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May 9, 2012
 wild columbine This much-needed rain will surely foster the growth and development of the late spring wildflowers on the Preserve. To date, we have observed the following species, mostly by keeping to the lower trails (Red Gate, Snicket, Flatlanders, Trillium):
| Coltsfoot |
| Hepatica, sharp-lobed |
| Bloodroot |
| Plantain-leaf Sedge |
| Dog tooth Violet (trout lily) |
| Lance-leaf Spring Beauty |
| Downy Yellow Violet |
| Dutchman’s Breeches |
| Blue Cohosh |
| Purple trillium |
| Two-leaf Toothwort |
| Bellwort, perfoliate |
| Wild Ginger |
| Early Meadow Rue |
| Jack in the Pulpit |
| Squirrel Corn |
| Dog Violet |
| Periwinkle |
| Kidney-leaf Buttercup |
| Golden Alexander |
| Wild strawberry |
| Long Spur violet |
| Canada violet |
| False Miterwort (foamflower) |
| Miterwort |
| Dwarf Ginseng |
| White Violet |
| Showy Orchis |
| Early Saxifrage |
| Cutleaf Toothwort |
| False Solomon’s Seal |
| White Baneberry |
| Canada Mayflower |
| Red Columbine |
| Indian Cucumberroot |
| Yellow Lady’s Slippers |
| Herb Robert |
| Golden Ragwort |
| Wood Betony |
While many of these species are past flowering, you can still catch a glimpse of late bloomers by hiking higher on the mountain. This includes spring beauties, dutchman’s breeches, squirrel corn, a few trout lilies and bellworts.
The next wildflower walk is this Friday, see you there
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April 21, 2012
 Dutchman's breeches (L. Dillmann) The spring wildflowers are out in abundance, despite the dry weather. A hike from the Red Gate parking lot, up the Blue summit trail to Trillium (near the Thompson cabin) will reward you with views of periwinkle, trout lily, dutchman’s breeches, wild ginger, perfoliate bellwort, blue cohosh, miterwort, two-leaf toothwort, spring beauty, jack-in-the-pulpit, dog violet and golden alexander. Wild leeks are up along many trails, but not flowering yet.
Several of these species are indicators of the rich hardwood forest community, including bellworts, wild ginger, blue cohosh, trout lily and wild leeks.
The spring wildflower survey walks continue through the end of May. The weather forecast for rain this weekend should produce more flowering for next week.
Enjoy your time on the Preserve.
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April 11, 2012
 (photo courtesy R. Heilemann) The warm sunshine combined with the little bit of rain over the past couple of days has encouraged a new burst of activity from the spring ephemerals on the Preserve. First flowers were observed from blue cohosh, dutchman’s breeches and cutleaf toothwort this morning. Hepaticas are up in good numbers; several downy yellow violets can be spotted along the Maidenhair extension, and many wild ginger leaves are just emerging but not flowering yet.
South and south-east facing slopes seem to have the most activity now; I would suggest a walk on the upper section of Trout Lily or on the Maidenhair trail to see the most variety. A couple of purple trilliums have just started blooming on the Mt Bluff dog-leg, just off-trail. Look closely as I think they are a bit frost-scarred.
The spring wildflower survey continues this Friday, meeting at the Red Gate parking lot off West Union St and departing at 9 am. Beginners and experts are welcome!
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March 14, 2012
 The Equinox Preserve geocaches are back in place after having been removed for the winter. Look for the “Mt Equinox Pest House” and the “Trout Lily Foundation”, along with the mystery “Trillium” geocache by logging on to www.geocaching.com and obtaining the coordinates for your GPS unit or smartphone.
 coltsfoot on the Pond Loop In addition, you can spot the first wildflowers of the spring. The coltsfoot is up along the Pond Loop. While not a native wildflower, it is a sure sign of spring.
Enjoy your time on the trails!
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January 14, 2012
The public is invited to join songbird expert Dr. Judith Scarl of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and the Equinox Preservation Trust (EPT) for her presentation of ”Mountain Birdwatch.” Dr. Scarl will discuss the findings of a citizen science research project on high-elevation songbird populations, notably the Bicknell’s Thrush.
 Bicknell's Thrush (courtesy VCE) The research involves yearly surveys of songbird populations in the region, including Mt Equinox. The free program will be held in the Manchester Room at the Equinox Hotel on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. Dr. Scarl’s presentation marks the kick-off of EPT’s new winter lecture series and workshops focusing on the natural history of the Taconics and the Equinox Highlands in which the Equinox Preserve is located. Dr. Scarl’s program is sponsored by The Vermont Bird Place and Sky Watch in Manchester Depot, and the Equinox Hotel.
For more information on the Mountain Birdwatch program: http://www.vtecostudies.org/MBW/index.html
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January 12, 2012
 stream from Upper Spring The streams flowing through the Preserve are teaming with tiny lifeforms, as noted in blog entries from March 12, June 10, and November 29, 2011. By using a simple method called a “leaf pack”, it is possible to monitor these streams to obtain information regarding water quality (see June 10 blog entry), as well as to begin to accumulate long-term data on stream macroinvertebrate populations.
