Forests As Life Tree History, Building Local, and Blueberry Traditions

connecticut Woodlands

Forests as Life Tree History, Building Local, and Blueberry Traditions

The Magazine of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association Summer 2014 Volume 79 No. 2 The Connecticut Forest & Park Association, Inc. OFFICERS

President, Eric Lukingbeal, Granby Vice-President, William D. Breck, Killingworth Vice-President, Geoffrey Meissner, Plantsville Vice-President, David Platt, Higganum Vice-President, Starr Sayres, East Haddam Treasurer, James W. Dombrauskas, New Hartford Secretary, Eric Hammerling, West Hartford Forester, Thomas J. Degnan, Jr., East Haddam

DIRECTORS

Russell Brenneman, Westport Robert Butterworth, Deep River Starling W. Childs, Norfolk R. Richard Croce, Killingworth Ruth Cutler, Ashford Thomas J. Degnan, Jr., East Haddam Caroline Driscoll, New London Astrid T. Hanzalek, Suffield David Lauretti, Bloomfield Michael Lecours, Farmington Diane FRIEND Edwards David K. Leff, Collinsville Scott Livingston, Bolton The Mattatuck Trail crosses a small dam at the outflow end of Beaver Pond. See “Try This Hike” Jeff Loureiro, Canton on page 20. Erin McGrath, WesCFPA Lauren L. McGregor, Hamden Jeffrey O’Donnell, Bristol Raymond P. Radikas, Glastonbury Connecting People to the Land Annual Membership Alex J. Siebert, WesCFPA Richard Whitehouse, Glastonbury Our mission: The Connecticut Forest & Park Individual $ 35 Association protects forests, parks, walking HONORARY DIRECTORS Family $ 50 trails and open spaces for future generations by Gordon L. Anderson, St. Johns, FL Harrol W. Baker, Jr., Bolton connecting people to the land. CFPA directly Supporting $ 100 Richard A. Bauerfeld, Redding involves individuals and families, educators, Benefactor $ 250 George M. Camp, Middletown community leaders and volunteers to enhance Ann M. Cuddy, Ashland, OR and defend Connecticut’s rich natural heritage. Prudence P. Cutler, Farmington CFPA is a private, non-profit organization that Samuel G. Dodd, North Andover, MA Life Membership $ 2500 Grace W. Ellsworth, Haddam relies on members and supporters to carry out John E. Hibbard, Hebron its mission. Joseph Hickey, Wethersfield Corporate Membership Our vision: We envision Connecticut as a Jean Crum Jones, Shelton Philip H. Jones, Jr., Shelton place of scenic beauty whose cities, suburbs, Club / Non-profit $ 75 Edward A. Richardson, Glastonbury and villages are linked by a network of parks, Sustaining $ 100 L. P. Sperry, Jr., Middlebury forests, and trails easily accessible for all people Sally L. Taylor, Mystic to challenge the body and refresh the spirit. We Landmark $ 250 Sidney Van Zandt, Noank picture a state where clean water, timber, farm Stewardship $ 500 STAFF fresh foods, and other products of the land make Trails Promotion Manager & Engagement Advocate, a significant contribution to our economic and Leadership $ 1000 Jennifer Benner, Rockfall cultural well-being. Education Director, Lori Paradis Brant, Rockfall Trail Stewardship Director, Clare Cain, Niantic Events and Volunteer Coordinator, Connecticut Woodlands Elizabeth Fossett, Meriden Membership & Marketing Director, Published quarterly by the Marty Gosselin, Durham Connecticut Forest & Park Association, Executive Director, Eric Hammerling, West Hartford 16 Meriden Road, Development Director, James W. Little, Hebron Land Conservation Director, Rockfall, CT 06481-2961 LINDSAY MICHEL, North Haven Indexed in the Connecticut Periodical Index, Printed on 60% Recycled, ADVANCEMENT ASSISTANT, Kara Murphy, Guilford ISSN 00106257 FSC and Green-e Certified Paper Forest & Program Director, Goodwin Forest Center, James Parda, Coventry Telephone: 860-346-TREE Office Manager, Teresa Peters, Durham Fax: 860-347-7463.

Editor, Christine Woodside E-mail address: [email protected] Graphic Designer, Karen Ward World Wide Web site: ctwoodlands.org

2 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014 connecticut Woodlands

The Magazine of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association SUMMER 2014 Volume 79 No.2

CONTENTS FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

Forests as Life 4 President’s Message. Worst enemy of the future? 6 Witness Trees, Fossil Pollen, Irresponsible development. and Other Insights. By Eric Lukingbeal. How Connecticut’s forests have changed from colonial to 5 Executive Director’s Message. modern times. CFPA is great for your health. By Edward K. Faison. By Eric Hammerling.

11 Eat, Build, and Buy Local. 13 CFPA in the Community. In the midst of a buy-local farming WesCFPA: Meet CFPA’s Wesleyan movement, UConn researches student partners. Plus, a pull-out Connecticut’s relationship to local map of the Blue-Blazed wood products. Hiking Trails. By Nathaniel Cyrus. 20 Try This Hike. Exploring a wildlife sanctuary along the Mattatuck Trail. 16 tHE Uninvited Beetle. By Diane Friend Edwards. Now that the emerald ash borer is here, the strategy is to hold it back. 22 From the Land. By Daniel Candella. Grunts, slumps, and cobblers: Cooking with blueberries, New England natives. 18 For Sale—Your Parks and By Jean Crum Jones. Forests? The Council on Environmental 24 From the ARchives Quality details, in a surprising report, The history of a cedar swamp. several proposals during the past three By James L. Goodwin, introduced by years to transfer or exchange state James Parda. land, including state parks and wildlife areas. What’s going on? 26 Obituary. By Maschal Mohiuddin. Larry Green.

On the Cover: The artist Frederic Church’s romantic Correction: The article “Exploring the Old rendering of what Thomas Hooker saw Connecticut Path” (spring) said that David when he traveled from Cambridge, Raczkowski, aka “NipMuck Dave,” coordinates Massachusetts, to Hartford in 1636. the annual Nipmuck Marathon on the Nipmuck Public Domain/Hangs in Wadsworth Athaneum Trail. Although Mr. Raczkowski started the marathon, it’s now directed by the Shenipset Striders running club, which, Mr. Raczkowski writes, does an outstanding job. “I continue to help out that race by maintaining that trail for CFPA to race running standards,” he said.

