On February 10, Bermuda National Trust held their annual Children's Walk around Spittal Pond.

This event started early in the morning with the first group leaving the eastern parking lot at 9.30 a.m. Groups continued to depart from the parking lot every ten minutes, with a volunteer group leader.

Along the way, the groups stopped to listen to different people at different areas talk about Spittal Pond and all the plants and animals that live there. This event was organised to teach school children about the uniqueness of Spittal Pond and about the importance of taking care of all Bermuda's Nature Reserves.

I went on the walk with the first group. We stopped at many stations along the way. We were told about toad and terrapins, Spanish Rock, Jeffrey's Hole, and that waves from the ocean, through erosion, have created the Checkerboard formation. We looked through telescopes to see birds. I saw a Snowy Egret. We learned that Spittal Pond was once privately owned by many families. Bermuda Government bought all the land and made it a Nature Reserve for all of Bermuda's people.

Spittal Pond is 64 acres, making it the second largest nature reserve in Bermuda. If the water level was a few feet higher, Spittal Pond would be a Mangrove swamp. When it rains a lot, without any hurricanes, the pond can become almost completely fresh water.

The walk took about an hour and forty-five minutes to complete, but in that time I was exposed to things that I would never be able to learn in a classroom. Children of all ages, and even adults, enjoyed this walk and are ready to come back next year and do it again.