September 21, 2021
When we got to Cardigan on the third, we split into our groups. Then we started going on the Nature Loop. We did a blindfolded activity where you get into groups of two and one partner guides the other to a tree. Then the blindfolded partner uncovers their eyes and has to go find the tree. Then we sketched our favorite tree in the area and had snack. Next, we took a long walk into the woods and found some plants to sketch. After that our teacher made lots of jokes while we walked to our lunch spot. While we ate we told stories and jokes. Then we did our last activity of the day called the Mystery of the Trees. We walked up a big hill to see this old car that was all rusty and broken down. We drew the car and then walked back to the lodge. Finally, we got on the bus and went home early (we got back around 2:30).
The theme for day three is human/environment interaction. One of the reasons behind this theme is the trees we saw on this day. There were apple and Scotch pine trees at Cardigan, neither of which grew there. Scotch pines were carried over from Scotland and the apple trees were moved from orchards onto the piece of land that makes up the base of Cardigan Mountain. Another example of human/environment interaction is the campsites we saw. There were multiple sites at the base of the mountain and they were filled with benches and fire pits, which were obviously not there when the land first came to be. There were also picnic tables at a little lunch spot in the woods, which were put there by the AMC Lodge owners for visitors to eat. The lodge is also an example of human/environment interaction because it was not there when the land was first founded. There are also trash cans and portable toilets around the base of the mountain and near the lodge.