SUMMER 2014 | Connecticut Woodlands | 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Worst enemy of the future? Irresponsible development

BY ERIC LUKINGBEAL For climate change, the scientists assumed temperatures in 50 years hat will Con- would increase 4 degrees F, and average annual precipitation would necticut look like in 50 increase between 5 and 7 percent. W years? Climate change, assumes that high food prices and reliance economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the development, energy, on oil drive up interest in biomass for energy. environment.” agriculture, and for- It lays out the related need to clear land for The Key Findings section ranks the forest est policy will all play agriculture so that food and energy needs and infrastructure scenario first in benefits a part. It’s hard to say what will happen. As can be met locally. Finally, forests as infra- to people and nature. It protects more than the Danish physicist Niels Bohr said, “Pre- structure assumes that forests are actively half a million acres of priority forest habitat diction is always difficult, especially about managed and conserved, with an empha- and limits fragmentation. (Priority habitat is the future.” sis on conserving forests as a source of low- defined as extending more than one kilome- But scientists in Massachusetts have cost carbon storage, renewable energy, local ter from any nonhabitat edge). It supports taken a stab at coming up with some edu- wood products, clean water, and habitat. increased local wood production. It allows cated guesses. Earlier this year, eight natu- The scenarios were scored for how well nearly the same amount of development as ral resource professionals, in collaboration they achieved specific benefits: total for- the recent trends scenario, but two-thirds is with Harvard Forest, published Changes to est area, conserved forest area, developed clustered development. the Land: Four Scenarios for the Future of area, timber harvest, farmland, harvested The most striking finding is that over 50 the Massachusetts Landscape (Harvard Forest, wood, high-value tree species, carbon in years, development has a greater impact on Harvard University, 2014). The four scenar- live trees, impervious cover, annual water carbon storage and water quality than cli- ios used different numbers for land develop- runoff, nutrient export, priority forest habi- mate change does. Climate change will affect ment, timber harvesting, farmland expan- tat conserved, and small forest patches. One forest composition and growth because of sion, and forest conservation. For climate could argue about this list, but keep in mind higher temperatures and increased rainfall. change, the scientists assumed temperatures Gaylord Nelson’s observation, “The global The report concludes that Massachusetts in 50 years would increase 4 degrees F, and needs to do three things to get the full ben- average annual precipitation would increase efits of its forests. First, recommit to land between 5 and 7 percent. The Key Findings section ranks conservation (increase funding, offer tax Connecticut and Massachusetts both have incentives to land owners). Second, redou- high population density. Connecticut is the the forest and infrastructure ble land-use planning and policy (higher fourth most densely populated state; Massa- residential densities; clustered, mixed-use, chusetts is the third. Both states have seen a scenario first in benefits to people and reuse near cities and town centers; town return of the forest during the past century. adoption of natural resource zoning; state- Both still have significant forest cover, but and nature. It protects more than level land-use zoning reform). Third, pro- forest cover is beginning to decline. Both mote credits for forest stewardship plans, and have decentralized land-use policy, with half a million acres of priority fund landowner outreach and marketing of many important decisions now made at the local, sustainably harvested wood. municipal level. It’s reasonable to think that If Connecticut did these things, it should the Harvard Forest project’s analysis and forest habitat and limits be able to get the same benefits. The pros- conclusions would apply here. pects are daunting. Local officials in 169 The four scenarios chosen were recent fragmentation. It supports towns make the land-use decisions. Home trends, opportunistic growth, regional self- rule is not going away anytime soon. There reliance, and forest as infrastructure. The increased local wood production. are many claims on the state’s budget. Fed- recent trends scenario assumes that devel- eral environmental policy seems stuck. But, opment, agriculture, land conservation, and It allows nearly the same amount as the African proverb has it, “The best way timber harvesting would resemble the pat- to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.” terns from 1999 to 2005. The opportunistic of development as the recent growth scenario assumes that the economy Eric Lukingbeal is a retired environmental grows rapidly, environmental regulations are trends scenario, but two-thirds lawyer from Granby, where he lives with his sharply curtailed, and land-use planning is wife, Sally King. He serves on the town’s land shelved. The regional self-reliance scenario is clustered development. trust and planning and zoning commission.

4 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR‘S MESSAGE CFPA is great for your health

BY ERIC HAMMERLING in the Chicago public schools, with the most powerful beneficial effects on children at risk. t one of the P In the Netherlands, proximity to parks was Connecticut connected to improvements in test scores. Forest & Park A Association’s P For children with ADHD, walks in green recent trails work- areas have been found to have similar effects shops, Julia Ander- as a dose of Ritalin—and parents are report- son, a student at the ing that they notice the difference. Yale School of For- P Patients recovering from surgery or trau- estry & Environmental Studies, told me matic events heal faster when exposed to about an exciting report, “Improving Human nature. Adults focus better after simply look- Health by Increasing Access to Natural Areas: ing at pictures of green space. And children Opportunities and Risks” (Yale School of develop more creativity and better self-control Forestry & Environmental Studies, 2014). through unstructured play in green spaces. Several of the report’s prominent findings P Threats from a changing climate, the con- demonstrated that the CFPA’s ongoing work Connecticut Forest tinuing fragmentation of open lands, spread- to implement its mission—“connect people and to the land in order to protect forests, parks, ing invasive species, and growing health care & Park Association and walking trails for future generations”— access inequalities are a few of the major Connecticut Woodlands is also great for your health. issues that require attention and which Some key findings from the proceedings would benefit from partnerships between the Magazine are excerpted here: health care and land conservation sectors. Connecticut Woodlands is a quarterly P Reducing obesity and related diseases P Land conservation or restoration initia- magazine published since 1936 by CFPA, through outdoor exercise is a huge driver tives have the potential to help reduce frag- the private, non-profit organization of investments in trails and park areas. mentation and some of its associated health dedicated to conserving the land, trails, and natural resources of Connecticut. P A growing body of research demonstrates risks. These include diseases that jump from the benefits to mental health/development urban or suburban areas to natural areas Members of CFPA receive the magazine from time spent in nature. when land is fragmented. in the mail four times a year. CFPA also publishes a newsletter several times a year. P At the level of our brains, we need to P The prevention of health problems is con- recharge our mental energy by offsetting the siderably cheaper than treating acute ail- For more information about CFPA, to join time we spend devoting “direct attention” ments or managing chronic conditions. As or donate online, visit our website, www. to our work by spending time on activities such, land conservation has the potential to ctwoodlands.org, or call 860-346-TREE. with a high degree of “indirect attention.” help reduce health care costs through the Give the gift of membership in CFPA. The fascination that comes from relaxing in numerous services and benefits that natu- Contact Marty Gosselin at 860-346-TREE. nature has been shown to be a good source ral systems provide—particularly in prevent- of indirect attention and, hence, a source of ing acute conditions, such as those resulting replenishment for “direct attention.” from chronic stress and inactivity. P At the cellular level, chronic stress, obe- P Researchers have documented notable Advertising Rates sity, and inactivity all cause damage to our mental health changes in adults who have mitochondria by increasing the production Half page: spent time in natural space, such as improved of free radicals that eventually result in cel- $180 per issue / $600 yearly mood, attention, and self-discipline; reduced lular damage and increased inflammation, (four issues) stress, anxiety, and aggression; and improved which is a trigger to many Western diseases recovery times from illness and management Quarter page: of concern—such as diabetes, cardiovascular of symptoms for patients with dementia or $90 per issue / $300 yearly disease, and Alzheimer’s. Being active in a Alzheimer’s Disease. Eighth page: natural environment (so called “green exer- $60 per issue / $200 yearly cise”) reduces stress and increases activity in View the full report at environment. a manner that can reduce this damage. research.yale.edu/publication-series/6131. Design services available for a fee. P Children’s academic performance Eric Hammerling has directed CFPA since improved with more access to green space 2008. He lives in West Hartford.

