|
| Hike Schedule |
May 1, 2010, 9am Hike a loop trail of the Brooklands Preserve. Meet at the lower parking lot of the
Congregational Church on Church Road at 9 am. Brooklands was one of
the first preserves in Sherman. Several bridges constructed by scouts
take the trail of parts of the Naromiyocknowhusunkatanshunk Brook (for
which the land trust is named). You will have a choice of a lower
trail nearer the brook or a more energetic hillside loop. Wear sturdy
shoes and bring some water. Call Naromi (860-354-0260) or send an
email to naromi@sbcglobal.net for more information or to let us know to look for you.
May 16, 2010, 9:30 am
Bird-a-thon Bird identification hike with Angela Dimmitt
June 5, 2010 9am
CT Trails Day Hike on Herrick Trail to Housatonic River overlook and optional Appalachian Trail connection to Bulls Bridge (rain date June 6th)
We will send out emails with more information on these hikes as each date approaches. Call or email the office with questions, suggestions about other hikes you'd like Naromi to lead, or to register in advance. |
Volunteer Opportunities
|
Are you looking for something to do outdoors? There are always opportunities for Community Service at Naromi Land Trust. High schoolers and others can earn Community Service. Please call the office if you are interested! The office phone number is 860-354-0260.
- Clearing brush & Invasives
- Mark Boundaries
- Trail Maintenance & Construction
- GPS spot and photos at all key property corners for Fee and Easement properties
- Adopt-a-trail for maintenance and status reports on that property
- Compile booklet of all area trails open the public
- Build Kiosks Towner Hill Preserve Irene's Woods
- Re-Build Footbridge Brookland Preserve
| |
|
Dear Friend of Naromi,
| Each April,
Naromi reminds you about controlling invasive species of terrestrial
plants on your property. There are so many invasives to keep track
of! We include an article on managing and eradicating invasives and a practical list of species that are of
particular concern in Sherman and on Naromi properties. Remember. the single
best way to combat the spread of all invasive species is to pull them
before they flower and therefore set seeds for next year.
|
Invasive Management and Eradication
| The article below was included in the April e-News from 2009. We include it again here with some updates. Remember, the most important step in managing invasives is to prevent seeds from setting for next year.
A variety of
non-native species (aquatic and terrestrial plants, animals, and other
organisms) have been
introduced to Connecticut. Non-native species are alien
to Connecticut's ecosystem and can cause economic, environmental or
ecological harm. Non-native species can be aggresive and choke out
native species. These are
referred to as invasive species and they are a serious problem in
Connecticut and elsewhere.
Here are some pointers on how to manage invasives:
Don't plant invasives. Invasive plants are here because humans
brought them. There are plenty of enjoyable garden plants that don't do harm,
and there are plenty of native plants that are beneficial to the environment.
Make sure you are trying to kill the right plant. It is easy to
misidentify something. You can end up pulling up the good guys, and carefully
transplanting the bad. The Connecticut Invasive Plants Working Group, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the USDA all have very good information about invasives on their websites, including
photos. If you're still not sure,
consult with local experts, ask a knowledgeable friend, wait until it flowers,
etc. See the schedule below for more information on how to identify some common invasives.
Know the plant you are trying to eradicate. Different approaches work for different plants. For
example, a plant that spreads by roots has to be treated differently than one
that spreads only by seed; one that tolerates shade can be harder to kill than
a full-sun plant.
Get ahead of the invasion. It is much easier to pull up a few small
seedlings than to remove a forest. Many invasive plants are spread by bird
droppings, so keep an eye out for unidentified plants underneath bird-roosting
places, such as trees and fence posts. The earlier in spring you get started,
the better.
Manage from the edge. Let's assume that the bad guys got going
somehow and now you want to clear them out. The first step is the stop the spread
by pushing back the newer and weaker growth at the border of the patch, rather
than trying to pull out the largest plant.
Remove the entire root.
Once you start pulling plants, make sure you prevent re-sprouting by removing the entire root.
Stop the seeds. Even if you can't do anything else, if you can stop
the plant from going to seed, you will limit the amount of damage that the plant
does.
