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Enjoy a walk back in time
By J. David Barron, What Gives
In an unending quest to present activities to enjoy for next-to-nothing on any given day in Allen, Yours Truly recently stumbled upon the Connemara Conservancy. It was a step into another world.
Located on the southeast corner of Alma and Bethany is 72 acres of pristine woodland. The conservancy was established by Francis Montgomery Williams from part of her family's homestead, the prominent Montgomery Farm. Because it's a conservancy and not a park, special rules are established with video surveillance overseeing the enforcement of those rules, which include no pets, bicycles or motorized vehicles of any kind. (Aside: Not recognizing the sign stipulating no pets until he had already bounded from my vehicle, my black lab, Buddy, felt the need to issue a personal editorial statement regarding his feelings for the mandate. Upon spying the sign with a line drawn through a caricature of what looked to be a black lab, no less, Buddy promptly trotted over to the sign and dropped his opinion of the matter right next to the pole supporting the message. In essence, he was saying, "That stinks.")
Even on overcast or less-than-ideal weather days, the conservancy serves as a beautiful gateway into what can easily be imagined as the 19th century. Manicured trails wind through woods, thickets, grasses with ponds and a meadow, famous for its outdoor astronomy classes. Those are an especially big hit with 8-year-old Daniel Reisinger.
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| J. David Barron |
"It's so quiet and you can see in all different directions," Daniel added with a sense of awe.
The Conservancy on the whole represents something very dear to his older sister, Mary Reisinger.
"It's nature," she replied without hesitation when asked what it is she liked so much about the place. "It's not touched so much."
The Connemara Conservancy is free and open to the public on certain days for a number of activities that include bird watching and a program called Hops for Habitat. To view a calendar of events, peruse the grounds rules or simply to learn more, go online to ConnemaraConservancy.org.
Reach Star Newspapers staff columnist J. David Barron at dbarron@starlocalnews.com
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