SUMMER 2014 | Connecticut Woodlands | 5 Colonial Witness Trees Although largely ignored or unknown to foresters, ecologists, and conservationists, most Connecticut towns possess a colonial- era forest inventory in their town archives. Upon settlement, colonial towns com- menced with delineation of property ownership. “Metes and bounds” surveys were the most common method. A property was typically described from a given point around its perimeter and back to the starting point with the use of physical features, distances, and directions. The most common, often the only, physical features used to mark corners in these surveys were trees. After a town’s bounds were surveyed—a process that took anywhere from a handful of years to several decades—several hundred “witness” trees had been recorded. Com- piled across counties, states, and regions, witness trees offer a formidable inventory of the forest composition that greeted the first European settlers. Actually, witness tree data are arguably more comprehensive than any forest inventory we have today. Armed with these data, we can reconstruct Connect- icut’s original forest composition, and with Karren Wcisel reasonable accuracy assess the relative abun- White oak. dance of different trees that Mr. Hooker and company would have encountered on their BY EDWARD K. FAISON journey from Cambridge to Hartford.

Witness Trees, n 1636, the Reverend Thomas Hooker Reliability of Witness Tree Data left Newtown (Cambridge), Massachu- But are the witness tree data reliable? Can setts, with 100 followers to settle in a the tree identifications of the early land sur- Fossil Pollen, large, fertile river valley some 90 miles to I veyors be trusted, and were the surveyors the southwest. Following Native American biased in their selection of certain tree spe- trails that entered the future state of Con- cies? These are important questions, given and Other necticut through Woodstock, Mr. Hooker’s the large number of early land surveyors two-week journey culminated in the found- employed across Connecticut, the lack of ing of Hartford. This journey is fittingly cel- formal botanical training of the surveyors, ebrated as a defining moment in Connecticut and the absence of a standard method for history, but it also marked one of the earli- selecting trees. Despite these potential pit- Insights falls, it is unlikely that errors or bias had an est overland expeditions by European settlers into the interior of southern New England. important effect on the data. Here’s why. How Connecticut’s forests Basic natural history skills were far more What type of forest and landscape did Mr. common among laypeople in the colonial Hooker and his followers encounter on their have changed from era than they are today; therefore, early land trip? If we were to retrace their steps today, surveyors would probably have been familiar how would the forest look different from its colonial to modern times with the common tree types. Charles Cog- “original” counterpart? With more than 375 bill, an ecologist and forest historian who has years elapsed and no existing firsthand natu- collected more witness tree data across the ral history accounts from Mr. Hooker’s expe- northeastern US than any other researcher, dition, these questions would seem hope- described these surveyors as “discerning lessly relegated to the realm of speculation. naturalists.” Comparisons of witness trees Remarkably, this isn’t the case. recorded in the midwestern United States in

