It was an absolutely glorious day for a Fall Colors Walk in Herrontown Woods, as we gathered after May's Cafe on the first day of November at the Barden.
With blue sky and radiant foliage drawing our eyes upward, I began by asking everyone to look down and select three from the many kinds of leaves and needles on the ground all around.
Maples, hickories, oaks, pines--the Barden has such a rich collection of native species that we could have spent the rest of the morning in that one spot, learning to distinguish one leaf from another. We learned that pin oak leaves have pointy lobes that contrast with the rounded lobes of white oak, that white pines bundle their needles in fascicles of five needles each, that the lobes of red maple leaves make a "V" where they meet.
(Thanks to Lisa Boulanger for these two photos)
A few feet farther up the Barden pathway we encountered Hearts a' Bustin', the native Euonymus with ornamental seeds. Deer love to eat these shrubs so much that they can only grow a few inches high in the woods up along the ridge. No one would know about their bursting hearts if we hadn't brought a few of them to the Barden years ago and given them the sunlight and caged protection they need to grow tall and fruitful. We did the same for heavily browsed native azalea and serviceberry, giving them a chance to thrive and bloom in the Barden.
Ten feet farther along the Barden path we came to witch hazel--a Herrontown Woods native that blooms in November. Walk along the stream on the yellow trail this time of year, and look for these subtle clouds of yellow.
We then headed up towards Veblen House along the boardwalk, where some plant labels are hung on various trees and shrubs, a bit like an airborne Easter egg hunt. Inspired by arboretums, which include all woody plants, not just trees, the concept is to create a "Woodies Walk" at Herrontown Woods, along a route that people can stroll at their leisure and get acquainted with some 70 species of native trees, shrubs, and vines.
It's a little crazy how many kinds of native woodies we have in just one small corner of the preserve. What later became Herrontown Woods was first protected by the boulders from intensive farming, then protected by the Veblens who acquired the land in the 1930s and '40s, as the agricultural era was winding down. Our work as stewards of the preserve has been to reveal the depth and beauty of this most precious gift from the Veblens. Important as well has been the municipality's management of the deer population, which set the foundation for our restorative work and helped the native flora to rebound and flourish.
Helping out on the walk was FOHW's stewardship intern Moss Gordon, who pointed out sassafras and some other favorite trees.
Though not for everyone, it can be fun to learn the latin names of plants. Words can have a delicious taste and feel in the mouth as you say them.
Along the way, we passed many blackhaw Viburnums, named for their berries, aka "haws," which turn black when ripe. (in the photo)
Other edibles encountered were the wild persimmons we shook from a tree on the way up to Veblen House. One could walk the same route and give ten different talks--such is the diversity.
A walk leader could be flattered by how many people hung in there through a two hour walk packed with information and riffs on nature, but the real star was captured in the photo below by FOHW board member Inge Regan: a glorious woodland on a frabjous day.
