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February 2015 - Fox Grapes, American Eel, Mr. G Hog

WELCOME TO GREEN FUTURES!
FEBRUARY, 2015

“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.”

-Niccolo Machiavelli

“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”

-Aldo Leopold

 

 

 

INTERESTING STUFF EMAILED IN BY READERS

In our October and November newsletters we celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. The California Historical Society, as part of a commemoration of the anniversary of the Wilderness Act, presented a discussion titled, “The Legacy of Conservationist John Muir.” Here it is. http://www.c-span.org/video/?322586-1/discussion-conservationist-john-muir

 

 

Something we see and hear all the time ...kids no longer have any interest in doing things outdoors. Here are 10 tips to remedy that from the “Big Outside Blog.”http://thebigoutside.com/10-tips-for-raising-outdoors-loving-kids/

 

 

Historic preservation in Massachusetts. From Preservation Massachusetts, “Mark your calendars for Friday, August 14 and join us in Worcester for the 2015 Massachusetts Historic Preservation Conference. With the success of the 2013 conference in Lexington, the preservation community will once again convene to share ideas, network, discuss challenges and learn from each other and strengthen our collective efforts across the state.” For particulars and further information on the conference email here:ekelly@preservationmass.org

 

 

Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA) says, "Advocating for responsible stewardship of land and natural resources in landscaping and horticultural practices." - See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/conference/#sthash.GbEo2z4b.dpuf

 

 

Climate change in the news. As you probably heard or read NASA/NOAA says 2014 was the warmest year on record. Emily Yehle, a reporter for “Energy and Environmental Daily” was interviewed about the report. It is here: http://www.c-span.org/video/?323824-6/emily-yehle-climate-change-report

 

 

President Obama wants wilderness status for 12 million acres to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Sounds good to us, but Big Oil/Gas will raise a ruckus. Check it out from NPR. http://www.npr.org/2015/01/26/381627193/obamas-arctic-refuge-drill-ban-wont-change-much-for-now

 

 

If state boundaries followed watersheds this might be what the states would look like. Interesting John Wesley Powell's (One-armed explorer that floated the Green and Colorado Rivers in 1869) map. http://communitybuilders.net/the-united-watershed-states-of-america/

 

 

 

BIORESERVE FLORA OF THE MONTH – Fox Grape (Vitis labrusca)

On a cool and crisp fall morning or evening have you ever smelled grapes while walking a country road or trail in New England? If so, chances are you were smelling the sweet, musty “foxy” odor of ripening fox grapes. Fox grapes are the wild ancestor of the domestic Concord grape created by Ephraim Bull of Concord, Massachusetts, in 1849.

 

The fox grape, is native to eastern North America and is found from the Mississippi River east to the Atlantic coast and from Nova Scotia to Georgia. It grows best in sandy loam in damp to wet soils in open woodlands, along brooks and riverbanks, and along country roadsides and railroad, electrical transmission and pipeline corridors.

 

Fox Grapevines are woody and covered in reddish-brown bark that often hangs from the vine in shreds. Vines can reach 60 feet in length and 10 inches in diameter at the base. Tendrils (leaf-like growing organs, often forked, that support the vine and help it grow by twining around trees and other objects) grow from each node (part of the vine from which leaves grow). The alternate, large and smooth, light-green leaves are thick and heart-shaped with three lobes. Leaves are 4 to 8 inches across and about as wide and they have dentate (tooth-like) borders. The undersides of the leaves are light-green covered with dense white and brown hairs.

 

In early summer fox grapes flower in panicles (loose, branching flower clusters) that develop along the vines. The individual flowers are yellow-green and sweet smelling. The flowers are hermaphrodetic (male/female) on the same vine and are pollinated by gravity, wind and small flies and other insects.

 

Once fertilized the flowers are replaced by small green berries that grow to almost an inch in diameter and are oval to round in shape and when fully mature blue-purple to black in color and that is when they develop their redolent autumnal aroma. Each grape berry contains two to six seeds. When squeezed, fox grapes readily slip from their skins.

