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• The Wolcott Children's Forest
• Spring workday Photos  New!
• Fall workday Photos
• Nature Buds program
• The Legend

The Wolcott Children's Forest:  

In 1999, our school community adopted a piece of land adjacent to the school owned by West Hartford and began to transform it into an outdoor classroom.  These 5 acres of nearby woods were named the Wolcott Children's Forest. Over the first three clean-up days, volunteers cleared 1,700 feet of trails, spread 300 cubic yards of mulch, planted 900 daffodils, and created a tree nursery. Their conservation efforts were so successful that the Connecticut State Department of Environmental Protection gave us an award called the Green Circle Program Award – read about it at   http://dep.state.ct.us/whatshap/press/2000/ps0609.htm

Over the following years, Wolcott students discovered that the Children's Forest was actually the site of an ancient medieval civilization. Several of our students created the original legend of the Wolcott's Children's Forest which you can read below.  These students performed the tale in several locations within the woods. Dr. K later wrote a musical prequel to the legend, presented in 2000 as the annual school play.  You can read more about it at http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr254.shtml

Since the beginning of the Forest, Wolcott teachers have been taking classes of students to the forest to teach about life cycles, habitats, food webs, and conservation. One of these teaching efforts is the Nature Buds Program - read all about it! Every year organized groups of students, parents, teachers, and area scouts help to maintain and improve the forest as an outdoor science project

FALL 2002 Clean Up
Here are several pictures from our clean up day in the fall of 2002.  During this beautiful Saturday afternoon we built an outdoor classroom, constructed and mounted dozens of birdhouses, picked up litter and added a few colorful touches to the rocks and stones at the entrance to the Forest.  

The Legend of the Wolcott Children's Forest

By: Jasmine A, Maggie G, Erica S, Rishesh S, Kate C, 
Shannon H, Nicolette S, Zach G

      When they got to Earth, they found a prime piece of land. The guards and servants worked long and hard for many months. Soon they had a beautiful castle, which they named "The Cosmic Castle".

      One day, King SunRay and Queen MoonBeam left the Cosmic Castle to attend a royal meeting of the Gods on Mount Galaxy. They kissed their four daughters farewell, and said they would return in one months time.

      The next day the Royal Guard, Gunther, found a young man staring at Princess Lyra, who was on the balcony above. The young man was looking at the Princess Lyra with love in his eyes. "What are you looking at, young sir.'?" asked Gunther. The shy young man galloped away on his horse. The guard began to chase him but the young man's horse was too swift and he escaped.  Princess Ivy, who was returning from the Royal Garden, happened to see the man pass by and instantly fell in love with him; however, the young man was in love with Princess Lyra, not Princess Ivy.

      After Princess Lyra was notified about the man, she decided to go on a walk to pick flowers in the Wild Flower Garden and see if the young man was still about. She told her sisters what she was doing and they decided to go with her.

      On their walk they found a trail of horse tracks leading them into the forest.  The four princesses followed them and soon they found the young man, who had been staring at Princess Lyra at the castle. He was sleeping against a tree. With the man in sight, Ivy fell in love with him even more. In her head she planned a royal marriage. They woke him up and introduced themselves. The man revealed himself to be named Prince Eclipse. He pledged his love to Princess Lyra. When Ivy heard this she became furious, and ran away. Her sisters chased after her, but Ivy was too swift, and she outpaced them.
 

     As she ran past the Wildflower Garden, she came upon a strange looking hole in the ground. She quickly decided to hop into the hole. She descended to its lowest depths.

     At the bottom of the hole there were many little Trolls dancing around.
"Who are you and why have you come here?" The creatures exclaimed. Ivy told them the story of her lost love. When she finished the Trolls huddled together.  They decided to make Ivy their Queen.

     The Trolls told Ivy to visit them thirteen days in a row and to keep their existence a secret. In exchange, they would grant her all the riches and power her heart desired. She followed the Troll's orders and secretly visited the Trolls for the next thirteen days.

      On the thirteenth day, Ivy did not return to the palace. Ivy, now living with the trolls, became evil and changed into a hideous witch, so the Trolls renamed her "Poison Ivy."

     The three remaining princesses and Gunther the Royal Guard sent search parties throughout the forest, but they could not find Ivy.

