Natural Lands Stroud Preserve (11/28/2020)

Saturday, November 28, 2020

Stroud Preserve was bequeathed to Natural Lands in 1992 by Dr Morris Stroud, with the stipulation that it always be available as a study site for the Stroud Water Research Center.
Today we tackled the 4.1 mile red loop trail.

Well! The parking lot was overflowing, but the preserve
is so large that social distancing was not a problem

The East Branch Brandywine Creek, wide, but shallow

Field stone bridge over the creek

Giant hay bales dotted the landscape here and there; but
first we would climb the hill along the snaky path to the right

We made it to the first scenic overlook!

Next we were in a grove of Picea abies/
Norway Spruce

The bark of a Norway Spruce tree

A path to/from a horse farm, but we must stay out
until January 24, 2021 (after hunting season?)

More acreage for cutting hay (KSS)

A couple horses and their stable (KSS)

This tree has more horizontal branches (KSS)

Here the acreage was used to grow corn

Apparently self-seeded Rumex sp/Sorrel

Bright red leaves of a Viburnum sp perhaps

Nesting box trail marker

Evidence of sharing the trail with horses

See the prints of horseshoes?

Solanum carolinense/Horse Nettle fruit (poisonous!)

Scenic overlook at the grasslands; there is a serpentine
barrens at Stroud Preserve, but it is not well-marked

Neighboring Deborah's Rock Farm with 1815 farmhouse
(with many additions!) and a field stone barn

Is that a springhouse down by the pond? (KSS)

A kestrel or screech-owl nesting box sits
above an electric fence

Looking back up at the last scenic overlook

Kent views the wetlands

Afforestation (planting trees where there were no trees before)
is taking place in the former man-made pond (KSS)

The homestead in the center of Stroud Preserve remains private;
the original farmhouse of the former Georgia Farm was built in
1740 (with additions c 1835 and 1890) using green serpentine stone

The Georgia Farm barn with an addition looks as if every
horse has a covered patio!

Probably a Liquidambar styraciflua/Sweetgum
with a multitude of seed pods (KSS)

Tales on Trails, Newlin Grist Mill Park (11/26/2020)

Thursday, November 26, 2020

We have seen something like Tales on Trails in a couple locations, so decided to record the one from Newlin Grist Mill Park in Glen Mills, PA.

One Duck Stuck (1998) by Phyllis Root,
illustrated by Jane Chapman

Down by the marsh, by the sleepy, slimy marsh,
1 - One duck gets stuck in the muck, down by the deep green marsh.
Help! Help! Who can help?

We can! We can!
2 - Two fish, tails going swish, swim to the duck.
Splish, splash. No luck.
The duck stays stuck deep in the muck down by the squishy, fishy marsh.
Help! Help! Who can help?

We can! We Can!
3 - Three moose munching on spruce plod to the duck.
Clomp, clomp. No luck.
The duck stays stuck deep in the muck down by the swampy chompy marsh. 
Help! Help! Who can help?

We can! We Can!
4 - Four crickets chirping in the thickets leap to the duck.
Pleep, pleep. No luck.
The duck stays stuck deep in the muck down by the pricky, sticky marsh. 
Help! Help! Who can help?

We can! We Can!
5 - Five frogs hopping on logs jump to the duck.
Plop, plop. No luck.
The duck stays stuck deep in the muck down by the creaky, croaky marsh. 
Help! Help! Who can help?

We can! We Can!
6 - Six skunks climbing over trunks crawl to the duck.
Plunk, plunk. No luck.
The duck stays stuck deep in the muck down by the soggy, loggy marsh. 
Help! Help! Who can help?

We can! We Can!
7 - Seven snails making slippery trails slide to the duck.
Sloosh, sloosh. No luck.
The duck stays stuck deep in the muck down by the slippy, sloppy marsh. 
Help! Help! Who can help?

We can! We Can!
8 - Eight possums nibbling on blossoms crawl to the duck.
Slosh, slosh. No luck.
The duck stays stuck deep in the muck down by the reedy, weedy marsh. 
Help! Help! Who can help?

We can! We Can!
9 - Nine snakes leaving little wakes slither to the duck.
Slink, slink. No luck.
The duck stays stuck deep in the muck down by the messy, mossy marsh. 
Help! Help! Who can help?

We can! We Can!
10 - Ten dragonflies zooming through the skies whir to the duck.
Zing, zing. No luck.
The duck stays stuck deep in the muck down by the muggy, buggy marsh. 
Help! Help! Who can help?

We can! We Can!

splish | clomp | pleep | plop | plunk | sloosh | slosh | slink | zing

They all help the duck who got stuck in the muck.

Spluck!

"Thanks!" said the duck who got out of the muck
down by the deep green marsh.

The End.

Newlin Grist Mill Park (11/26/2020)

Thursday, November 26, 2020
Happy Thanksgiving!

We have already visited the Newlin Grist Mill in Glen Mills, PA (6/15/2019). However, there are also trails in the Newlin Grist Mill Park.

Flooding in early August 2020 resulted in extensive damage throughout the park and work has been ongoing for clean-up and repair.

Markham Station (1857, now the Newlin Grist Mill Visitor Center)
by the tracks of the former Octorara branch of the
Pennsylvania Railroad; we started on the Industrial Trail
that follows the railroad track bed to the west

Log cabin

"Rapids" in West Branch Chester Creek

Frog Pond

The flooding destroyed the boardwalk
along one side of Frog Pond

Concord Creek Dam; at one time you could cross
the creek by foot along the top of the stone dam

There is another stone dam on the West Branch Chester Creek, but access was closed. All the Newlin Grist Mill Park literature called the secondary creek Concord Creek. On maps, it is Webb Creek.

Control gate on the headrace that turns off above the dam (KSS)

The headrace is the water channel that brings water to power the waterwheel at the mill.

Industrial Trail along the railroad track bed

Nature is taking over a section of railroad track (KSS)

Above the dam is the area that used to be the Mill Pond

Railroad bridge (KSS)

Approaching Concord Road, evidence of a Gneiss Quarry?

Evidence of some industry

Old picnic pavilion

Entering area of conifers (KSS)

Fruit of the Maclura pomifera/Osage Orange Tree
are sometimes called hedge apples, but in
Pennsylvania they are called monkey balls

Newlin Grist Mill Park trail marker

This nesting box has predator guard; note
in the background the old Christmas Tree farm  (KSS)

It appears the center of the trunk is dead wood, and the
outer live wood attracted moss when this tree was cut (KSS)

The odd shapes and bare limbs of
Metasequoia glyptostroboides/Dawn Redwoods

Partially sawn log? Bark harvesting? (KSS)

Overgrown Christmas Tree Farm (KSS)

Not an Osage Orange! But there are Juglans nigra/Black Walnuts

Marshall Springhouse (1718, moved here in 1977) (KSS)

Marshall Springhouse

Picnic grove

We follow the Mill Race Trail
alongside the headrace (KSS)

Some of the missing bridges

Blacksmith Shop (1975 reconstruction using local field stone)

Bridge over the spillway, with the headrace
to the right headed for the Newlin Grist Mill

The spillway normally has water falling over the wall and
flowing to fill the lower fishing ponds

A trickle of water in the fishing pond

We hiked about three miles today.