Highlights

FEBRUARY 2024 - Bioreserve Walk, Full Snow Moon Walk

ACTIVITY ALERT - February's Saturday Walk and Upcoming Full Moon Walk

One couldn't have asked for a better morning for a late winter walk in the woods than the morning that greeted us this past Saturday.

The high for the day, 55 degrees, arrived in early afternoon so we missed that on our morning walk and the possibility of sighting a mourning cloak butterfly leaving its hollow tree hibernaculum to bask in the sunlight. Keep a sharp lookout when out in the woods and meadows because the mourning cloaks will be out shortly. A beautiful sign that spring is coming once again.

 

A woodsy trail just makes you want to hike it on a sunny, late winter day. This and following photo courtesy Liz.


 

In our relatively flat coastal plain forest, Assonet Ledge, former Fall River Granite Company quarry, gives one a great view, from its top, over the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve. 

 

Hillside cut away exposing the granite formation. Note railroad tracks in foreground. Cars were loaded with thousands of pounds of granite and traveled via gravity controlled by a brakeman down to the main rail line in Assonet. A locomotive would pull the empty car back up the grade for the next load of granite. This and following photos courtesy Barry French File.


 

The ledge has just about the same profile today. Note the beginnings of Ledge Pond, being formed by spring seepage and groundwater, on the south side of the ledge area in the lower left of the photo.


 

Derrick to move quarried rock in center of photo. One cubic foot of granite weighs around 168 lbs. You don't want to drop that on your foot. No OSHA back then. Note rail tracks.


 

Quarrymen at the quarry. No fast food, no McDonald's in the neighborhood.


Nature is often quick to restore what man has altered. The ledge, created not that long ago by industrious Homo sapiens, now provides a new habitat and brings more diversity to the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve. 
All it needs now is for MA DCR to properly maintain, manage and interpret it for the hundreds that now visit this interesting piece of both human and natural history. Perhaps a surge of community interest in this idea would spur them on to act.

A future "INFO ALERT" will list the species in decline and those that have actually disappeared due to DCR's lack of proper care and management. Watch for it!

Next Activity Alert - Full Moon Walk, Owl Hoot and Coyote Howl
 
February 23, 9 p.m. More info on this exciting nature walk shortly. Watch for it mid-week.
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ACTIVITY ALERT - February's Full Snow Moon Walk ...And,

Listening for Owl Hoots and Coyote Howls 

 
February 23, Friday night, 9 p.m. Meet at Blossom Road and Corduroy Trail. Directions to trailhead: 

We will meet on Blossom Road at Corduroy Trail approximately 400' north of Fall River Water Department's Watuppa Headquarters at 2929 Blossom Road, Fall River, MA. Park along the east side of the road.

Due to the extremely poor road conditions north of our meeting location make sure you approach our 2929 Blossom Road meeting location from the Westport, south end, of Blossom Road.

Length of walk approximately 2 miles. We walk by the light of the moon, but bring a flashlight should mischievous clouds hide the moon from view. Wear appropriate shoes/boots for hiking rough woodland paths and trails. Water and snack always a good idea. 

 


Territorial barred owl pairs should be active guarding their nesting sites. We'll call to them as we walk along and see if we can get a response. (Photo - Public Domain USFWS-Ray Bosch)



Late winter/early spring and coyotes will be mating. We will listen for their yips, barks and howls. (Photo - Public Domain USFWS-Ron Wheeler)

 

 


 
 

 

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