Guaranteed Gifts Await Us on the Trail

Whenever we venture outdoors, and if we take care to be receptive, without fail we will encounter some sort of gift. The natural world will always reward vigilant and mindful explorers with treasures that offer our senses a treat and reaffirm our connections to the landscape. Rehoboth Land Trust’s properties give us opportunities to experience the simple joys that await us on the trail.

One morning in June 2023, during a visit to RLT’s Mason Street Conservation Area, as I headed down trail toward the Palmer River, I spotted a creature in the middle of the path. A feathered mass lay nestled down within a depression in the grass. At first glance I thought it might be an injured bird, but shortly it became clear that it showed no signs of physical distress. Soon, I recognized it as an adult wild turkey, and noticed little camouflaged bodies moving furtively in the grass under the mother’s sheltering wings. Surprised by my arrival, the hen released her little group of poults to go scurrying to the edge of the trail as she fluttered into the nearby brush. There the little ones settled briefly among the clover (long enough for me to get a photograph) before going deeper into the underbrush, peeping away to keep mother informed of their whereabouts.

So came and went a magical moment in nature, a gift such as each of us may experience on any given day simply by stepping outside and enjoying what the day has to offer.

**Do you have a memory like this from a visit to an RLT property? Share your RLT story, including any related photos, directly on our Facebook page, or email us at info@rehobothlandtrust.net.  Your story might be the next one we feature in our newsletter or printed in the Reporter!