6 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014 the 19th century with the same witness trees it made up only 1 to 4 percent of all trees), would have been the norm, and long-lived still standing have confirmed Dr. Cogbill’s and it was rare on the sandy coastal plain trees would have been selected for. Obser- assessment that the surveyors were accurate of eastern and southeastern Massachusetts. vations by Henry Thoreau on perhaps the in their identification. With respect to sur- Chestnut is completely absent from the wit- last uncut forest in eastern Massachusetts veyors potentially favoring certain tree spe- ness tree data in the original eastern Mas- support the notion of original forests being cies over others, one must remember that sachusetts towns of Cambridge, Sudbury, dominated by old white oaks. there was an inherent guard against such bias Framingham, Hopkinton, and Grafton. In [in this uncut forest] there may be in the surveys: Tree selection was ultimately other words, for the first one-third of Mr. a thousand acres of old oak wood. The limited to the few stems that happened to Hooker’s journey from Cambridge to Hart- large wood is chiefly oak, and that white be present at a property corner. ford, there is a good chance that his com- oak, though black, red, and scarlet oak pany saw few if any American chestnut trees. are also common . . . Chestnut: The King That Never Was Not until Sutton, Massachusetts, would Mr. Seeing this I can realize how this coun- Among the more fascinating aspects of Hooker have begun to encounter chestnuts try appeared when it was discovered . . . studying the witness tree data is discover- regularly. From Woodstock to Hartford, We have but a faint conception of a full ing that some of the conventional wisdom chestnut would have been a common tree grown oak forest stretching uninterrupted regarding tree abundance is not supported in the forest. for miles, consisting of sturdy trees from by the data. American chestnut (Castanea one to three and even four feet in diam- The Dominant White Oak dentata) is often purported to have been the eter, whose interlacing branches form king of the Connecticut forest, constitut- If American chestnut was not the king of a complete and uninterrupted canopy ing as many as half of all trees in the forest, Connecticut’s original forest, then which —Journal entries November 9–10, 1860 before it succumbed to the chestnut blight tree was? The answer, interestingly enough, Despite white oak’s longevity, hemlock in the early 1900s. But the witness trees tell is Connecticut’s state tree: white oak (Quer- (Tsuga canadensis) and black gum (Nyssa syl- a different story. Chestnut was certainly a cus alba). Connecticut’s choice of white oak vatica) are even longer-lived, reaching more common tree, but it was by no means the as the state tree in 1947 came about because than 900 and almost 700 years respectively. most abundant tree in the original forest, a majestic white oak happened to be the tree Hemlock, however, was only a minor tree accounting for less than 10 percent of Con- in which Connecticut’s charter was hidden (2 percent) and black gum was rare (less necticut’s trees. Where does the discrep- from the British in 1687. Little did Con- than 1 percent) in the pre-colonial forests ancy arise? Inferences on chestnut’s “origi- necticut’s legislators know just how appro- of Connecticut. Not surprisingly, these trees nal” abundance come from early forest sur- priate their choice was, for white oak com- had other serious limitations. Black gum is veys at the beginning of the 20th century, posed approximately one-third of all trees close to its northern range limit in south- which estimated that chestnut composed 25 in Connecticut’s pre-colonial forests. From ern New England. Trees at their range lim- to 50 percent of Connecticut’s standing tim- Woodstock to Hartford, Mr. Hooker’s com- its are typically less competitive than are trees ber. These estimates, just before chestnut’s pany would have traversed forests in which within the heart of their range. The former demise to the blight, happened to coincide almost 40 percent of the standing trees were are therefore often limited to extreme sites, with the tree’s historic peak in abundance— white oak, more than white oak’s eight clos- and black gum is no exception: It is mostly an abundance greatly inflated by 19th-cen- est non-oak competitors—chestnut, hickory a swamp tree in Connecticut. Hemlock was tury land-use practices. Intensive fuelwood (Carya spp.), pine (Pinus spp.), ash (Fraxinus limited by other factors. First, the tree is par- cutting in Connecticut’s woodlands in the spp.), maple (Acer spp.), birch (Betula spp.), ticular about where it grows, preferring cool, late 19th and early 20th centuries created a hemlock (Tsuga spp.), and beech (Fagus moist microclimates. Hemlock is also suscep- 20- to 40-year-old forest of “sprout hard- spp.)—combined. What made white oak so tible to several natural disturbances includ- woods,” which favored the prolific stump- successful? It appears that white oak was not ing fire, drought, and insect attack and has sprouting chestnut over less prolifically the best-adapted tree with respect to any sin- experienced severe declines over the millen- sprouting trees. It is assumed that because gle trait in the Connecticut environment of nia from the latter two disturbances. chestnut was so abundant at the beginning 1600, but white oak succeeded because it Ecological versatility. In addition to of the century, it must always have been did several things really well. being long-lived, white oak is among the that abundant. Longevity. The first thing white oak did most drought- and fire-tolerant trees and is One of the reasons that chestnut was not well was to live a long time—up to 600 years, not particularly susceptible to insect attacks. the king of the original southern New Eng- which is considerably longer than most trees. Drought tolerance would have been particu- land forest is that the tree’s abundance varied Before European settlement, southern New larly important in the early colonial period, as tremendously with topography and soil. It England was a landscape in which natural the climate was notably drier than today and grew well in sloping, elevated terrain such as disturbances such as hurricanes and torna- included three severe and lengthy droughts, the western uplands of Connecticut, where does were infrequent, and forest cutting, one of which centered around the year 1635. it constituted as much as 14 to 16 percent clearance, and burning by Native Ameri- White oak is also adapted to a range of soil of trees in the towns of Redding and Kent cans were generally limited to areas near and topographic conditions. Unlike chest- in the 1700s. Chestnut was less common in settlements—and in the case of fire gener- nut’s relatively specific topographical and flat areas such as the northern Connecticut ally burned only the understory and not the substrate requirements, white oak was far Valley towns of Enfield and Suffield (where overstory trees. In such a setting, old forests more versatile in where it could grow. It

SUMMER 2014 | Connecticut Woodlands | 7 dominated the low-lying, sandy outwash every 10 trees. Hickory and chestnut would soils of outer Cape Cod buffeted by wind have been the most common associate trees, and salt spray, the fine-grained and fertile constituting about 9 percent and 8 percent glacial lake deposits of the Connecticut Val- of the standing timber respectively. During ley, and the moist, cool slopes of the western the day, large flocks of passenger pigeons uplands of Connecticut. Only in the cold- were undoubtedly seen overhead or nesting est parts of Connecticut—the towns of Nor- in the canopies. White-tailed deer (Odocoi- folk, Colebrook, and Hartland—and north- leus virginianus) would have been the most ward into the Berkshires did white oak relin- common large mammal, an occasional cou- quish its dominance to the more cold-tol- gar (Puma concolor) may have prowled near erant beech. the company’s herd of domestic cattle, and Still, white oak is not the most ecologically at twilight, the howls of wolves (Canis lupus) versatile tree in this region. That distinc- were undoubtedly heard. In wetter areas tion belongs to red maple (Acer rubrum). along streams and rivers and in swamps, Red maple grows well in most of the con- white oak and its associates would have been ditions that white oak does, but red maple replaced by red maple, white pine (Pinus also thrives in swamps and floodplains where strobus), yellow birch (Betula alleghanien- white oak does not venture, and red maple commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Passenger_pigeon_shoot sis), and hemlock. tolerates colder temperatures than does Passenger pigeon. white oak. Yet, red maple accounted for Semi-Open or Forested? less than 4 percent of the trees in Connect- independent assessment using pollen anal- The Newtown Pilgrims struck out into icut’s original forest. Its limitations: a rel- ysis provides an answer. atively short lifespan—only half as long as the almost pathless woods . . . Only a few white oak—and a greater susceptibility to miles from their place of brief habitation, Reconstructing Regional Landscapes repeated fire and drought than white oak. and they were in a wilderness marked only with Pollen Analysis Fall germination and the passenger by signs of Indian trails. Palynology involves identifying and quan- pigeon. A third thing white oak did well George Leon Walker, 1891, in Thomas tifying fossil pollen from wetland sediments was to produce an acorn that germinated in Hooker: Preacher, Founder, Democrat to reconstruct changes in plant communities the fall instead of the spring. Each spring, as over centuries and millennia. Here’s how it red and black oak acorns and chestnuts were A lingering question about the original works. When pollen is released from plants coming out of winter dormancy and prepar- southern New England landscape is how and lands on a pond or lake, the grains sink ing to germinate, 3 to 5 billion passenger much of it was actually forested. In other to the bottom and are incorporated year after pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius)— migrating words, could much of Mr. Hooker and year into the accumulating sediments. These north from their wintering grounds—would company’s 1636 journey through the “wil- layers of sediment remain largely undis- descend into their core northeastern nest- derness” actually have been through open turbed and therefore act as a natural archive ing area (which included Connecticut) and fields and savannahs? A number of accounts of the surrounding landscape’s vegetation. feast on beechnuts, acorns, and chestnuts. from early settlers and explorers mention By extracting a sediment “core” and iden- Although some seed dispersal undoubt- the presence of sizable open areas in south- tifying and counting different pollen grains edly occurred, the pigeon’s gizzard gener- ern New England, particularly near the coast in these sediments, researchers can calculate ally destroyed the seeds without dispersing and along major river valleys, either cleared the relative abundance of each pollen type them. Alexander Wilson in 1832 calculated and display these data alongside the corre- and planted or burned by American Indi- that one large flock of pigeons could con- sponding age of the sediment (determined ans. Did early explorers and settlers high- sume more than 17 million bushels of nuts by radiocarbon and other dating methods). light, or even exaggerate, anomalous large per day. Because white oak germinated in Tom Webb, a paleoecologist from Brown openings in an otherwise wooded landscape the fall, the acorns became small seedlings University, examined the fossil pollen from (to paint an optimistic picture for potential by the time the pigeons arrived in the spring a large number of ponds in the midwest- European colonization), or did their obser- and were useless to the mast-eating birds. ern United States and determined the per- Indeed, it was no coincidence that Connect- vations of large openings actually reflect a centage of open field pollen types that cor- icut’s charter oak was a white oak. predominant landscape condition of open- responded to certain vegetation types (i.e., So as Mr. Hooker’s company passed ness? Opinions regarding this question vary prairie, forest, or a mix of both). For exam- through the Woodstock Drumlin field, greatly among ecologists and environmental ple, ponds within a prairie landscape col- over the Tolland Range, across the Bolton historians. Many believe the southern New lected at least 20 percent “prairie forb” pol- ridge, and into the Connecticut Valley, they England landscape was predominantly for- len (a combination of four types of weedy, were undoubtedly passing through primar- ested, but others believe it was semi-open— open field plants) in its sediments, ponds ily white-oak dominated forests of large, perhaps half woodland and half grassland— within a mosaic of woodland, and prairie old trees across much of the uplands. Oaks, or even predominantly open. Which posi- vegetation collected 5 percent to 20 per- in total, would have composed almost 7 of tion is closer to the truth? A quantitative, cent forb pollen, and ponds surrounded by

