Historic Green Spring

If you have ever driven out Centerville Road from route 5, you have seen the open fields and signs for "Historic Green Spring".  Yesterday with the National Park Service and the Friends of Green Spring, the site was open for touring.  Thank-you to the wonderful volunteers including Jamestown High School Biology students. 

The site was open with two people in character as Govenor and Lady Berkley.  Historians, Map makers and volunteers were on hand to give presentations on The Battle of Green Spring, named after the Berkley Plantation, but also called the Battle of Jamestown Island.  The Battle itself was fought on what is now known as Mainland farm, Carlton farm and Drummund Field Community. We had a nice look of Maps throughout history which showed where things were in the 17th, 18th and 19th century as well as today.  We were also priviledged to hear about the Greate Road, the road going back 1000 plus years leading from Jamestown Island to Williamsburg.  Another historian spoke on the African American history of the area.  The first slaves in Virginia were at the Berkley Plantation and were later freed by Henry Lee and given a plot of land in the area now known as Freedom Park, a James City County park, botanical garden and display of Slave cabins. 

What was exciting seeing on the sight was the actual Green Spring for which the area is named.  There is still a spring and an old spring house where water still emerges from the ground and then flows towards the other tributaries and into the James.  The sight was chosen for the spring that existed there in the 16 and 1700's and the area named after the spring because having an abundance of water meant the area was green.

THE AREA OF GREEN SPRING PLANTATION

THE GREEN SPRING

OLD SUNKEN ROAD

BATTLE LINES FROM REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLE AT GREEN SPRING

GUESTS TO THE INTERPRETATION OF GREEN SPRING

Church on the Main

This past week riding along the bike trail, I discovered the Church on the Main, a church built in the 1700's. By 1850 it was completely in disrepair and the bricks and headstones had been all removed.  Some 210 graves have been located around the former site for the building.  There is also an Indian Burial site nearby. 

Walk & Talk - Williamsburg Land Conservancy

  Today I enjoyed a "Walk and Talk" by the Williamsburg Land Conservancy Volunteers on Green Spring Trail.  I have discovered that I live on the river bank of what use to be Powhatan Creek 100,000 to 120,000 years ago, the prehistoric area of the James River and the outer rim of the crater which hit the area.  There were several interesting speakers.  I am mostly interested in the history and the formation of the area.  We also heard about the Land Conservancy itself and the Master Naturalist Program.  Thank-you to the WLC for the great afternoon. 



Bird Enthusiast Bill explains about the 210 species of Birds found within the area of Greensprings Interpretive Trail and the importance of the area to find that many species in one place.





Scematic Map of the area for the former riverbed of Powhatan creek and the Ancestrial James River



Archeologist Alaine Outlaw explained the history of the area leading up to the location of the Green Spring Plantation as well as the Battle of Green Spring.  He gave great information on the historical significance of the area.  Mr. Outlaw uncovered the area of "Church on the Main" and the 210 graves located there. 



Walk and Talk participants enjoying the views from the Marsh boardwalk over looking the Marsh lands





Geologist and Professor from William & Mary, Jesse Johnson explains that we were standing in the old pre-historic area of the James River and also 120,000 years ago the river bed for the Powhatan Creek. Looking at land features on my way along the trail home which rises off the trail slightly, our home sits on the edge of the former Powhatan Creek



Video of Deer Crossing Trail

This video was taken along with the photos today. Two deer had already crossed the trail, so that is 9 in this group of Bucks that hang out behind my house.

Greensprings Bucks

 

Group of about 9 Bucks which hang out behind my house at the end of our trail to the Greensprings trail. They are absolutely beautiful.

Captial Trail Buck

Capital Trail Buck seen this morning on the Greensprings area of the Capital Trail.

August has arrived and so has the rain

At least some has arrived.  Just enough to make everything green and the weeds shoot straight up above your head.  These are the lastest photos from this past weekend. There are a few gems in there.  The deer fawns were out.  I saw 5 in all near boardwalks. The new end of the trail which will eventually lead around St. Georges Hundred to Clara Byrd Baker is in the works.

Northern Water Snakes along the Greensprings Interpretive Trail

Personally, I cannot watch this video, however, I am attempting to capture life along the trail.  Apparently, this is rare footage of snakes mating.  The one larger snake we have seen for some time in this location of the culvert between Jamestown High School and the wetlands along the most travelled portion of the trail.  The two smaller fellows arrived this summer.  Since this was filmed the female has moved on elsewhere and the two guys come and go in this location.  One evening our dog discovered one of them on the edge of the trail away from the culvert.  Currently they are not there, so watch where you step.  I can often be seen running past this area, because I know they are there.  Silly I know, but it works for me.

Late Summer and NO Rain in sight

This evening, the nearly two months of severe heat and little to no rain are even more apparent on the wetlands.  There are still several deer grazing on what is left, however the abundance of turtles and birds is missing.  See pictures at the beginning of this blog to see what it was like in spring. 

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Sunday Morning

This past sunday morning, I ventured out for a 5 mile ride on my bike down to the Trailhead at Jamestown.  At 1000 in the morning it was already 97 degrees.  It was great to see so many runners, walkers and cyclists out on the trail. During this heatwave which continues, please be sure to take water with you.  As I was riding along, the areas of shade were very welcome.  There is a video kiosk at the Trailhead which has videos of various areas of the trail.  I look forward to future rides.

Map of the Area covered by this Blog

http://www.jccegov.com/pdf/parksrecpdfs/2010documents/PowhatanCreekTrailStGeo100.pdf

Late July

I spent last week away from Williamsburg.  The drought, heat and humidity still continue on the trail.  According to a family member, while I was away, the wetlands pond area filled up with dead fish which died due to the lack of water.  The area has filled up with green grasses and probably all the deer are getting.  There is a new baby fawn in the area. 

In the past weeks, myself or members of my family have seen several snakes on Greensprings Trail.  Most are black snakes, green garter snakes.  There are at least two, sometimes three Northern water snakes which live in the culvert below Jamestown HS.  I have great videos and pictures, but I also have a distaste for snakes and have not posted them.  The good news is that I am getting less and less sensitive to them. One of the water snakes was on the trail at the culvert on a high traffic area.  Despite requesting the county to relocate the snakes, they are still there. 


While I was away, my husband flipping channels found a story on copperhead snakes in James City County on the JCC TV channel.  Early the next day while walking the dog, he saw something in the brush near the Capital Trail and is insistant that it was a Copperhead.  These are poinsonous.  Do not confuse these with the Northern Water Snakes which appear reddish.  He followed the snake enough that he said the copper coloring was very distinctive.  In college he worked for Newport News Park and use to catch snakes for their interpretive center, and spends a great deal of time learning about snakes.  My philosopy about snakes is stomp your feet and just go the other direction.  No need to identify, run like hell.

Personally, I did not realize there were poinsonous snakes along the trail, but I am sure it was just wishful thinking.  DO NOT let this deter you from the trail.  Just be cautious about letting your pets and children go off the trail into the brush.