Pulpit Rock, wading through Nag’s Marsh, and taking in the panoramic view from the T-wharf on Prudence Island.

Watching an osprey scoop up a fish from Hundred Acre Cove out the window of my car during my daily commute.

Walking from the sandy to the rocky shore at Rocky Point, and daydreaming about the larger park that will open on that glorious stretch of coast.

Savoring steamers, fresh fluke and local tomatoes as part of a scrumptious dinner out.

Learning about the Native Americans, the colonial farmers, and the mysteries of those who lived near the Tomaquag River during a magical late-August hike in Hopkinton.

Spending a recent afternoon in Galilee, where an exciting fishing tournament and seafood festival celebrated commercial and recreational fishing at one of the most important ports in New England. The event did more than that; it brought people together.

We are fortunate in Rhode Island to have a vast diversity of beautiful places that support our economy and fill us with wonder. Our natural assets are there every season for all to enjoy. Get out there, enliven your senses, eat local, and discover beautiful Rhode Island!

A weekend for wildflowers and Harvestival

If you love wildflowers, this is the perfect time to saunter along southern New England’s coast. Inland in Massachusetts, Tower Hill Botanic Garden is celebrating Harvestival in its gardens and orchard.

Montauk daisies, coastal goldenrod, and asters are among autumn’s wildflower display along the beaches of Cape Cod and Rhode Island this week. Some beach roses (pictured here) are still in blossom, and there is a bumper crop of rose hips to pick for vitamin-rich jelly. It may be a little late for beach plums, but Penny, my Brittany, and I are going to try to find some today.

One of the most beautiful displays of wild Montauk daisies is on the western side of the  Quonochontaug Breachway in Charlestown, RI.

Poison ivy, with leaves in every shade of red, is spectacular along the beaches and back roads now.

In the salt marshes, delicious glasswort (pictured at left) is changing from chartreuse to brilliant magenta now.

If cultivated gardens and orchards are more appealing to you, visit Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA during the three-day Columbus Day holiday. Harvestival, a family event, features kids activities, tours and more. Our favorite activity is the tour of the apple orchard which has the largest collection of heirloom apples in New England. There are opportunities to taste various varieties, and then purchase them.

Tower Hill will be open Saturday through Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admitance for non-member adults is $12, $9 for elders, and $7 for children between 6 and 18. Youngsters under 6 are admitted for free.

Related articles

• Mostly nice weather for Columbus Day weekend (boston.com)
• Small Batch Wild Sea Rose Jelly for Beginners (carrierussellbooks.wordpress.com)

It’s Walktober in The Last Green Valley

Farmers Market at the Nathan Hale Homestead

It’s Walktober, a celebration of The Last Green Valley, in southern Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut, along the  Rhode Island border.

The 23rd edition of Walktober features scores of walks and paddle trips among natural wonders and important historical sites from Sturbridge, MA to Griswold, CT.

Sunday, we visited the Coventry CT Farmers Market at the Nathan Hale Homestead (pictured above), and walked around a bit through the rain. It was wet and muddy, but several children had a blast in the puddles. (And the farmers market was wonderful.)

Walktober includes 106 walks, hikes, paddles and bike rides as well as 36 events that highlight the cultural, historic or natural resources of The Last Green Valley.  The Walktober Calendar labels each walk as easy, moderate, or difficult. Many offerings are geared specifically for families with children. The family dog is welcome at pet-friendly walks. Adventurers will enjoy 13 paddles and three bike rides included in this year’s schedule. To download the schedule as a PDF file, click here.

Walktober is such a gift!

Related articles

• Experience the Beauty of Fall in New England with The Farmer’s Cow Walktober Farm Tours (virtual-strategy.com)
• Discover the Last Green Valley next week (outdoorlivingne.com)

Tomaquag Brook gets a new bridge, extending trail

Members of the Hopkinton Land Trust in southern Rhode Island are building a bridge crossing Tomaquag Brook, one of the prettiest little streams in the state.

The new wooden bridge extends the white-blazed trail on the Grills Sanctuary. Earlier this year, a metal pedestrian bridge over the Pawcatuck River was completed; it connects the Grills Preserve in Westerly to the sanctuary in Hopkinton.

Related articles

• Places to hike or paddle for leaf peeping now (outdoorlivingne.com)

Places to hike or paddle for leaf peeping now

Fall colors are flowing through southern New England now. Along some streams and through many beaver ponds, autumn colors are at their peak, so it’s a great time to pck up the paddling gear and go for a boat ride.

In southern Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut, the Pawcatuck River is aflame in some places. The stretch between the Bradford fishing area (pictured above) and the Burdickville Bridge is stunning, and the foliage should be even more brilliant this weekend.

In the Arcadia Management Area, near the Connecticut – Rhode Island border, Breakheart Pond is one of the first ponds to display color in the fall. Nearby, the shores of the Wood River are beginning to show their autumn colors and scarlet cardinal flowers are still in bloom in some spots.

Too shallow to paddle, the Falls River has a lovely hiking trail to Stepstone Falls, a scenic place for a picnic beneath fall foliage. It is off Route 165, a short way from the Connecticut – Rhode Island border.

Together, Pachaug State Forest and Arcadia Management Area offer thousands of acres and miles of trails and streams with free access for a autumn adventure.

Strollin’ and Trollin’ for TaTas in Hope Valley #RI

Hope Valley RI will be “Strollin’ and Trollin’ for TaTas” Saturday, Oct. 19.

An unusual combination of fishing derby and fund-raising walk, the event aims to raise money for the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, offering support to breast cancer patients and their families.

