Nine people met last Sunday morning to start off our exploration of the Creek. We hiked in the Reese Sanctuary, a 98-acre woodland corridor which follows the edge of the bluff overlooking the Wappinger estuary just before it enters the Hudson River. You can find a copy of the trail map here,
and directions to the sanctuary are here --
print them out and go exploring!
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?
We were joined on this hike by Alexandra Prince,
a friend from Hunter, NY, and a true creek enthusiast.
She brought along her dog, aptly named 'Little River.'
a friend from Hunter, NY, and a true creek enthusiast.
She brought along her dog, aptly named 'Little River.'
Wilfredo Chaluisant, 'Creek-Keeper,' was also with us.
He lives along this part of the Creek,
and has so many wonderful stories to share!
He lives along this part of the Creek,
and has so many wonderful stories to share!
We walked and walked and walked and walked ...
... and discovered all sorts of amazing things.
Every now and then, we'd get a glimpse of the Creek ...
and Wilfredo had a lot to tell us about each place we passed.
Now and then we took a well-earned rest.
Finally we got to the confluence,
where we could see both the Wappinger Creek
and the Hudson River.
where we could see both the Wappinger Creek
and the Hudson River.
There we found a bench dedicated to Franny Reese,
who donated this land to the Putnam-Highlands Audubon Society
and declared it to be a sanctuary for wildlife.
who donated this land to the Putnam-Highlands Audubon Society
and declared it to be a sanctuary for wildlife.
The view was spectacular.
Behind the trees,
we could see the Danskammer coal-fired power plant
on the other side of the River.
we could see the Danskammer coal-fired power plant
on the other side of the River.
Nearby was an abandoned cemetery,
dating from before the Civil War.
The air was perfumed with the blossoms of black locust trees --
they smelled like honey!
they smelled like honey!
The vegetation was an interesting mix of native and exotic plants,
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.
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.
Finally we turned back.
Along the way we found some other interesting plants:
wineberries (Rubus phoenicolasius),
May apples (Podophyllum peltatum),
and yellow flags (Iris sp.) at the edge of the water --another introduced ornamental.
The dogs had a great time in the mud!
...
You could see the signs of human disturbance in the forest:
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.
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.
But many trees remain beautifully at home --like this magnificent beech!
The Creek was just as beautiful, visible in gaps between the trees.
Finally, about four hours after we'd set out,we weary hikers emerged from the forest
at this favorite Wappinger Falls fishing spot.
Wilfredo came out last, carrying a bag of odds and ends dropped in the woods by careless hikers. Thank you!Our next hike will be on June 20th.
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
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
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