Please join the Middletown Conservation Commission for a hike
at the Guida Farm Conservation Area on Saturday, November 19, 2016, with
a rain date of Sunday, November 20. The hike will begin at
9:30 am at the intersection of Coleman Road and Round Hill Road. The parking lot
is directly across from the T-intersection with Coleman Road.
Hike leaders will be Kim Antol, a biology teacher, and
Elisabeth Holder, a retired earth science teacher and a member of the
Conservation Commission. The two led an informative walk last spring, discussing
the natural history of the area. Some of the spring sightings included frog eggs,
a wood frog, an owl pellet, a sputnik-shaped fungus called cedar-apple rust,
and several bird species.
The fall hike will highlight seasonal changes that can be
seen along the trails. Fall topics will be adaptations of trees to the coming
winter, how animals prepare for the cold, the foods available to animals, and
uses of different plants by Native Americans. Wild animals and birds may show up
for everyone’s enjoyment. Who knows what we might see!
Geologically, the property is notable for its exposed
Jurassic conglomerate, a rare ancient rock that looks like concrete. It formed at
the same time as the Portland brownstone. When dinosaurs roamed the Connecticut
Valley, this location was the site of a major fault. The valley was dropping to
the west and swiftly-moving streams drained from the highlands to the east into
the valley. These rapidly-moving waters left behind the pebbles that are now encased
in the brown conglomerate.
For several hundred years, this land served as a grazing
area for cows belonging to a succession of family farms. The most recent family
to farm here was that of Alexander and Mary Guida, who immigrated from Poland.
They ran a highly-successful farm–Sunshine Dairy–from the late 1920s
until around 1990. Today their heirs continue to operate the Guida Dairy
business. Evidence of the Guida’s former grazing land can still be seen in old strands
of fencing in some places. Turnips, corn, potatoes, and other food crops were
also grown in the flatter fields.
Anthony and Joseph Guida sold a substantial number of acres
to the City of Middletown in 1991 to be preserved as open space. Subsequent additions
of land from the Makuch and the Cassa families completed the approximately
100-acre preserve. The Guida brothers continued to mow the open areas after the
dairy closed, and Joe, now in his late 90s, continues to manage the hay fields.
Because some of the fields have reverted to woodland, this site
presents many opportunities to see how this process takes place. Certain trees
and shrubs appear in the old fields. Other species follow in a fairly
predictable pattern. There is also abundant evidence of invasive, non-native
species, including Japanese barberry, oriental bittersweet, and multiflora rose.
The hike will be suitable for all ages, from school-aged
children on up. Participants should wear sturdy shoes, long pants, warm jackets,
and be sure to bring a water bottle.
The Middletown Conservation Commission welcomes input from
the public regarding its open space properties. We will use information about
people’s experiences to continue our stewardship these properties.
At the beginning and the end of the walk, copies of the
updated Middletown Trail Guide will be available for purchase at a cost of $10.
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