The idea for “strolling and trolling” was Shannon Tate’s and Stephanie Reynolds’s after they completed a fund-raising walk in Providence. “We had so much fun, but it was hard on some of the older ladies,” Shannon says, “so we are making our walk much shorter — a little over one-and-a-half miles.”

The day will begin with breakfast from 6 to 9:30 a.m. at American Legion Post 27 on Thelma Drive in Hope Valley. The cost is $7 per person, and 100 percent of the proceeds with go to the Gemma foundation, Shannon says.

The fishing tournament is scheduled to start at 7 a.m., and the entry fee will be between $5 and $10, depending on the number of anglers entered.

The stroll through Hope Valley is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Donations will be accepted, and T-shirts will be available for sale for $15 in advance or at the walk.

For more information or to pre-order a T-shirt, contact Stephanie Reynolds at 401-206-1916 or Shannon Tate at 401-316-6439.

Related articles

• TaTa’s (lovinric.wordpress.com)

First day of fall is a beauty

The first day of autumn dawned in rain in southern New England, but by noon, the rain clouds had disappeared. This afternoon is perfect for a hike or paddle beneath brilliant blue skies with a light breeze.

My wife Marie and I headed for the Tomaquag Trail in Hopkinton RI (at right) with our Brittany, Penny. It was lovely, especially now that all of last winter’s storm damage has been cleared. Several stretches of the white-blazed trail are wide enough for two hikers to walk side by side. The trails are all flat and easy, but exposed roots make them inaccessible to wheelchairs or strollers. Click here for great guide to many of Rhode Island’s trails and paddling spots.

To the north, foliage is beginning to take on its autumn colors. The first fall pastels are visible from the Massachusetts Turnpike near Jacob’s Ladder. And maples near streams and ponds are very red.

Friday, my brother Donn (pictured above) and I paddled Shaw Pond in Becket and Otis MA where we spent our summers as kids, and saw some lovely scenery. It will be even brighter next weekend. Click here for a guide to outdoor activities in the Berkshires.

Related articles

• A Detailed Guide to Photographing Fall Foliage (ifancyphoto.wordpress.com)

Lots of guided hikes in #RI this week

A newly built granite bridge over Wine Bottle Brook in the Grills Sanctuary in Hopkinton RI.

Autumn begins with lots of outdoor activities in Rhode Island, including several guided hikes offered by the Rhode Island Land Trusts Council. They are features of Land Trust Days which started Aug. 1 and continue through the end of September. Bring a friend to enjoy the scenic views, green spaces and working farms that are Rhode Island’s 47 land trusts.

Saturday’s walks include a visit with migrating monarch butterflies in Little Compton, a bluebird walk with children’s activities in Cumberland, a full-moon walk in Glocester, strolls through historic farms and more. There will be 10 in all. Two more walks, in Narragansett and Jamestown, are scheduled for Sunday.

For the whole list of coming guided walks, click here. To find maps of more trails maintained by local land trusts and the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. visit exploreri.org, a great resource for hikers and paddlers in southern New England.

Related articles

• Sparkling span links Grills trails (outdoorlivingne.com)

Discover 825 miles of trails in southern New England

Connecticut residents, and the rest of us who live in nearby Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island, are lucky to be near the Nutmeg State’s Blue Blazed Hiking Trails. They cover 825 miles and pass through 88 towns. This video is a great introduction to some of the hiking possibilities.

Discover the Last Green Valley next week

Take a virtual tour of The Last Green Valley, a 1,000-square-mile National Heritage Corridor on the borderlands of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island with chief ranger Bill Reid. He is coming to the Rhode Island Canoe/Kayak Association meeting Monday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. in Providence RI. Visit the valley’s rivers, streams and lakes in his presentation “Source to Sea through the Last Green Valley.” The meeting will be in the Jewish Community Center, 401 Elmgrove Avenue, on Providence’s East Side. Admittance is free.

Free camp offers kids help with grief, Aug. 22 – 23

Camp BraveHeart, a two-day, free camp for kids grieving the death of a loved one, still has openings. The seventh edition of the camp is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Aug. 22 and 23 at the YMCA’s Camp Fuller in South Kingstown RI. The camp is organized by Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island for kids and teens ages 4 to 17.

Most of us who have been there — kids, volunteers and staff — wouldn’t miss it for anything.

When the kids arrive Thursday morning, they’ll check in, get their T-shirts, and then go to a memory tree where they will place pictures of loved ones who have died. It is wonderful to watch them and to see the natural bonding that occurs as the kids share stories about their loved ones.

The adults who support the campers will come to help make the camp fun, said Deanna Upchurch, senior grief counselor at Home & Hospice Care yesterday. The bonding among the kids happens on its own, naturally.

Deanna founded Camp BraveHeart. Her children, whose dad died, have attended as campers and volunteers.

“Surviving children often feel isolated and lonely in their grief and may not be sure of how to handle the conflicting emotions they are feeling, she said. “At Camp BraveHeart, we provide an appropriate emotional outlet to children by offering them grief support in an environment of fun recreational activities.  We help them to understand that what they’re experiencing, although painful, is perfectly normal.”

To register, contact Deanna by Aug. 20 at (401) 415-4610 or email dupchurch@hhcri.org. Transportation is available from pre-arranged pick-up and drop-off points.

Related articles

• Grief is Not Something to be Fixed (stephaniejanebecomingreal.wordpress.com)
• Abilene’s Camp Courage Jr. to give young children an outlet for grief (reporternews.com)
• Kids of fallen cops share solace at summer camp (cbsnews.com)
• Camp helps youth though grief process (kjct8.com)