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Wolcott Children's Forest LbNA #38750

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Apr 5, 2008
Location:
City:West Hartford
County:Hartford
State:Connecticut
Boxes:1
Planted by:Sally-O
Found by: Framboise Blue
Last found:Nov 19, 2012
Status:FFFFFOFFFFFFFFFaa
Last edited:Apr 5, 2008
Directions:
Get off at Exit 40, from I-84W, go under the highway, staying in the left lane. Turn left onto New Britain Ave. At the third traffic light, passing the park on your right, turn right onto Wolcott Rd. The playground parking lot will be on the right.
From I-84 E, get off at Exit 40. Turn left at the light onto New Britain Ave. At second light, turn right onto Wolcott Rd. Park in parking lot.

This is a very small 5-acres forest. It was unused land between Wolcott elementary school & Wolcott Park, all of it used to be farmland belonging to the Wolcott family. In 1999, it was named as the Wolcott Children's Forest, and is used by the local schools as an outdoor classroom. Trail paths were laid down and an outdoor sitting areas were built. Children planted a Butterfly Garden, trees & flowering bulbs.(read about it at http://www.whps.org/school/wolcott/forest.htm )
Just recently, the pond got a "face-lift" making it deeper to support more life. In winters past, this pond used to supply ice blocks before times of refrigeration.

A good time to visit would be Spring when the flowers are blooming or Summer when the Sprinkler Park is open --a good way for the kids to cool off on a hot day.
When we moved into town 10 yrs ago, this park was falling apart. But over the yrs, a modern playground, a sprinkler park, & the rebirth of the Wolcott Children's Forest has made this a spot for young families to visit.

Last year, a family of foxes made their home here. I saw a fox here munching at some veggies in the garden and children had seen young kits frolicking from their school nearby. We hope they will return again this year.

Please note that there is poison ivy at this park. But where the box is hidden, there is no/very little poison ivy. Please stay on the trails which is covered with wood chips. Try not to step on the plants. And do try to rehide the box better than you have found it. I have found the box left out in the open twice already. Please hide well so others can enjoy finding it.This is the first box that I've ever planted. Thanks for looking for it. :-)

Clues:

Starting at the park entrance, is a board walk built by a local boy scout group. Go on the boardwalk to the end which comes by the pond's edge. Go straight on the wood chip trail that is alongside the waterway.
Soon on the left is a five-sister tree with a fallen mate next to it. Look to your right of the path. You will see a fallen tree still attached to it's stump and behind it is a two-sister tree where you'll find your prize. Be careful of people on the nearby trail to your left as you can be seen. There is no stamp pad, so bring your own. Green would do nicely.
After stamping in, rehide well.Making sure baggies are all sealed.

Go back to the trail and continue a bit further to where the trails intersect. Take the left trail to the next trail intersection. The left trail goes back to the pond, but go straight to visit the children's outdoor classroom and Butterfly Garden. If you continue on, you will come again to Wolcott St again. Go to your right a few steps and look towards the right at the community garden, and you can see the new Windmill that the children purchase (in 2009) to help aerate the pond!!
After your visit, you can retrace your steps to the intersecting trails and return to the pond and lot. Or just got down the street back to the parking lot.
Thanks for visiting the Wolcott Children's Forest.

Update: 10-20-13 Box is well. Found a vampire coffin in the forest. Guess the school nearby is doing a halloween theme in the forest. LOL
Update: 10-09 Box is replanted in the forest. New container.
Update: 06-10-09 Letterbox is okay. Box damp but logbook & stamp dry, thanks to the plastic baggies!!

Update: 10-27-08 Letterbox is back in place.

Update: 10-15-08 Water got in box. Logbook slightly damaged. Under maintenance until further notice.

Update: 8-24-08 Stamp recarved. Same image. Logbook dry now.
Please make sure the bag is zipped. Thank you. :-)

Update: 8-11-08 Box is Unavailable. Being Maintained. Will be back soon. Unzipped baggie, so book got wet. :-(

Update: 6/20/08 Box is doing well. Please rehide well. If children are hiding the box. Please check that they hid it well and box is completely covered. Thank you :-)

Update:5/3/08 Box is doing fine. While there today, we saw a family of Canadian Geese with 7 goslings in the pond. :-)