HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) -
Valley students have a unique opportunity to see history with their own eyes through Native American and environmental education programs at Redstone Arsenal. However, those opportunities are in not guaranteed for the future if funding is not secured for the new location of Redstone's Path to Nature.
The current nature area is .5 miles of walking trails and boardwalks near the Tennessee River.
"It's fairly untouched and hasn't been modified a lot in the past," said Ben Hocksbergen, Redstone Archaeologist and Cultural Resource Manager. "It's a good example of a unique North Alabama habitat."
One of Hoksbergen's roles is excavating archaeological sites on post.
"The work on Redstone Arsenal has been really instrumental in fleshing out what happened and how people lived in prehistory and how human culture developed over the years," he said.
Some of the oldest signs of life date back 13,000 years. Students can now get a glimpse of what life was like about 800 years ago, when Native Americans called the arsenal home.
Hoksbergen and his team built a replica Mississippian-period hut out of mud and plants. Huntsville City School students use it to learn about Native American heritage and the prehistory of North Alabama.
Redstone's master plan has the Path to Nature moving sometime in the future to clear the way for other mission activity. Right now they do not know how the new trail will be funded. Hoksbergen said Army grants and garrison contributions paid for the original trail, but those organizations don't have as much money to spread around anymore.
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