      After many days of searching, the three princesses were wandering near the wild flower garden, when "POOF!" Ivy popped right out of the Troll Hole.  "AHHHH? The princesses screamed.

"Wait? said Princess Lyra, "That witch is dressed like our sister Ivy."

     "Fools, I am your sister! Now move out of the way! I'm going to find my Prince? Screamed Ivy.

     "Wait! the sisters called after her. But it was too late; Poison Ivy was after Prince Eclipse.

     Ivy eventually found the Prince at the Royal Fountain. She said, "Prince Eclipse, I love you more than all my power and riches! Come and join me as King of the Underworld!"

      The prince shouted back, "Neved My heart belongs to Princess Lyra. Not an ugly witch with a big wart on her nose!" Ivy, horrified at hearing this, ran to the royal fountain to look at her reflection. Sure enough, a huge wart was on her nose. "UGHHI" She was so disgusted with her reflection she transformed the fountain into a slimy, sickening, swamp. Ever since then this section of the forest has been called "lvy's Pit". Some people say Ivy's Pit is haunted!

      Ivy chased the prince toward the castle, and ripping off the wart, she threw it at the prince. Prince Eclipse ducked, and the wart hit a tree. There it stuck this day, you can still see the Wart Tree. If you touch it, you may gain magical powers - or maybe you'll get sick!

      Ivy ran back to the Troll Hole. On her way, she passed her sisters. "You better watch out, because I'm going to get you all, even if it's the last thing I do!"

      The next day, Poison Ivy had a plan of action. She would destroy her sisters. With the King and Queen still far away, Ivy set to work. She and her army of trolls approached the castle, all the while chanting a spell. Then, while her sisters slept soundly, Ivy locked them inside the castle. Then she ran and swiftly hid the key somewhere deep in the forest.

      She and her Trolls then cast another spell, which sank the castle into the surrounding moat. The only thing left was a pond.

       Her final task of evil was to surround the forest with her favorite plant, which would cause all who touched it to break out in an itchy rash. This plant is now known as Poison Ivy!

      When Ivy and her evil Trolls finished with their wicked plan, they
celebrated with a feast and bonfire dance in Ivy's Pit.

      Once the Prince discovered Ivy's evil doings, he was furious. He decided to end Ivy's reign of terror, once and for all.

      When Ivy and the trolls had returned to their troll hole, and were sound asleep, the prince set his own plan into action.

      By morning he had covered the Troll Hole with a magical metal seal, which would prevent the villains from ever escaping again. Some say you can still hear their moans to this very day.

      Afterwards, Prince Eclipse went to the pond where the castle had sunk, and wept. He looked at the reflections of the stars in the lake. He then saw the constellations of Lyra, Andromeda and Cassiopia. He knew they would always watch over him. He named the pond, Nebula Pond in honor of all the stars reflected in the water. Then the prince set to work. Using all of his strength, he moved earth and stone until he carved a large star into the middle of the forest. He made the star in honor of the three princesses, especially his beloved Lyra.

Today, you can still see parts of the star near the corner of New Britain Avenue and Wolcott Road. The arm of the star separates the park into two soccer fields.  If you walk around the park you will be able to find the other arms of the star.
 

      When the King and Queen returned they were horrified to see the Cosmic Castle gone. They cried aloud and mourned the loss of their daughters. They flew up to the sky to become the Sun and the Moon. They travel across the sky day and night searching for their children.

      On the thirteenth day of every thirteenth year, the castle rises out of the pond for thirteen minutes at dawn. If you find the key and are lucky enough to see the castle at dawn on that day, you can unlock the castle, free the princesses, and return true magic to the forest. However, if you do not succeed you will be turned into a goose. Prince Eclipse and Gunther, the royal guard, spent 13 years trying to find the key. When the castle rose out of the water, they tried to force their way into the castle to rescue the sisters. They failed and were turned into geese. 

When you visit Nebula Pond, look for the pair of geese. Prince Eclipse and Gunther are still there waiting for someone to unlock the castle, free the sisters, and return the magic.

      The key to the Cosmic Castle is still hidden somewhere deep in the forest.  If you find it, you can save the princesses, Prince Eclipse, and Gunther.

      Where do you think the key is hidden? Be careful. Remember that the forest is filled with poison ivy!