In the spring, when the black bear sow brings her cubs out of the den for the first time, she will often leave them near white pines while she wanders off to forage. The deeply furrowed bark of mature white pines makes them easier to climb if the cubs need the safety of a tree. Sows with cubs also select white pines for their day beds more often than females without cubs. Compare the rough bark of the white pine with the smooth, scaly bark of the red pine or the smooth bark of most other trees. Imagine yourself a bear cub needing to climb a tree. Which one would you prefer?
White pines have large, horizontal branches with delicate foliage that makes them good nesting places for eagles and Ospreys. The tops of white pines, rising like mountains above the lower canopy, provide a perfect place for unobstructed landings and take-offs for the largewinged birds. A study revealed white pines as the tree species of choice for 81 percent of nesting eagles and 77 percent of nesting Ospreys. In recent years, a pair of Bald Eagles has successfully nested in one of the old-growth white pines near the picnic area.
Factions within the village emerged, as people expressed either support for or opposition to Samuel Parris, their new minister. Best winter vacation USA The opposition between these factions, normally split along economic and social lines, was heightened when, in January 1692, a group of girls began to show symptoms of what village leaders believed to be demonic possession. Accusations of the practice of witchcraft were directed at factional opponents and especially at women who defied traditional norms for their class and gender. A special court was convened in Salem Town to try the suspected witches. On June 2, 1692, Bridget Bishop, accused of being a witch, was condemned; she was executed by hanging eight days later. This first execution brought new fervor to the episode; accusations and arrests spread through the village and to the surrounding towns. As additional witches were condemned and executed, anxiety swept through the colony. In an attempt to avoid the punishment of death, accused witches began to confess and even to implicate others. Hundreds were arrested and imprisoned, and numerous ministers, civil leaders, and lay people began to oppose the proceedings of the court. By late October, Governor Sir William Phips suspended the trials and eventually pardoned all remaining prisoners. The witch craze ultimately claimed the lives of almost two dozen men and women. Although apologies and monetary restitution were later made, the events of 1692 remain a dark mark on Salem’s history.