8 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014 predominantly forest vegetation collected change in Connecticut’s forest composition less than 5 percent forb pollen. What do from 1636 to 2014. The chestnut fungus Connecticut and inland Massachusetts ponds attacks the stem of larger trees but not the show? Forb percentages that occur in sedi- root systems, causing the tree to resprout, ments just before European arrival are less only to be killed again by the blight before than 4 percent and in most cases less than 2 reaching reproductive age. In contrast to percent. After widespread European settle- the towering chestnuts that Mr. Hooker ment, forb levels reach 5 percent to 20 per- and company would have passed in 1636, cent, revealing the mosaic of open and for- a traveler today would see chestnut trees in ested land that characterized the 18th- and miniature. 19th-century agricultural landscape when 30 The region’s largest wild canid has also percent to 70 percent of Connecticut was shrunk. Instead of the deep howls of wolves open field. In 1636, Mr. Hooker almost cer- likely heard by Mr. Hooker and company, tainly encountered a landscape more diverse our 2014 traveler would hear higher- than just a “pathless woods”—likely pass- pitched, more yappy howls from the eastern ing agricultural fields, clearings, and burns coyote (Canis latrans “var”), half the size of near Nipmuc settlements in what became its larger cousin. With bounty hunting elim- Grafton and Dudley, Massachusetts, and in inating the gray wolf from southern New commons.wikimedia.org/ Woodstock, Connecticut; beaver (Castor England by the 19th century, the smaller wikiFile:Americana_1920_Forest_Trees_Shagbark_Hickory canadensis) meadows and other open wet- coyote moved into the region from the Great Hickory 1920. lands near streams; and perhaps recent blow- Plains in the 20th century, acquired some downs from the great colonial hurricane of wolf DNA along the way, and partially filled significant declines in the past 25 years from 1635 that tracked through Rhode Island the ecological niche left by the wolf. the woolly adelgid, but other factors—per- and southeastern Massachusetts. Even the But perhaps the most dramatic (and haps increased precipitation, the loss of intact oak forests were probably relatively tragic) change experienced by the modern- chestnut (which once occupied an ecologi- open with widely dispersed trees, given their day traveler with respect to changes in flora cal niche similar to the hemlock’s today), and advanced age and the droughty climate of or fauna would be the skies and tree cano- the time period. But the paleoecological evi- pies devoid of passenger pigeons—hunted fewer fires—have greatly increased this tree dence is unequivocal: The original landscape to extinction by the late 19th century. in Connecticut since colonial times. of interior southern New England was pre- Whereas Mr. Hooker and company would Alien Trees dominantly a forested landscape. have potentially passed beneath roosting or nesting pigeon flocks that were hundreds or Although alien shrubs and herbs have Landscape Change After Three Centuries even thousands of acres in size, a traveler proliferated in Connecticut’s forest under- Were a traveler to retrace Mr. Hooker’s today wouldn’t see anything even remotely stories, the same cannot be said for alien steps in 2014, without a doubt the most dra- comparable in the avian world. trees. Less than 0.3 percent of Connecti- matic change she would see are the exten- cut’s standing timber is alien to the United sive paved roads and residential and indus- Alien Forest Pathogens States. These species include Norway maple trial development dissecting the landscape. Unlike the chestnut blight that eliminated (Acer platanoides), Norway spruce (Picea Accompanying this development is the frag- chestnut from the canopy in a few decades, abies), tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), mentation and overall diminishment of the other introduced forest pathogens arriving in and apple (Malus spp.). In general, a trav- forest, relative to that which occurred in the the late 19th and early 20th centuries such as eler in the 2014 forest would encounter very early 17th century. Although forest cover has beech bark disease, Dutch elm disease, and much the same tree species that Mr. Hooker rebounded dramatically since approximately white pine blister rust have had far less seri- observed in 1636. The size (for example, 70 percent of Connecticut was cleared dur- ous effects on their hosts in the intervening chestnut) and the frequency at which these ing the agricultural peak in the mid-19th years. Neither beech, white pine, nor elm trees occur today relative to 1636, however, century, recent deforestation has left only has changed significantly in abundance in is another matter. about 55 percent of the state in forest today, Connecticut when one compares the witness The Decline of Oak and the Rise of Maple far lower than the estimated 90 percent tree data to the U.S. Forests Service’s Forest in 1630. Inventory and Analysis data (covering trees Although overshadowed by the loss of with stems greater than 5 inches in diame- American chestnut, white oak—the true Loss of Important Species ter). Hemlock may be the most surprising original king of the forest—has declined Although chestnut was considerably story of all. Despite over a quarter century sixfold in modern times—reduced from less abundant in the pre-colonial forests of of exposure to the hemlock woolly adelgid 1 of every 3 trees to 1 of every 20 today. Connecticut than is generally believed, the (Adelges tsugae), approximately 1 in every Although still locally abundant in some demise of chestnut to the Asian chestnut 15 trees in Connecticut today is a hemlock areas, white oak has generally faded into the blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) in the early compared with about 1 in every 60 during background in our hardwood forests. Oaks, 20th century is certainly the most dramatic the colonial period. Hemlock has suffered in general, are no longer the most abundant

