and directions to the sanctuary are here --
print them out and go exploring!
The stone steps that led up into the Forest were like the gateway to a mystery ...
What would we discover?
a friend from Hunter, NY, and a true creek enthusiast.
She brought along her dog, aptly named 'Little River.'
He lives along this part of the Creek,
and has so many wonderful stories to share!
where we could see both the Wappinger Creek
and the Hudson River.
who donated this land to the Putnam-Highlands Audubon Society
and declared it to be a sanctuary for wildlife.
we could see the Danskammer coal-fired power plant
on the other side of the River.
they smelled like honey!
evidence of a long interaction between this place
and European settlers.
Garlic mustard and periwinkle -- both non-native species --
can be seen growing around this old gravestone.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.) is another introduced plant that is common in this disturbed landscape. You can see why it was originally introduced as an ornamental -- its' flowers are beautiful!
A list of plants in the Sanctuary can be found here.
Here, in the middle of the picture you can see a gray band of large stones which have been used to control erosion caused by a housing development at the top of the slope.
In the foreground you can see wind-toppled trees whose network of support was damaged when the canopy was broken by tree-cutting.
we weary hikers emerged from the forest
at this favorite Wappinger Falls fishing spot.
We'll explore the Wappinger Creek Greenway
in the Town of LaGrange.
It's a shorter hike -- more of a walk, really --
but it will bring us down to the edge of the stream
where we can hear the water's melody and the song of birds.
Who knows what we'll find??
Let us know if you'd like to come along.
photos by Rachel Hanka and Santha Cooke