"Some historians consider Tubman the 'ultimate outdoorswoman' for her ability to navigate using the stars, forage wild plants for food and medicine, and use trails and waterways as hidden travel routes. She even used bird calls, especially those of the barred owl, to secretly communicate with those she rescued.
Tubman’s skills as an outdoor survivalist and guide were recently recounted in a fascinating webinar co-sponsored by the Nature Conservancy and the Harriet Tubman Museum of New Jersey in Cape May. The event was held in celebration of Black History Month and the 200th anniversary of Tubman’s birth.
'Harriet Tubman was a conductor on the Underground Railroad and she never lost a passenger,' noted Ras Hebron, an ambassador and historic interpreter at the museum. 'She took pride in her ability as a conductor. She also went by the name of Moses; that was her nom de guerre.’'
'She really knew the land,' added Cynthia Mullock, executive director of the museum. 'When she was enslaved, she was working on that land.'"
This article is by Jay Watson, co-executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation in Far Hills, NJ. He may be reached at info@njconservation.org.