The site I use to monitor the stream flowing down from the Upper Spring is just upstream from the old reservoir off the Mountain Bluff trail. The other stream currently being monitored in this fashion is the stream flowing from the spring just to the north of the Trout Lily trail. The monitoring site is between the Trout Lily and Pond Loop trails; I term it the “lower site”.
The set-up is quite simple: I stuff about 30 grams (a couple of handfuls) of fallen leaves into a small mesh lingere delicates wash bag…very simple and effective set-up. I anchor the bag to a rock or nearby sapling, being sure the bag is submerged and close to the main current.
As described in the blog entry from Nov 29, small stream organisms will colonize the leaves held in the bag. Once a month I empty the contents of the bag into a white pan to count and identify the creatures living within. For the most part, after one month of being submerged in the stream and chewed on by numerous aquatic creatures, the leaves have become quite skeletonized. After the counting and identifying is complete, the organisms are released back into the stream.
Some general observations can be made after several months of monitoring, starting back in May 2011 (TS Irene and the run-off from the mountain completely filled each bag with sediment and no record was made for August). First, the stream velocity is much faster in the stream flowing down from the Upper Spring due to the topography…perhaps this influences the species able to live there. The lower site typically is one to two degrees warmer than the upper site; the pH measurements at each site vary a bit (the upper site generally measures 5-5.5 and the lower site measures 6-6.5).
 sampling site between Trout Lilly and Pond Loop trails Currently, I identify organisms to Order. For example, Stoneflies (Plecoptera) are much more numerous at the upper site, whereas Caddisflies (Trichoptera) are more common at the lower site.
For more information on the “leaf pack network”, contact the Stroud Water Research Center at www.stroudcenter.org. Enjoy your time on the Preserve.
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December 17, 2011
 Eastern white pines on Red Gate trail As the winter snows swirl through the air and carpet the forest floor, several tree species stand out more now than in the summer. One such tree is the Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus).
With several easy to discern characteristics, the white pine is one of the easiest trees to learn to identify, especially for kids. First, white pine needles grow in clumps of five (like the letters in the word “w-h-i-t-e”). In fact, white pines are the only five-needled pine east of the Rockies and are the largest conifer in the Northeast, sometimes growing up to 100 feet tall. Additionally, each needle has a thin white stripe which runs its length.
Once it becomes easy to identify, look for other cool characteristics. For instance, branches sprout in whorls along the trunk; the distance between whorls indicates how much the tree grew in a given year. Counting whorls on young trees can give a close estimate of the age of the tree. It’s fun to count the whorls and attempt to find a tree your age. The distance between whorls is an indicator of what the growing conditions were like in a given year.
Needles remain on the tree for 1.5 to 2 years and are replaced in a continuous fashion. The needles are rich in vitamins A and C; chopped young needles make the best tea. In addition to tasty needles, many forest creatures depend on the white pine for food and lodging.
 clumps of white pine needles
 whorled growth pattern of branches Red squirrels are dominant seed eaters; look for large piles of stripped cones and cone scales called middens at the base of trees. Other seed consumers include chipmunks, mice, voles, pine grosbeaks, red-breasted nuthatches and other songbirds.
 white pine snag with woodpecker holes Look for a white pine tree your age on your next visit, and enjoy your time on the Preserve!
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November 29, 2011
 stream crossing Snicket After having spent numerous hours raking leaves from the waterbars on the Preserve trails, I have a new appreciation for the leftovers from foliage season. A general estimate is that five to ten percent of all forest primary production goes to herbivores (plant eaters), which leaves ninety percent or more going to detritivores (decomposers). Fallen leaves not only enrich the soil, they also enrich the small mountain streams flowing through the Preserve.
Leaf litter is a primary source of nutrients and organic matter for these fast-flowing bodies of water. In addition to the moderate to fast velocity and discharge, mountain streams are typically characterized by rocky streambeds, narrow channels, cold temperatures and high dissolved oxygen content. The abundant shade limits opportunities for photosynthesis; most mountain streams are low in nutients. Thus, fallen leaves play a vital role in supplying nutrients to the tiny creatures inhabiting these streams.
Leaves falling into the stream provide important microhabitats for dynamic food chains. Creatures must adapt to a life in fast moving water. Many have developed low-profile body forms and spend little time actually swimming; movement is often accompished by clinging tightly to the rocks and leaves and staying tight to the substrate. Organisms termed shredders (crane fly larvae, scuds) are responsible for chewing and shredding leaves and organic materials. Collectors obtain nutrients by gathering (crayfish, aquatic worms) or filtering (blackfly larvae, net-spinning caddisfly larvae). Other creatures subsist on tiny plants and bacteria they have grazed or scraped from rocks, leaves and woody debris (water pennies, snails). Feeding types vary from species to species within numerous orders, including mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies. No food chain would be complete without predators, and these tiny streams host a number of predators (some stoneflies, aquatic beetle larvae).
