Participants will be asked to locate the “treasurer in the cellar” along with other items during a family-friendly scavenger hunt on Westport Island the afternoon of Sunday, May 23.
The Friends of Westport Island History will host a family scavenger hunt from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, May 23 at the Carl and Barbara Segerstrom Preserve at Squam Creek on Westport Island. The preserve is a Kennebec Estuary Land Trust property.
The free scavenger hunt will be for all ages, and will take place along the well-marked trails of the preserve. Participants will search for both historic and natural items along the trail while enjoying the preserve’s natural beauty.
Upon entering the preserve, participants will be given a map with clues to help find 12 items. As each item is discovered, participants can either take a picture of someone in their group near the item or check off the item on the clue list on the map. Participants should leave each item where it is found. Upon completion, participants will return for a prize. A grand prize will be given to the first group to complete the hunt.
In addition to the scavenger hunt, guided tours of the four cellar holes that remain on the property will be given at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. At one time, at least four Dunton family homes stood on these well-preserved foundations, which were originally built as early as 1765. The tours will be conducted by Dennis Dunbar, of the Westport Island History Committee. Dunbar will speak about the Dunton and Hodgdon families that lived in the homes and, in most cases, are buried in the cemeteries within the preserve. Other committee members will be available to answer questions.
Self-guided tours are also possible, as an interpretive sign at each cellar hole describes its history, contains a snapshot of who lived there in a particular year, and includes a sketch of what the house may have looked like when it was originally built.
The scavenger hunt trails consist of approximately 2 miles of easy walking, and should take 1–2 hours to complete. A port-a-potty will be available. The Westport Community Association is providing free water, and snacks will also be available.
COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines will be in place. There is a small parking lot at the entrance to the preserve. If needed, park safely along the preserve side of the road. The rain date is Sunday, June 6.
For more information, email fowih19@gmail.com or call Mary Ellen Barnes at 380-5926.
