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NORCROSS WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Sanguine Root staff visits New England

Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts
Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts

A New England forest in the summertime is full of ferns and the scent of Hay-scented fern.  Oak and Chestnut trees, White pine, Skunk cabbage and Mountain Laurel thickets.  This is the childhood forest landscape of Sanguine Root Staff Writer Sean Solomon. The next door neighbor to the Solomon family’s forty acres of forest is the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, six-thousand acres of forest.  Norcross has educated generations of school-children and their parents alike about the natural world right at their doorsteps. In the summer of 1987, Sean was employed by the sanctuary, a job that carries fond memories. This past July, we visited Norcross.

Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts

Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts

Norcross is The place to learn about the native ferns.  Our host, Leslie Duthie, has a greenhouse on site where the propagation of ferns is ongoing.  She brought us to the garden areas where native plants are grown and propagated.  For us native plant enthusiasts, this place is amazing!  It is a museum of  native plants. Like the Louvre in Paris, this museum cannot be fully viewed in just one day.

Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts
Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts

 

Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts
Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts

The pitcher plant first sends up a flower.  After it is done flowering and being pollinated, the plant then sends up an insect-trapping structure. This part of the plant  comes after the flower, which is pollinated by insects, because it would be a conflict of interest to consume the insects needed for pollination. Not a good idea to eat your pollinator!

Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts
Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts

When the flower is done being pollinated, this structure is then put in place.

 Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts
Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts

Podophyllum peltatum

Our studies of various species have highlighted regional variations, as well as variations within a population or region.  The Mayapples pictured above are much taller than the ones that grow in and around Philadelphia.  The leaves are smaller, however.  Our hypothesis is that these New Englanders have adapted to greater snowfall and snow remaining longer even when they are ready to grow.  So over the thousands of years, the Mayapples with the tallest stems survived, and now New England Mayapples are taller. The added stem height  means that the leaf size gets trimmed down.  This year, our first  and proudest Mayapple viewing was in Florida back in February, in an area where there are only a few populations of the species for the entire state.  Finding this patch of Mayapples in Massachusetts at the end of July was a pleasant surprise.

Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts
Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts

Here is a patch of Rhododendron maximum. This was a good point for a serious discussion about an ongoing problem in the sanctuary. The greenery of the shrub stops at a distinct point, about 5 feet from the ground.  Below this point there is very little green, except a few ferns.  It was explained to us that  this used to be a lush area, full of herbaceous plants.  All along the ground were flowering trilliums that covered the hillside.  There used to be seedlings and saplings of forest trees such as Oaks and Maples.

As it turns out the distinct line of the Rhododendron is called the “browse-line”.  Most plants below the browse line of White-tailed Deer are now extirpated from the area.  Biologists visited the area and have estimated that this forest may never again recover from this imbalanced ecosystem.  So many species of plants have been eliminated from the forest by the over-browsing of deer, that the area is now past the tipping-point of its prior state. These plants played a vital role in the health and sustenance of the wildlife in the sanctuary by hosting species-specific native insects that were vital as a food source for birds and small mammals in the forest.  This in turn is threatening the larger mammals, such as foxes, for example.

The remaining trilliums and associated wildflowers found in the area were removed in a last-minute effort to save them.  They are now growing in a fenced-in area near the greenhouse, where they can be sustained indefinitely. This is a crucial move, and if successful, will be what saves the local populations of these species and their unique genetic composition that is matched and married to just this very forest after thousands of years of evolution.

The explosion of the population of  the native white-tailed deer is a symptom of a disturbed ecosystem. A significant component of the ecosystem of healthy deer is the  presence of the mountain lion which has been extirpated from many a forest.  There was a time when the numbers of Deer were very low from over-hunting and habitat loss, and the Sanctuary served to protect them.

Even a native species can become invasive and destructive if there is enough of a break-down in ecological conditions. In many situations, individuals of this species suffer physically from hunger and malnutrition, conditions which are inhumane.  As these conditions of desperation and suffering persist with the animal, whole colonies of plant  species necessary for the survival of a forest are decimated.

Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts
Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts

Rhexia virginica

This is also called Meadow-beauty.  Note the urn-shaped seed-pod. This is a stunning patch of very pretty native July and August blooming native wildflowers.

Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts
Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Wales, Massachusetts

Every saturday, the crew was instructed to inspect the roads in the sanctuary and to remove debris, fallen branches, etc.  Inevitably this would involve an inspection of this look-out area.  Just behind us, Leslie has been engaging work crews to help her remove Japanese Barberry, a problematic invasive in New England.  This is that thorny shrub with red berries often seen on the islands of parking lots and gas stations built in the 1970s and 80s.  This is just one part of the efforts to remove invasives from the Sanctuary.  Asiatic bittersweet removal is also an ongoing operation here.

What a great place to work, and Sanguine Root staffer Sean Solomon is a proud former employee!

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DOWN BY THE RIVER

Isabelle enjoys Darby Creek, John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
Isabelle enjoys Darby Creek, John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

What a better way to spend the July 4th weekend than down by the water.  The old canoe in the basement was dragged out and strapped onto the Subaru station wagon and brought down to the only freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. This is what Indian creek, our Morris park creek drains into.  Here is Isabelle canoeing on Darby Creek.

 

Staghorn Sumac, West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Staghorn Sumac, West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia PennsylvaniaÂ

We also dusted off the 1959 Chevrolet Impala sitting in the driveway and headed for the Schuylkill River in West Fairmount Park.

Isabelle buffs up our 1959 Chevrolet Impala in West Fairmount Park
Isabelle buffs up our 1959 Chevrolet Impala in West Fairmount Park

Before cruising the Belmont Plateau we settled in for a leisurely park and walked along the river.  Here we discovered a nice patch of Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) just below the Strawberry Mansion Bridge.

Staghorn Sumac and the Tree of heaven, West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

Staghorn Sumac and the Tree of heaven, West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

The picture above may seem pretty straightforward but is actually an astonishing representation of two different species altogether.  To the upper right is the native Staghorn Sumac.  The lower left is the non-native invasive  Tree-of -Heaven (Ailanthus altissima).  They both look so similar at first glance and are growing right next to each other, with pinnately compound leaves about the same size with reddish leaf stems. To the untrained eye these two trees look almost identical.  We bring this up because there are just a few Staghorn sumac specimens growing in our area of scope in Morris Park, and they are surrounded by Ailanthus. Knowing the differences is helpful when we undertake our yearly maintenance effort at pulling the hundreds of Ailanthus seedlings up.

Staghorn Sumac, West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Staghorn Sumac, West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

The leaflets of the  Staghorn sumac are dentate, with toothlike edges, while the Ailanthus  leaflets are smooth. The young twigs of the Staghorn sumac are densely hairy, a give-away characteristic of this large shrub or small tree, as well as the origin of its common name.  The dense hairs along the new growth resembles that of the antlers of a young male deer. The Staghorn sumac has incredible ornamental value.  Its reddish-brown seedpods and lush pinnately compound leaves and shrub status make it a great back-round plant.  Isabelle’s brother has one in his back yard in the suburbs of Paris, France.  Every year he prunes it so it has a nice shape.

Jewelweed in the Wissahickon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jewelweed in the Wissahickon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

On July 4th itself we chose the Wissahickon to spend the afternoon walking Keeba, only 15 minutes drive from Morris Park.  Here we explore a magnificent patch of the native wildflower Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis).  This one tops the list of our favorite flowers. We look forward to seeing them flower every summer.  We were careful to make sure Keeba did not prance about in this patch of very delicate plants.  The blue-green stems are very fragile.

Tulip Poplars in the Wissahickon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tulip Poplars in the Wissahickon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Tulip poplars in The Wissahickon are memorable.

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DELAWARE DREAMIN’- WELCOME TO BOMBAY HOOK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

THE SANGUINE ROOT TAKES A RELAXING TRIP TO OUR NEIGHBORING DELAWARE HOPING TO SEE FLOWERS AND BIRDS AT THE MOUTH OF THE DELAWARE RIVER.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

Iris versicolor

We had never seen one of these before. Not even in cultivation. However we knew what it was right away and the brakes were applied. (Bombay Hook is so vast that it is a road trip inside the sanctuary)   Questions:  How come this native Iris is not growing everywhere as an ornamental, while the non-native exotic ones are?  How did this get passed by?  Why isn’t this Iris taught in school? Why is this not the Delaware State flower instead of the native-to-China Prunus persica, the peach blossom?

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

What a great discovery, a wild native Iris, growing in its ecosystem.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

Magnolia virginiana

Finding the native Sweetbay magnolia growing in the wild is also a novel sight.  This one blooms in the late afternoon and evening when it fills the air with an enchanting aroma.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

In a wooded area we saw this great patch of Jack-in-the Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) growing among its native woodland neighbors, the Enchanter’s nightshade (Circaea lutetiana) and the Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia).

