|
They don’t come with
ray guns, and they aren’t stealing our brains, but they are having a
negative impact on our ecology and in some cases they are stealing
Long Island’s
unique ecosystems. These invasive plants spread into natural areas and
push out, damage, and sometimes eliminate native species. They are
wreaking havoc in many of our public parks and the Nature Conservancy is
not standing still for it. On July 21, Bill Jacobs and Bruce Horwith
led a “Weed Watcher Hike” in Hither Hills. The Nature Conservancy
leaders started training hike participants from the East Hampton Trails
Preservation Society to identify the invasive weeds along the Stephen
Talkhouse portion of the Paumanok Path in Hither Hills. We met at the
Hither Hills West Overlook on Route 27 about a half-mile east of the
split with
Old Montauk Highway. |
Bill Jacobs of the Nature Conservancy
leads EHTPS hikers on a weed watcher hike. |
Bill and Bruce split
the hike into two parts. Bruce headed towards Fresh Pond, and since I
had walked there last week I joined Bill to visit the Walking Dunes. I
was impressed by how much information we all carried in our heads about
the ecology of our woods. Bill said, “just look for something out of
place.” Tentatively at first, following our hike leader’s example we
pointed out plants that looked like they didn’t belong, and most of the
time we were right. “This,” Bill said “is why hikers are a natural
resource for our battle to contain the invasives and help keep the inner
woods pristine.”
This time I
remembered to bring my map, and that was fortuitous because for the
first time in my experience, there were no maps at the kiosk. “If you
really need a map,” I volunteered, “you can go across the highway to the
beach parking lot, they have them there.”
Both groups traveled
the Petticoat Hill Trail to Elisha’s Valley Trail, and then crossed over
the railroad tracks. We saw black pine, bittersweet, an exotic elm and
several other alien invaders. After crossing the tracks, we reached a
crossroads. I was with Bill’s group and we turned left onto Jerusha’s
Hollow Trail as Bruce led his group north on the Paumanok Path. We saw
some Japanese barberry at the crossroads, but then as we traveled deeper
into the woods there wasn’t a single plant that seemed out of place.
The black pine was replaced by pitch pine and oak with a brush layer of
blueberry and huckleberry. On the forest floor we saw clusters of
Indian pipes, a parasitic plant without chlorophyll that looks like a
peace pipe, with its single flower at the end of a leafless stalk. We
saw a luna moth, many fowler toads, and heard several rufus sided
towhees calling “drink your tea.” |
|
We saw the oldest
dunes from the trail, but we ran out of time and had to turn around. If
we had continued we would have reached a short trail branching to our
left, taking us to Nominicks Overlook. There is a great panoramic view
of the Harbor from there. Then we could have continued westward for
another half mile and reached
Napeague Harbor
Road. The Paumanok Path cuts across the road here and runs up what
looks like a driveway with a “No Trespassing” sign. If you are brave
you can try to follow the Path to the harbor or you can turn right
(north) and walk down the road a short distance to visit the harbor and
the Walking Dunes. If you wish to drive here, you can find Napeague
Harbor Road a short distance west of the split in
Montauk Highway.
Follow the road a mile north and you can park at the end of it where you
will find a kiosk and pamphlets for the Walking Dunes self-guided hike.
In an effort to make this natural wonder accessible to the public, the
New York State Parks Department has built a trail that will lightly
impact the natural movement of the dunes. However, if to many visitors
wander off the trail, I fear that the negative impact will reach a
threshold that will force the State to deny access to the area. Stay on
the trail!
If you are
interested in finding out more about East Hampton Trails Preservation
Society’s hikes call
631-329-4227.
If you wish to work with the Nature Conservancy
to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent
the diversity of life on Earth, and keep the aliens at bay,
contact Stacey Goldyn 631-367-3384 X131 |
