Here lies upon man's galvanized fence the offending graffiti on Black’s Bridge.
Have you ever seen the woods on the north side of Presidential Lakes next to Deep Hollow? I always admired them for their clean, uncluttered look. The next two are from this past June. I love how green it is that time of year. You’d think there was a Master Forester in charge like in old England.
Nothing but a low heath understory and very few low branches.
Rose Pogonia from the Oyster Creek watershed. This creek is not studied enough. Unfortunately it runs right to the power station and that is the end of that.
The is the Cook’s Branch, a tributary of Cedar Creek. My God everyone who has a soul, how can we not love it! It is the coolest little stream in NJ. It comes right from the aquifer, and when it enters Bamber Lake, it takes on this cold, sterile quality. I have never seen a fish in this stream, or other water creatures for that matter. I think it my be the PH level. You can’t even catch fish in the lake where it enters. But oh my, is it lovely and clean!
This is floating heart from over by the Garden State Parkway just west of Forked River. This plant is threatened in NJ.
This is another shot of the Bog Asphodel I visited this past June. I estimated 8,000 plants in this location, which is really astounding. I worry that the expansion of the Parkway may interfere with their habitat. This plant is also threatened or endangered.
Speaking of things that interfere with habitat, I am not looking to start an ATV flame post with this next one, but these things need to be documented and told. There are people grinding up lovely bogs over by the Middle Branch of the Forked River. They know not (and probably do not) care at all what they do. This was a lovely little bog with orchids, golden crest, pipewort, etc. Look how they just bowl over young cedars.
They left this lone orchid, forlorn in its lonely habitat now. I plan to see if any of this looks different this year.
My best Buddy. He is always alert in the woods. Every 30 seconds or so he stops and just listens intently for about 5 seconds. Just in case.
Here is another self portrait of me standing in Cedar Creek downstream from Bamber in early May. I count the number of Swamp Pink in this area for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Swamp Pink is a Federally protected species. Pink always comes out from the last week in April and by Mid May it is drooping and going to seed. It always seems to be rainy, dreary weather for my count. I could not interest anyone on this year’s count because of the weather. But I like to give Guy my coordinates in case I get in trouble. I can count on Guy to pull me out if need be. I took this photo to send in as proof of where I was, and because it was another of those crazy moments where you look around you and laugh at your predicament; alone in a briar swamp in pouring rain. So you just have to document it for the future.
This is a lovely little feeder stream of the Middle Branch of the Forked River. It was foggy that day.
Buddy and Bushy Beard grass…deep in the Eastern Pine Plains.
This is why I love this area for plants, and what makes it so interesting. This little one foot diameter hummock in the far upstream area of Westecunk Creek has: Sphagnum moss, liverwort, Spatulate sundew, pitcher plant, carex collinsii, carex trisperma, cranberry, cedar, pitch pine, young inkberry, and dixie cup moss. And that is just with the naked eye looking at the photo right now.
Have you ever seen the woods on the north side of Presidential Lakes next to Deep Hollow? I always admired them for their clean, uncluttered look. The next two are from this past June. I love how green it is that time of year. You’d think there was a Master Forester in charge like in old England.
Nothing but a low heath understory and very few low branches.
Rose Pogonia from the Oyster Creek watershed. This creek is not studied enough. Unfortunately it runs right to the power station and that is the end of that.
The is the Cook’s Branch, a tributary of Cedar Creek. My God everyone who has a soul, how can we not love it! It is the coolest little stream in NJ. It comes right from the aquifer, and when it enters Bamber Lake, it takes on this cold, sterile quality. I have never seen a fish in this stream, or other water creatures for that matter. I think it my be the PH level. You can’t even catch fish in the lake where it enters. But oh my, is it lovely and clean!
This is floating heart from over by the Garden State Parkway just west of Forked River. This plant is threatened in NJ.
This is another shot of the Bog Asphodel I visited this past June. I estimated 8,000 plants in this location, which is really astounding. I worry that the expansion of the Parkway may interfere with their habitat. This plant is also threatened or endangered.
Speaking of things that interfere with habitat, I am not looking to start an ATV flame post with this next one, but these things need to be documented and told. There are people grinding up lovely bogs over by the Middle Branch of the Forked River. They know not (and probably do not) care at all what they do. This was a lovely little bog with orchids, golden crest, pipewort, etc. Look how they just bowl over young cedars.
They left this lone orchid, forlorn in its lonely habitat now. I plan to see if any of this looks different this year.
My best Buddy. He is always alert in the woods. Every 30 seconds or so he stops and just listens intently for about 5 seconds. Just in case.
Here is another self portrait of me standing in Cedar Creek downstream from Bamber in early May. I count the number of Swamp Pink in this area for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Swamp Pink is a Federally protected species. Pink always comes out from the last week in April and by Mid May it is drooping and going to seed. It always seems to be rainy, dreary weather for my count. I could not interest anyone on this year’s count because of the weather. But I like to give Guy my coordinates in case I get in trouble. I can count on Guy to pull me out if need be. I took this photo to send in as proof of where I was, and because it was another of those crazy moments where you look around you and laugh at your predicament; alone in a briar swamp in pouring rain. So you just have to document it for the future.
This is a lovely little feeder stream of the Middle Branch of the Forked River. It was foggy that day.
Buddy and Bushy Beard grass…deep in the Eastern Pine Plains.
This is why I love this area for plants, and what makes it so interesting. This little one foot diameter hummock in the far upstream area of Westecunk Creek has: Sphagnum moss, liverwort, Spatulate sundew, pitcher plant, carex collinsii, carex trisperma, cranberry, cedar, pitch pine, young inkberry, and dixie cup moss. And that is just with the naked eye looking at the photo right now.
