In Podcast #26 the Trekkers go to the Great Dismal Swamp in the Coastal Plain Region.  It is a National Wildlife Refuge, a wetlands habitat, and home to many plants and animals; find out how George Washington tried to start a business in the swamp; learn why many slaves escaped here on the Underground Railroad; discover why the roads through the swamp are called ditches; see the effects from the fire of 2008; explore the largest natural lake in Virginia, Lake Drummond, and find out why its water is so brown.  Come on, let's go trekkin'! (Trouble viewing the YouTube video? Try Vimeo or direct link)

There is a Newberry-Award winning historical fiction book about the maroons who lived in the Great Dismal Swamp. It is called Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson, and it tells the story of two children who escaped from slavery. They found a community of other escaped slaves, called “Freewater,” living deep in the swamp. (Source) Check it out from your school or county library! (AI-generated image using Pixlr and the prompt: “runaway slaves in a swamp with cypress trees”).


Here is a Google map of The Great Dismal Swamp and Lake Drummond.

Use the +/- buttons to zoom in or out. Click the line and marker for more information.



This is a 360 view of Lake Drummond. Use the arrows to walk out on the pier!



This is a 360 view of the Great Dismal Swamp. Click and drag to look around.



Social Studies

1.2 (2015) The student will demonstrate knowledge of Virginia history by describing important events and people in the history of the Commonwealth, including

b) famous Virginians, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who helped form a new nation; and


1.7 (2023) The student will apply history and social science skills to connect geography to historical events of Virginia and the United States by

a. identifying landforms and bodies of water of Virginia and describing how they affect the way people live;


VS.2 (2015) The student will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between physical geography and the lives of the native peoples, past and present, of Virginia by

b) locating and describing Virginia’s Coastal Plain (Tidewater), Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau;

c) locating and identifying water features important to the early history of Virginia (Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, James River, York River, Potomac River, Rappahannock River, and Lake Drummond and the Dismal Swamp);


VS.1 (2023) The student will apply history and social science skills to explain the relationship between physical geography and the lives of Virginia’s peoples, past and present by

b. locating and describing the relative location and physical characteristics of Virginia's five geographic regions on a map; and

c. locating, identifying, and describing the impact of Virginia’s bodies of water on its history, economy, and culture.


Science

3.8 (2018) The student will investigate and understand that natural events and humans influence ecosystems. Key ideas include

a) human activity affects the quality of air, water, and habitats;

b) water is limited and needs to be conserved;

c) fire, flood, disease, and erosion affect ecosystems; and

d) soil is a natural resource and should be conserved.


4.8 (2018) The student will investigate and understand that Virginia has important natural resources. Key resources include

a) watersheds and water;

b) plants and animals;

c) minerals, rocks, and ores; and

d) forests, soil, and land.