Last Visit
Nature and culture entertain at the Freetown-Fall River State Forest since many people have hiked and camped there during the summers, which has become a tradition to the people who live in the area. The land is a natural area that is preserved by the state for people in the city and towns nearby can enjoy the outdoors and observe the different species that live in Southeast Massachusetts. A stronger relationship can be made between people, especially in the urban sections near the forest, and nature as people walk, fish, camping, and riding bikes amongst the vegetation and creatures that inhabit the space. Unfortunately, more people from Freetown and other suburbs visit the forest than those from Fall River, an industrialized city with many immigrants and people of color. Initially, the Wampanoag Native Americans used to live on the land of the forest. A large rock shaped like a man’s face, known as Profile Rock, is said to be the face of Chief Massasoit, the leader of the Wampanoag tribe. There is little information known about the Native Americans who lived there, but they are recognized as being the first people to use the land. Many haunting stories have been created about the forest, with some being tied to folktales told by the Indigenous people, keeping their traditions alive to some degree. I do not necessarily see myself as part of the Freetown-Fall River State Forest because I have never been camping or done any recreational activities there that many people have. Even though I have much knowledge about the place, I do not feel a strong connection to it since my parents never took me there when I was young. On the other hand, horseback beach is somewhere I feel more connected to since I have been visiting and exploring the area since I was little. I would have chosen the beach as my phenology location but the species there do not visibly change according to each season like those we learned about in class. The dunes and lands on the coast are also mostly off-limits to people since they are protected for the sake of endangered species.