SUMMER 2014 | Connecticut Woodlands | 9 trees. Whereas almost 70 percent of the trees in Redding, Connecticut, seem to confirm the same time period project a Connecti- that Mr. Hooker and his followers passed this trend: Red maple exceeds all oaks com- cut climate that resembles today’s northern from Woodstock to Hartford would have bined in multiple-stem trees that originated Virginia climate. Red maple seedlings per- been oaks, today oaks would number closer as stump sprouts. form especially well in elevated soil tempera- to 25 percent. Replacing the oaks have been In addition to the effects of logging and tures, showing that this versatile tree may be red maple and to a lesser extent black birch land clearance, fires are actively suppressed especially well adapted to a warming climate, (Betula lenta). Maples in total have increased today. Burning by Native Americans, even if enabling it to continue to thrive in our for- from less than 4 percent of all trees in Con- concentrated near their settlements, almost ests. As our forests continue to age, the lon- necticut’s original forest to about 32 percent certainly exceeded the extent of burning ger-lived oaks may slowly begin to replace of all trees today, and most of those are red that occurs in our modern landscape since red maple; however, gypsy moth outbreaks maple. Red maple alone is more abundant strict fire suppression was enacted in the early and selective logging may continue to take than all oaks combined. The larger oaks do, 1900s. Red maple has undoubtedly benefit- their toll on oaks. Black birch will undoubt- however, maintain a greater cross sectional ted from the elimination of this disturbance, edly continue to thrive into the foreseeable (basal) area than maples do across the state. as well as from a wetter climate that is gener- future, as it is relatively long-lived (as long Why the proliferation of red maple? ally more conducive to maples than to oaks. as 360 years) and has proven to be a suc- Recall that red maple is the most ecologi- With its weaknesses (longevity and enduring cessful gap-replacing specialist of disease- cally versatile tree in our forest. In contrast fire and drought) mitigated in the modern stricken trees like hemlock and chestnut. to Connecticut’s original old-growth for- forest and its strengths (colonizing cleared American chestnut could rise again, as occa- ests, today’s southern New England forests land and stump sprouting) promoted, it is sional flowering chestnuts have been found, are on average only 80 to 100 years old, no surprise that the most ecologically versa- and researchers continue to work to breed a well within the 150–300-year lifespan of red tile tree has become the new dominant tree blight resistant tree. Hemlock will undoubt- maple. These forests owe much of their ori- in Connecticut. edly continue to decline from the hemlock gin to the intensive logging that occurred woolly adelgid, particularly with increasing Where Is Hickory? in the early 20th century, but before they temperatures, which favor the cold-intoler- were logged, many of these forests grew If chestnut was the king that never was ant woolly adelgid. Cougars are expanding up on abandoned agricultural fields. Again, in the original forests of Connecticut, then their range eastward and could recolonize the observations of Henry Thoreau provide hickory may hold a similar place in the mod- the region in the coming decades. insights into the increase in maple and birch: ern forest. “Oak-hickory” forest is consid- These forest changes depend on Connect- The new woodlands, i.e. forests that ered the dominant forest type across Con- icut’s forest remaining that—a forest. In the spring up where there were no trees necticut, suggesting that hickory is the most past 25 years, the state has lost about 7 per- before, are pine, birch, or maple . . . But important species next to oak. But once cent of its forest area to development. “Hard oaks, are not seen springing up thus . again, the FIA data tell a different story. deforestation”—through development— . . They form a sprout-land, or stand Hickory is ranked sixth in abundance behind is permanent, unlike the “soft” deforesta- amid the stumps of a recent pine lot. pine, hemlock, birch, maple, and oak. Again, tion of the 18th and 19th centuries, when (October 19, 1860) the root of this discrepancy may be traced to woodlands temporarily became fields. Slow- Thoreau recognized that old fields in east- the early foresters. George Nichols in 1914 ing development is a daunting problem. We ern Massachusetts generally reverted to pine, reported that oak-hickory forest in Connect- see promising indications that landowners, birch, or maple. In Connecticut, red cedar icut “in many sites . . . may represent the ulti- land trusts, communities, businesses, phi- (Juniperus virginiana) often colonized old mate formation.” This notion of oak-hick- lanthropists, and state and federal agencies fields instead of pine, but birch and maple ory as a “climax” forest type has survived to are working to preserve forests. In the past were still the predominant hardwood col- the present day so that now a forest with 10-15 years, partnerships of these groups onizers rather than oaks. Light birch and oak and even a small component of hickory have increased by a factor of six in New Eng- maple seeds blow readily into a forest clear- is labeled oak-hickory. Ironically, the pre- land. Much uncertainty remains about the ing, whereas heavier oak seeds are dispersed colonial forests of Connecticut were oak– dynamics of Connecticut’s future forest, but by forest animals such as blue jays (Cya- hickory, as Mr. Nichols recognized, but are we know with great certainty what we must nocitta cristata) and squirrels, which tend to believed by many to have been dominated do to keep these forests standing. avoid pastures and old fields. Oaks are pro- by chestnut. Today, Connecticut’s forests lific stump sprouters, as Thoreau alluded to, are often characterized as oak-hickory when Ed Faison has been the ecologist at Highstead, which enabled them to fare well during the in reality they are maple-oak-birch forests. a conservation and forest research site in Red- late 19th–early 20th-century period of heavy ding, since 2007. He holds master’s degrees from cutting. But the less-heralded red maple may Tomorrow’s Forests Harvard University and the University of Ver- be at least as prolific a stump sprouter as oak. What will the next 375 years bring? Or mont and is a Ph.D. candidate in the Massa- One advantage that red maple has—as chest- even the next 100 years? Higher carbon chusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research nut once did—over oaks is that it continues dioxide emission scenarios project that Unit at the University of Massachusetts. to produce viable stump sprouts at relatively Connecticut’s climate will resemble today’s large stump diameters. Data from permanent South Carolina climate by the end of the For a list of Mr. Faison’s references for this ar- forest plots at Highstead, a 150-acre preserve 21st century; lower emission scenarios over ticle, visit ctwoodlands.org.

