Highlights
September 2021 - Copicut Woods, Profile Rock, Mushrooms
INFO ALERT - Due to increasing rates of Covid-19 transmission we are cancelling September's Exploring the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve Walk
66% of Massachusetts has been vaccinated. That's better than most, but not good enough. Unless your medical provider says you can't ....please do!
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INFO ALERT - More Southeastern Massachusetts Bioadversity
"God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand leveling tempests and floods; but he cannot save them from fools."
- John Muir
The August 2003 management plan agreed to by the Bioreserve Partners (Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, City of Fall River, The Trustees of Reservation. These four entities agreed on a mission statement. It should be updated, but won't be.
Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve Mission:
The mission of the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve is to protect, restore, and enhance the biological diversity and ecological integrity of a large-scale ecosystem with diverse natural communities representative of the region; to promote sustainable resource management; to permanently protect public water supplies and cultural resources; to offer interpretive and educational programs communicating the value and significance of the Bioreserve; and to provide opportunities for appropriate public recreational use and enjoyment of this natural environment.
It seems some Bioreserve Partners may have forgotten the mission statement they created.
"We are certainly not holding our forests in custody for those who have destroyed their own forests and now try to claim ours as part of the heritage of mankind."
- Ting Wen Lian
In a previous "Alert" we mentioned the opportunity being missed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation funding a childrens spray pad for the Bioreserve that has little connection to Bioreserve/forest values. Unfortunately the Trustees of Reservations, from what we're reading in the local press, may also be missing an opportunity at their Bioreserve property, Copicut Woods.
We are 100% in favor of educating both children and adults on Bioreserve values and interpreting the natural and human history of the Bioreserve and have been doing just that with our monthly "Exploring the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve Walks and our turtle laying, woodcock watching, vernal pool checks, etc. since before the Bioreserve was created.
The Trustees at the creation of the Bioreserve said they would construct a 'Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve Environmental Education Center." Where is it? They reneged on that offer.
Look at what they are offering now:
From the August 31 "The Herald News", "The Trustees of Reservations also received $50,000 from the MassTrails Grant Program to create an “accessible nature play trail,” wheelchair- and stroller-friendly, with special play stations for kids.
The 1,900-foot trail will be located in the Trustees’ land, near the group’s parking lot near the intersection of Indian Town and Yellow Hill roads, and will replace a trail now known as the Shockley Trail.
“We will be leveling the existing path, widening it, rerouting some sections … and removing sections of boulders and roots,” said Jen Klein, director of outdoor experience for the Trustees."
We'd rather see The Trustees take that $50,000 and begin the design process for the education center they promised because what they intend to do with it, if the above news item is correct, is just not Bioreserve compatible. What they are planning, they shamelessly admit, will lead to wider trails, more trails 'by "rerouting some sections", forest fragmentation, native vegetation destruction and the possible opportunistic invasive species that become established on disturbed sites regardless of size.
Remove "sections of boulders and roots"? If you have small children they love leaping over roots and climbing around on boulders. Almost the entire Bioreserve is already a nature play trail for small children. Kids don't need adults to "improve" the woods and meadows for them to play in. What arrogance!
We've taken small children wading in vernal pools, catching frogs and letting them go, watching turtles lay eggs, climbing Bell Rock, smelling flowers, playing with sticks and pine cones, jumping on puffballs to see a cloud of spores, playing Pooh Sticks, etc. Kids instinctively know what to do to have fun in the woods. It is a shame some forget that when they become "adults."
Other concerns:
1,900' of trail is more than a quarter of a mile. What will happen to the ground nesters, like the ovenbirds, that now nest along that trail? How about the neotropical songbirds, like the scarlet tanager, Acadian flycatcher, Canada warbler. To survive they need vast areas of unfragmented forest. Open the forest, even a little, and you get invasive cowbirds that parasitize the native warblers, vireos and others.
Will this "nature play trail" be open 24/7? Will The Trustees have someone on site to monitor and manage? This trail is in a watershed area, are they going to have portable toilets? If so, what's going to prevent them from being tipped by vandals late at night? What's going to happen when the mosquito control folks exaggerate the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) threat? It is that time of year. The Trustees going to allow toxic spraying in a bioreserve? How about black-legged ticks and Lyme disease? More insecticide spray? What about the beneficial insects and other Bioreserve critters that will be harmed by that action?
It is sad when we cannot leave even a few acres in southeastern Massachusetts natural for our fellow creatures to exist.
“I will argue that every scrap of biological diversity is priceless, to be learned and cherished, and never to be surrendered without a struggle.”
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INFO ALERT - Beyond dysfunction, this is obscene! Shame, once again, on dysfunctional MA DCR. This is in a "Bioreserve"?
Profile Rock State Park is an integral part of the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve (SMB). The mature forest along the short piece of road leading into the park from Slab Bridge Road is lovely when the leaves turn next month. At the end of the park road is Joshua's Mountain, once presided over by Profile Rock, a natural geological wonder of rock and granite debris left us by the last glacier.
Joshua's Mountain barely clears the forest canopy, but gives one a great view of the mostly flat surrounding coastal plain. Unfortunately DCR has never managed or properly maintained the park and for years has mostly ignored vandals climbing about the "mountain", breaking glass bottles, drinking, smoking pot and spraying the rocks, especially Profile Rock, with obscenities.
When the spray painting and vandalism caused outrage from park neighbors and environmentalists DCR's answer to the obscene graffiti painting was having the Bristol County Sheriff Department's Anti-Graffiti Unit pressure-wash the rocks, sometimes on a weekly basis. The anti-graffiti crew did a marvelous job, but a week later, due to DCR negligence in catching and prosecuting the graffiti perps, the crew would have to be pressure-washing the rocks again. Little doubt this led to the erosion that resulted in Profile Rock suddenly falling down Joshua's Mountain. A rock that survived at least 10,000 years was now face down on Joshua's Mountain.
This occurred over two years ago and although Joshua's Mountain is still a geological wonder and the surrounding forest is as lovely as ever, DCR has declared the park "dangerous" and left it for the vandals that destroyed it. Why?
We've hiked DCR parks and state forests in the Berkshires and climbed real mountains and wicked high ledges. How come no "danger" there?
This October would you take your family for a walk to see the foliage and wonder about the massive glacier that once covered all of New England 10,000 years ago? Here's a preview, below.
Nitwit spray painting Profile Rock.
Big rocks, little rocks, the road, trees, signs, everything gets painted. Freetown and adjacent communities are obviously not lacking in vandals.
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INFO ALERT - Late September and October - Mushroom season in our neck of the woods
The much sought after hen of the woods (maitake) on the left and some chicken mushroom on the right. Both gathered this past Monday. Yum, yum!
Thanks to all the rain this past summer, this fall should be fantastic for finding wild fungi. We usually lead a mushroom walk at this time of the year, but not with the COVID resurgence. If you're not, get vaccinated or this will never end.
Mushrooms in a variety of shapes and colors are decorating area woodlands right now. Take a walk and see how many different mushrooms you can find. Take some photos or make some sketches of your finds.
If you know what you're doing and are absolutely sure of your identification, take some home for dinner. If you're not sure, don't pick any. Remember: There are old mushroom hunters, there are bold mushroom hunters ...but there are no old, bold mushroom hunters.
If you are interested in learning more about the fungus among us, that you see when out walking in the forest, you might want to join the Boston Mycology (study of fungi) Club, founded in 1895, the oldest amateur mycology club in the USA. https://bostonmycologicalclub.org/
The delectable black trumpet. More yum, yum!
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