The woodland areas were full of ferns and lush herbaceous plants, however we were being bitten up by black flies.  Also, there was an emphasis on the birds that could be viewed at this National Wildlife location and most of the other visitors at Bombay Hook were preoccupied with the birds. We decided to see if we could view some of the birds that were getting so much attention.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

This is the place to view birds and we were very pleased at the variety of them.  Off in the distance is the Delaware Bay. We spotted this Egret.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

It was looking for an evening meal.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

It dipped into the water for a fish.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

After consuming the meal, the Egret was approached by what we believe to be a male Red-Winged Blackbird.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

The Red- Winged Blackbird circled over the Egret and the Egret rose out of the water and opened up its broad wings and flew about 100 feet.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

What a show!  After it landed, it wandered into the tall marsh grasses and settled in.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

Bombay Hook provides every amenity for bird viewing, including built in telescopes, elevated structures, and signage. For beginners like us, these proved very helpful.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Just north of Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

Driving north through the backroads, we spotted something that at first glance looked like an odd chicken. Oh, no, that would be  a Turkey Vulture.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

Definitely not a chicken.

The view across the Delaware Bay, Delaware
The view across the Delaware Bay, Delaware

This thing loomed in the back-round all day. Yeah, that would be the Salem Nuclear plant, in New Jersey. It has the same reactor core as the now melted down Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, A General-Electric Mark I.  This one is puffing away, running all those big flat-screened tvs, among the many other amenities of modern life.

So this is what it has come to.  Just like at the Fukushima plant, all of the radioactive waste is sitting in a pool of water beside the plant, with nowhere to go and a half-life of 10,000 years. If it has no where to go now, it will most likely have no where to go in 200 years or 2000 years. So by running this plant, there is the assumption that there will be a stable technologically advanced society that will be able to watch over this waste made 100 years ago, 200 years ago, 2000 years ago, 5000 years ago.  That is quite a gamble to take, not just on future generations of humans, but all of the other species we live amidst. Since when has there been a stable human society that has lasted at least 500 years?  With nuclear technology so heavily guarded, could it survive the usual turmoil of humanity over the long haul?

Overly optimistic starry-eyed apologists of the nuclear industry imagine that humans will be able to use this waste for something productive. There will be fusion reactors and micro-reactors and all sorts of nifty things going on. None of these pie-in-the sky justifications for nuclear power address the long-term issue.  As if there is an arrogance in the air that is so enamored with nuclear power and a rosy belief in a peaceful global society that is evermore technologically advanced and politically sophisticated that will last for at least 10,000 years, managing nuclear waste and the by-products of the nuclear industry and  nuclear warheads combined.

If there ever is a time to be philosophical or perhaps moralistic about something, that time is 1000 years from now. Thats right, The Staff of the Sanguine Root is not being righteous or overly moralistic here, shaking our fingers at all of the sinners among us. It is true we do not have a television, but that is no reason to be righteous and indignant.

We try to see the picture over the years, the long term, the bigger picture, the long- haul. A species-specific perspective. The Egret we saw today, catching its evening fish and having an encounter with the Red-winged Blackbird, and then retiring to the Marsh grasses for the evening says it all.  That species has been doing the same thing for many thousands and millions of years. Try to imagine Delaware 40,000 years ago.  What species were there?  What did they do? How did they live?  Anyone have any ideas?  Please chime in.  While the exact locations of the salt marshes may have been different, most likely there were Egrets and Red-Winged Blackbirds, Sweet-bay Magnolias, Blue-flag Irises and Red Maples.

Here, these species are still alive.

What about our species?  We have made it complicated for ourselves and every species around us, haven’t we?   Never before, in the billions of years of Earth’s history has uranium been refined to the extent that it has. In less than 70 years!  Nor has the cocktail of carcinogenic and radioactive blend of materials carefully extracted from the earth, and manipulated and exposed in a variety of industrial processes have ever seen the light of day.  Exactly what geological layer are humans creating?  How many species will become extinct as a result?  Exactly why is this happening, and what can be done about it? Just remember, what will 100 years from now be like? If that isn’t convincing, what about 500 years?

Are our societies really that stable?   Just look around. How can Nuclear anything be a viable resource for anything period.  Who are we kidding?  Its 10,000+ years of radioactivity. Hot particles for everyone all the time- all we need is one hot particle in our lung. Fukushima is blowing them out in a hot wind.