 

Wild fox grapes are edible and can be made into jams, jellies, pies, juice and wine. There is great variety among fox grapevines in the sweetness and flavor of their fruit. Sampling, before picking, is important.

 

Many wildlife species feed on fox grapes and foliage. Deer, bear, raccoon, opossum, gray squirrel, red squirrel, striped chipmunk, woodchuck, gray fox, red fox, coyote, woodland mice and voles, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and almost all other fruits and seed eating birds. Numerous caterpillars, leaf hoppers, borers and beetles feed on the foliage, fruit, stems and sap.

 

 Photo - Courtesy Wikimedia (Creative Commons)

 

 

BIORESERVE FAUNA OF THE MONTH – American Eel (Anguilla rostrata)

Right now, during the winter, any mature American eel that resided in the Bioreserve is probably swimming in tropical waters in the Sargasso Sea between Cuba and Bermuda. That eel will not be making a return trip home.

 

Why not? Because, like Pacific salmon species, American eels die after spawning. And, the Sargasso Sea is where American eels go to mate and spawn.

 

The results of that spawning will be noticeable this spring as millions of newly hatched baby eels, called elvers, swim their way to North American estuaries, rivers and brooks.

 

The American eel is our only New England catadromous (fish that migrate from freshwater to the sea to spawn) fish. Anadromous fish (fish that migrate from the ocean to freshwater to spawn) are much more common. Native anadromous species include Atlantic salmon, salter brook trout, rainbow smelt, Atlantic sturgeon, striped bass, American shad, alewife, blueback herring and sea lamprey.

 

The American eel has a long and slender snake-like body covered in very tiny scales. Beneath the scales are skin glands that produce slime. This slime layer makes them “slippery as an eel” helping to protect them from predators. Eel skin is very tough and makes a soft and durable leather often used for wallets and handbags.

 

Eels have a long, continuous dorsal and anal fin and pectoral fins to maintain an upright position in water. Skin color is variable depending on the clarity of the water the eel is in and ranges from light gray to olive-green to yellow-brown on the sides and back. Bellies are white. The head is small with small black eyes ringed in white to gray.

 

Adult American eels average two feet in length and a pound or two in weight. Some, especially if living in impoundments, reach over three feet in length and five pound in weight. The largest rod and reel caught American eel weighed 10 pounds, 3 ounces and was 47 inches long. It was caught in Connecticut.

 

Although their snakelike appearance turns many people off, eels are excellent food fish, economically valuable, much sought after by commercial fishermen and aquaculturists. The American eel population has been overfished, used to replace the Japanese eel (unagi) which is in even more trouble from over-exploitation than the American species.

 

The American eel is found from Newfoundland across to Greenland and all the way down the North American east coast to South America at Brazil. Also in rivers and streams that enter the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Hunting at night and on cloudy days eels scavenge for anything edible. They also actively hunt for small fish, worms, crustaceans and aquatic insects. During daylight hours they hide in the mud, in rock piles and in clumps of seaweed.

 

 Photo – Courtesy Erickson Smith (Creative Commons)

 

 

BIORESERVE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION – Building a Bioreserve constituency keeping in mind the reason for the Bioreserve's creation

We have assembled a PowerPoint presentation on the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve and have members who have volunteered to take it around to area groups and organizations with the hope of building a constituency that will lobby for this unique public open space parcel and advocate for its proper management by the Bioreserve's land holding agencies and organizations.

 

Over the past month we have updated and made minor corrections to the video of our PowerPoint presentation. Here it is: http://youtu.be/UB-sc2Q4Qqc

 

"In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught."

- Baba Dioum

 

 

 

EARLY OR LATE? - Only the Groundhog knows ----

 

 

Happy Groundhog Day!!!

To see what's on our calendar, click here. 

 

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