 Forest streams are influenced by the surrounding forest type. In general, some aquatic species prefer certain leaf types over others (for example, aspen over maple). Changes in leaf types and leaf deposition along a stream reach can influence the suitability of the habitat for aquatic creatures. It has also been found that the time required for aquatic creatures to shred, filter and consume leaf detritus increases as the predator population increases. Too much time must be devoted to not getting eaten apparently.
The next time you are walking the trails take time to throw a leaf in a stream and feed the grazers, shredders and collectors. Enjoy your time on the Preserve.
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October 29, 2011
 beech leaves in the snow The weather forecast for tonight and into tomorrow is highlighted by a winter weather warning calling for several inches of heavy, wet snow in southern Vermont and other locations throughout the Northeast. This raises concern for the trees with leaves still clinging to their twigs and branches. The remaining leaves tend to collect snow; enough total leaf surface area may remain on some trees to accumulate a significant snowload and lead to broken limbs and branches. Next week may be spent cleaning up trails…
Most deciduous trees have evolved to the point where most or all of their leaves have fallen by the time heavy winter snows arrive. Two notable exceptions on the Preserve have evolved in warm tropical conditions and have only recently (evolution remember…lots of time involved) moved into cooler northern climes: the red oaks and the american beeches, whose tan and brown leaves can be seen well into winter. Are these two species still evolving in ways to adapt to the cold, snowy northern winters? The answer is most likely, yes.
Deciduous trees like the maples, ash and hickories on the Preserve have thin, tender leaves, and lose their leaves in the fall as the leaf tissue would be unable to survive the extreme winds, snow and temperatures of winter. This gives most deciduous trees only a brief window of opportunity to produce and store enough nutrients to survive the winter.
Evergreen trees, like the white pines around the Pond and the spruces and firs at higher elevations, keep their leaves (needles) year-round, which saves each tree a tremendous amount of energy by not needing to produce more leaves each spring. Plus it gives those trees a somewhat extended time for photosynthesis. To adapt to the extremes of winter, these “leaves” have evolved a waxy outer coating to prevent dehydration and a compact, low-profile design allowing them to shed snow.
Where do the oaks and beeches fit into this mix? Botanists and foresters use the term “marcescent” to describe the trees with leaves that wither and die without falling off the tree. In most deciduous trees, a layer of cells called the abscission layer forms at the junction of the twig and the leaf stem (petiole). One function of this layer of cells is to serve as the breaking point between twig and leaf stem.
However, research seems to indicate this abscission layer does not fully form in marcescent trees, thus the leaves hold on for an extended period of time after withering and strong winds and/or snow break them off. This is thought to provide each tree with a slightly extended period of photosynthesis, perhaps just enough to ensure survival. Additionally, this may be an adaptation to growing on marginal soils; leaves would drop late and not begin to break down in the autumn, leaving plenty of nutrients for the tree to reabsorb in the spring as the leaves decompose. Do marcescent leaves protect next year’s buds? Perhaps. Did beeches and oaks originally evolve in conditions which required or provided extended growing seasons? Maybe.
Whatever the case, whispering beech leaves in a slight winter breeze is a distinct sensory joy in late December and January. Look for marcescent leaves on your hikes this fall and winter and enjoy your time on the Preserve.
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October 26, 2011
 nest on Mt Bluff trail A common sight at this time of year are the wasp and hornet nests hidden by the green foliage of summer. Many species of paper nest building wasps and hornets inhabit the local fields and forests, but all possess common characteristics when it comes to building their nest.
As summer cools and progresses into autumn, a queen wasp will lay eggs, some of which are fertilized and others are not. These eggs receive extra food and care from the workers; the fertilized eggs will become next years’ queens and the unfertilized eggs become male drones.
These future queens then leave the nest, mate with drone suitors and overwinter under leaf litter, in hollow trees or in stone wall crevices. Unmated females, drones, last year’s queen and all the female workers will die.
When warm temperatures return in the spring, the queens emerge from hibernation to look for good nest sites. Once a site is located, the queen builds a tiny nest with a few cells and proceeds to lay an egg in each cell. Upon reaching maturity, this first generation of workers (all female) works to support the queen and the developing eggs and larvae.
As the population of the nest grows, so does the nest. One queen to a nest, her sole purpose to lay eggs for the next generation of wasps. The workers will leave the nest to seek out woody plant materials, which they chew to mix with their saliva to form a paper slurry of sorts. This slurry is then spread out into a thin layer on the nest, and when dry forms part of the nest…either a cell wall or perhaps an outer wall. These thin layers of paper function to trap heat produced by the worker wasps and shelter the developing eggs and larvae from wind and rain. Close examination of a (vacant) nest will reveal paper of a variety of shades of gray and white. This color variation is due to the diversity of sources the wasp or hornet uses to make the paper.
 nest interior The wasps or hornets spend the summer laying eggs, caring for developing larvae, and enlarging the nest as needed. As the day length begins to decrease and temperatures cool with the approach of winter, the entire process begins anew.
For more information about paper nest building wasps, “Winter World” by Bernd Heinrich is a great choice.
Look for last summer’s nests on your next hike, and enjoy your time on the Preserve.
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