Grades: K-5
& public program
# students: up to 20
Time: 2-2.5 hours
Costs: free/small fee
Subjects: American Indian History & Culture, Ecology, American History and Culture, Life Science, Environmental Science.
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The Java History Trail is a 1.3-mile walking path through field, forest and marsh that deals with the history of the land and the people who lived and worked on it. Using the interpretive panels along the path, this is a self-guided walk through local history. Activities that can be used before, during, and after the walk will enhance the educational value.
The Java History Trail is often used in combination with Estuary Chesapeake. Half the group will then participate in Estuary Chesapeake, while the other half will walk the trail. After lunch the groups switch.
The trail brings attention to the following parts of the history of the land:
Indians of the Chesapeake
Native Americans were the first people to use this land. They did so up until Colonial settlement in the early 1600s.
Colonial Settlement and Plantation Life
As the colonists arrived in the Chesapeake region, lands were cleared and farming was prevalent. This section of the trail includes a re-created tobacco barn, a tobacco prize (press) and panels that discuss the history of the site from about 1600 up to 1900.
Java Dairy Farm
In 1915, the farm was sold and turned into a dairy farm, which supplied milk for the local community and the Naval Academy.
Java's Return to Natures
In the early 1960s, the property was bequeathed to the Smithsonian Institution, which developed a long-term ecological research program on the property. Over the years, the site has continued to be on the cutting edge of Chesapeake Bay research. This section of the trail includes a boardwalk through the marsh so you can get a closer look at the flora and fauna of the tidal wetlands.
Activities
The Java History Trail is connected to a series of activities you can do before, during, and after you walk the trail. Please contact Jane Holly for additional materials and activities.
Scheduling
The Java History Trail starts and ends at the Reed Education Center . Trail maps are available at both the Education Department and the reception area in the Administration Building.
Groups larger than ten should contact Jane Holly in advance to let us know you are coming. Please bring one adult for every five children.
Groups can walk the trail for free. For a guided tour, fees are $10 per student.
Preparation
To prepare for the Java History Trail, you can do a few of the pre-trip activities and contact Jane Holly for additional ideas on how to use the Java History Trail as an educational activity.
Please prepare your students as early as possible. Tell them where they are going, what to wear, what to bring, and what they will do once they arrive at SERC. More about Preparing for your Field Trip .
