Preservation and perspiration came together Saturday afternoon as families attended the free event “Barking Up a Tree,” sponsored by the Rochester Land Trust.

Trail guides helped attendees discover the natural beauty of Church’s Field, located on Mattapoisett Road in Rochester, a land trust property.

Land Trust President Halima Tiffany noted Church’s Field is the largest property owned by the trust. Saturday’s event was a first for the trust. It was an attempt to offer an activity that highlights the trust’s mission  - open space preservation.

“We’re conserving land so people can connect with nature,” Tiffany said.

One young participant, Rochester’s Ethan Bauer, age seven, discovered a rare flower, the showy lady’s-slipper, alongside a trail. He also found a cricket, and an opportunity to show off his entrepreneur skills.

“Cricket for sale, I have a cricket for sale,” he said.

There were no buyers. Though, he did receive a culinary tip.

“If we dip it in chocolate, it might taste pretty good,” said land trust board member Mindy LaBranche.

“Yucky,” replied Ethan’s younger sister Enola.

LaBranche, a biologist, designed the guides that featured different photographs event participants used to identify trees by their bark. LaBranche also took the photographs used for the guides. The land trust plans to develop additional guides for other trust properties, she said.

Ethan and Enola’s mother, Tiffany, of Rochester, said getting outside with her children (who she affectionately called her “animals”) was an opportunity to explore the woods.

“We haven’t been [to Church’s Field] before today and we enjoy hiking, and identifying birds, plants, and animals,” she said.

The Rochester Land Trust was founded 15 years ago. Since then, it has secured 433 acres of conservation land, including: Haskell Woods, Leonard’s Pond, Kirby Preserve and others.

Currently, land trust members are working to purchase property near Doggett’s Brook, located behind the Dexter Lane Athletic Fields.