10 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014 People are amazed when they see the wood came from Connecticut. They just don’t see Connecticut as that type of place. —Ted DeMers, woodworker

Eat, Build, and Buy Local In the midst of a buy-local farming movement, UConn researches Connecticut’s relationship to local wood products

BY NATHANIEL CYRUS am sitting in a small basement wood shop in Willington, inter- agricultural movements and the Connecticut wood products industry. viewing Everlasting Woods’ owner, Ted DeMers. Mr. DeMers Most of us know that Connecticut is in the midst of a local food has built a woodworking business that specializes in using wood movement known here as Connecticut Grown. Hundreds of farm- I sourced specifically from Connecticut forests. He is embracing ers’ markets, farm stands, and supermarket items claim to be local. the diversity of locally available material by turning wood, practi- But what does local mean and why does it matter to us? Although cally from his backyard, into beautiful and unique custom furniture there is no universal definition for the term local, most of the exist- pieces. “I like to use the term ‘artistic furniture.’ It’s a combination ing research agrees on three major benefits to buying goods pro- of domestic, locally grown woods, which have a refined, rustic, earthy duced close to home: increased community cohesion, regional eco- feel to them.” He strays from the conventional by including inter- nomic stimulus, and environmental benefits. Common sense tells us esting plants that you would be hard-pressed to find in the imported that visiting farm stands and local craftspeople connects us to our furniture available at IKEA. He uses mountain laurel, the Connecti- neighborhoods by introducing us to the people who help provide for cut state flower, for its knotty and twisted stems as a quirky alterna- us. As consumers, we are investing money into our local economies tive to conventional table legs. while participating in an agricultural tradition Connecticut Yankees “Twenty years ago when I was building furniture, I would have have enjoyed for hundreds of years. to go through every piece of lumber and make sure there were no But there are environmental benefits too. The most obvious imperfections in it,” he said. “Everything was clean and clear. Now is reducing greenhouse gas emissions by shortening the distance if it doesn’t have a knot or imperfection or knobby little thing on between the producer and the consumer. Another benefit can be it, it doesn’t work.” seen within the pastoral landscape that makes Connecticut an amaz- Mr. DeMers was the 38th woodworker I interviewed for research ing place to live. When we choose to support local agribusiness, we conducted in the fall of 2012. I was a graduate student at the Univer- are essentially paying property owners to keep their land undevel- sity of Connecticut focusing on the connections between “buy local” oped in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country.

SUMMER 2014 | Connecticut Woodlands | 11 Between 1985 and 2006, Connecticut lost various sizes and specialization. The busi- materials are cheap. And you’re in competi- nearly 40,000 acres of farmland to other nesses ranged from small wooden boat tion with that. It’s painful.” land uses, approximately equivalent to the builders to large sawmills and even to Con- It is obvious that local wood products are area of Hartford, New Haven, New Brit- necticut’s only wooden coffin maker. These not a visible part of the Connecticut brand. ain, and New London combined. During discussions addressed personal definitions of Although some states such as Vermont and the same period, 111,872 acres of forest locally grown, and their attitudes and opin- New Hampshire cultivate a rustic wooden were lost, nearly triple that of the farmland. ions regarding wood grown in Connecticut. image, Connecticut is not considered a des- Although it might seem that buying local After all was said and done, the 38 inter- tination for artisan furniture or other recog- wood products works against saving our for- views produced some interesting and repet- nizable wood products. This is the point Mr. ests, lumber is an agricultural product just itive themes that may help explain why local DeMers makes in the quote at the beginning like your local apples. Through buying sus- wood has not enjoyed the success that local of the article. Many customers are not well tainably harvested local wood, we can help food has had in recent years. educated on the tree species of Connecti- forest landowners to make enough money to Before any discussion took place, all study cut and therefore do not share in the pride keep their forests instead of selling the land participants were asked to personally define of local wood. Take Connecticut red oak, for a new housing subdivision. According to the term local, with regard to wood prod- widely believed to be the superior choice in a 2012 U.S. Forest Service report, 72 per- ucts. This proved to be the hardest question hardwood flooring. Why don’t Connecticut cent of Connecticut’s forests are held pri- for most interviewees. Although your neigh- people know about it? vately and are therefore vulnera- borhood farm stand is easily The final concerns woodworkers had were ble to this kind of development considered to be local, wood about supply and demand. Because custom- pressure. is a far more tricky business. ers are not demanding local wood, the sup- One way regular citizens can It’s relatively easy for farm- ply is low. Luckily, there are some notable help maintain our forested land- ers to grow several rows of exceptions. Sawmills such as E. R. Hinman scape is to buy products made sweet corn, process the ears, and Sons in Burlington are providing certi- with sustainably harvested, Con- and sell them in front of fied Connecticut Grown wood to the gen- necticut-grown wood. This is their houses. Wood, how- eral public through their own retail oper- where the state government has ever, requires specialized ation. They expressed optimism about the provided some help. In 2011, processing at a regionally future of locally grown wood and boasted the Connecticut Department of located sawmill that prob- an increased demand since opening their Agriculture and the Department of Energy ably does not track the origin of any logs shop only several years ago. Much of the and Environmental Protection expanded coming in. For instance, white pine from demand for local wood comes from wood- the popular Connecticut Grown label to Connecticut is often shipped to Canada to workers, some of whom I interviewed in include wood that has been harvested and be milled and then might return to lumber the course of my research. When sawmills milled within Connecticut from forests that yards in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, or like Hinman do well, competitors take notice are protected from development. Now con- even Connecticut! and the supply of this Connecticut Grown sumers can ask for this certification and pro- So what do woodworkers consider to be material increases. mote its use through increased demand. The local wood? A majority of participants in The modern globalized world is a com- Connecticut Grown label also applies to the my study consider the northeastern United plicated place. How can buying wood help woodworkers who can prove their materi- States to be local because there are few meth- to save trees? Sometimes the simplest answer als are sourced from wood meeting this cri- ods of determining the exact origin of their is the best. When consumers buy the things terion. Unfortunately, there has never been material. Woodworkers use their knowl- they need closer to home, the whole com- any formal investigation into the wood prod- edge of tree species distribution and con- munity wins. Maybe if we purposefully seek uct industry’s attitudes and opinions regard- sider woods that could be found in their our floors, firewood, cabinets, kitchen uten- ing local wood. What is the definition of backyard to be local. sils, buildings, boats, toys, and tool han- local wood? Do Connecticut woodworkers The participants directly identified four dles like we do with our local apples, we use local wood? Do they prefer it? Is there major barriers to the inclusion of Con- can learn to appreciate the true character of a market for it? My job was to ask a lot of necticut-grown wood into their current Connecticut. questions and get a lot of answers. manufacturing processes: expense, low vis- For more information on Connecticut Because little is known about the atti- ibility, limited demand, and limited avail- Grown wood products or on the status of tudes and opinions regarding local wood, I ability. Many woodworkers believed that current University of Connecticut Buy Local decided to conduct in-depth interviews with Connecticut wood was not only more expen- research, please contact UConn Extension Connecticut woodworkers from across the sive than imported wood but that it also took Professor Thomas Worthley at Thomas. state. This type of qualitative research is the more time for them to make it into some- [email protected]. most effective way to generate new theories, thing of acceptable quality. One small-scale Nathaniel Cyrus is a recent graduate of the better understand specific social phenomena, woodworker articulated the sample’s senti- master’s degree program in the University of and provide guidance for state buy-local ment: “You see this stuff is ‘factory made’ Connecticut’s Department of Natural Re- efforts. Interviewees in the sample repre- in the Philippines . . . The materials [there] sources. This article is based on his master’s sented woodworking firms and sawmills of are more expensive than the people, and the thesis.