Disposal. Once
you have separated the unwanted plant from the land,
what do you do with it? If the plant has mature seeds on it, the seeds
go anywhere the dead
plant goes (e.g. your compost pile). Birds will feast on the dump
leavings and then spread the seeds. Likewise, many of these plants can
re-root themselves if there's any
contact with the soil. The best method is to bag the seeds and roots in
black plastic and
leave the bag in direct sun to totally dry out. If you get the
plant early in the year before it has seeds, bushes in particular,
can be turned upside down in place so that the roots can not touch the
soil
again, even with the help of a strong wind. In a wild area, the
up-ended bushes
make good brush-pile habitat.
|
List of Terrestrial Invasive Plants
| |
When to identify some common invasives in Sherman*:
March
Garlic Mustard: The green leaves of plants that have over wintered are visible peaking through the leaves on the ground.
Winged Euonymus:Unusual "winged" bark is easy to see before leaf out.
April
Barberry: Leaves begin to sprout on the thorny branches.
Japanese Knotweed:Reddish stalks with green leaves poke through and grow at a very rapid rate.
May
Barberry:Fully leafed out with tiny white flowers hanging from the underside of the branches.
Garlic Mustard: 1-2 foot
stalks with tiny white flowers.
Honeysuckle Bush:Fragrant yellowish-white tubular flowers.
Mile-a Minute Vine: New plants emerge with 1-3 inch triangular leaves.
June
Multiflora Rose:Blooms with sweet smelling pinkish-white flowers.
Japanese
Stilt Grass: New bright green plants aup to two feet tall emerge. The
leaves are about 2 inch long and tapered at each end.
July
Honeysuckle:Red, orange, yellow fruits appear.
Purple Loosestrife: Spiky purple flowers bloom in wet areas.
August
Japanese Knotweed:Bamboo-like stalks 4-8 feet tall with large green leaves blooming with white fringe-like flowers.
September
Bittersweet:Orange/red berries begin to show.
Mile-a-Minute Vine: Blue fruits appear.
October
Winged Euonymus: Leaves turn pink to red to light purple.
*This
is by no means a complete list of terrestrial invasive plants in
Sherman. Please go to the websites listed above for complete lists and
photographs.
|
Invasive Plants Now
|
Spring is often the time of year that each of us does the most major clean up of our property, but can be difficult to look at an image of what a plant will look like in October in order to identify it now. Here are some images of invasives taken on April 24, 2010 so you can have an idea of what these plants look like right now. Click on the images for plant fact sheets.
Garlic Mustard:
Winged Euonymus:
Barberry:
Japanese Knotweed:
Honeysuckle Bush:
Multiflora Rose:
|
New Uconn Plant Database
| University of Connecticut's new Plant Database is a wonderful resource. It catalogs trees, shrubs and vines found in CT (native, introduced and invasive). You can search by common or Latin name or take virtual plant walks.
The most exciting function on the website is called the Plant Selector. You can enter traits such as site characteristics (sun exposure, pH level, moisture/drainage, hardiness zone), foliage/bark (fall color, texture), flowers (color, bloom period, how "showy" the blooms are), and many others, into the search engine and it will tell you which trees, shrubs and/or vines would meet your needs. This is an invaluable tool in planning your landscape.
|
6th Annual Bird-a-thon
| Join us for the 6th Annual Bird-a-thon on May 16, 2010! Meet at the Wimisink Wildlife Sanctuary (junction of Routes 39 & 55) at 9:30 am for coffee & donuts. We will carpool up the the Strauss Preserve and walk back down to Wimisink. Show your support for Naromi and pledge a donation based on the number of bird species (e.g., Robin, Chickadee, Mallard, etc.) seen or heard in Sherman from midnight to midnight on a single day in May! Angela Dimmitt and other dedicated birders will explore the woods, fields, farms, ponds, and backyards of our Town to see which birds are visiting us during the migration or which call Sherman home and may be nesting. You can pledge any amount per species for the challenge or a flat amount. Be creative! Make a special additional pledge! For instance: $1.00 per Warbler species, $5.00 for a Pileated Woodpecker, or $ ? for each Carolina Wren or Bluebird. Pledge for your favorite bird! Have some fun and really challenge the team! We will send out pledge forms soon, so stay tuned! |
|
