May Day Nature Walk

May 1, 2010 - 10 a.m. to noon

Sophie, daughter of E. I. du Pont, was raised at Hagley and wrote and sketched about her life here from 1823, when she was thirteen years old, to 1833, when she was a woman of twenty-three. What we know of her comes from her writings and her childhood collections, which share young Sophie's love of the natural world around her. Sophie, along with her brothers and her sisters, was encouraged to appreciate the world of nature around her and to seize every opportunity to increase her knowledge of it. From this passion, instilled in the children by their father, the entire du Pont family started the tradition of the May Day walk.

"On those rare afternoons when her Papa was home and had finished work for the day, he and her Mama took the children to walk by the riverbank - identifying and talking about the plants, rocks, and trees as they went. The first of May was one of the most exciting days of the year, when family tradition decreed a search for the flowers of spring, and all the inhabitants took part in the expedition," notes Hagley Director Geoff Halfpenny.

In keeping with this tradition, members and visitors are invited to join us on our Hagley May Day Walk to celebrate spring. This walk is free to members, and included with regular admission. Cost is $5 for the walk only.

This event begins at 10 a.m. at the Power Plant, where we will offer three separate walking tours led by experts on wildflowers, birds, and natural history. Executive Director Geoff Halfpenney will give a brief introduction to the family tradition of "Maying excursions." After each walk, groups will return to the Power Plant and visitors may select another themed walk. Sophie du Pont's correspondence with her brother Henry mentions a Maying excursion complete with two cakes, so we'll have cake and coffee following the walks.