12 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014

WesCFPA Meet CFPA’s Wesleyan student partners

At the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, we are always thinking about what we can do to help grow the future leaders of conservation in Connecticut. That is why CFPA invited the leaders of the Wesleyan University affinity group known as WesCFPA to both gain experience and contribute their creative energy to CFPA’s Board of Directors during the past four years. During the past two Miranda Linsky years, we have been inspired by the board service of outgo- ing WesCFPA coordinator Miranda Linsky. Now we wel- come the incoming co-coordinators for WesCFPA, Erin McGrath and Jed Siebert. WesCFPA works with CFPA to maintain the trails of Highlawn Forest (located behind CFPA’s headquarters). During the winter, WesCFPA also manages events such as film screenings, expositions, lectures, and festivals to pro- CFP mote environmental conservation. Through a partnership A I N with the North End Action Team, a consistent group of WesCFPA members bond with children in the commu- T H E C nity by hiking trails together throughout the state. Visit the WesCFPA Facebook page at facebook.com/WesCFPA

to learn about upcoming events and see their beautiful Erin McGrath O MMUN IT Y | S UMM ER 2014 photos! MEMBERS BOARD C F PA Erin McGrath is a rising junior at Wesleyan University studying earth and environmental science and biology and is interested in insects and ecology. At Wesleyan, she is a student DJ at WESU, the school-affiliated radio station, is an active member of the Outing Club, and beekeeps at the campus farm. She is from San Diego, California. Jed Siebert is a rising junior at Wesleyan University. He is studying biology and environmental science, and he plans to go to forestry school after he graduates. He volunteers on the campus farm, his favorite color is fern green, and he loves to play banjo. He also is a member of the Wesleyan steel band ensemble, WesleyPan. Jed was born in Stam- Jed Siebert ford, and he likes to note that he has never been to Iceland. MEET THE

Farewell Leslie Lewis

Leslie Lewis has retired after seven years as director of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association’s WalkCT program. WalkCT promotes walking and other enrichment opportunities on Connecticut trails, pathways, and sidewalks. Prior to coming to CFPA, she was employed by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (now DEEP) for 29 years, helping with the implementation of the Bottle Bill, preparation of municipal recycling and waste guidelines, and development of the DEP’s 2000 environment plan. From 1997 through April 2007, she served as DEP’s trails and greenways coordinator, responsible for grants, statewide trail planning, and technical assistance. CFPA thanks Mrs. Lewis for her dedication and good work throughout her career and at CFPA.

SUMMER 2014 | Connecticut Woodlands | 13 The Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails, established in BIGELOW APPALACHIAN METACOMET HOLLOW NIPMUCK 1929, currently total more than 825 miles of trails FALLS TRAILS IRON BROOK in 88 towns. The trails are open year-round to AMERICAN LEGION/ PEOPLES FOREST all forms of foot travel unless otherwise posted. McLEAN SHENIPSIT The trails, marked with dollar-bill-sized blazes in

a signature shade of light blue, open routes to TUNXIS exploring the open spaces and protected lands MOHAWK

of Connecticut. Short loops hikes, long point-to- TORRINGTON MUIR/ PINE KNOB WOLCOTT METACOMET point hikes, and everything in between can be RISLEY POND found on the Blue Trails. MACEDONIA TUNXIS NATCHAUG OLD FURNACE GAY CASE MOUNTIAN CITY NIPMUCK The trails are maintained by dedicated MATTATUCK MATTATUCK PLAINFIELD volunteers who contribute approximately MATTATUCK

20,000 hours of trail work every QUINEBAUG PACHAUG APPALACHIAN SHENIPSIT year. Trail volunteers clear brush RAGGED MTN. NEHANTIC and downed trees, paint blazes and install HOUSATONIC HIGHLAWN PACHAUG signs, coordinate work parties, and install SALMON RIVER TUNXIS FOREST WATERBURY NEHANTIC bridges and additional trail structures as AREA TRAILS SCOVILL LOOP necessary. CFPA welcomes new volunteers CFPA TRAILS SUNNY VALLEY QUINNIPIAC to help with trail maintenance. For information NARRAGANSETT FIELD FOREST MATTABESETT O MMUN IT Y | S UMM ER 2014 about the trails and volunteering, NAUGATUCK LILLINONAH PEQUOT see ctwoodlands.org. SLEEPING LONE COCKAPONSET

T H E C GIANT PINE NAYANTAQUIT KETTLETOWN ZOAR POMPERAUG MATTABESETT A I N CFP

PAUGUSSETT CHATFIELD REGICIDES ASPETUCK WESTWOODS STONY CREEK MENUNKATUCK

SAUGATUCK BIGELOW APPALACHIAN METACOMET HOLLOW NIPMUCK FALLS TRAILS IRON BROOK AMERICAN LEGION/ PEOPLES FOREST McLEAN SHENIPSIT

TUNXIS MOHAWK

TORRINGTON MUIR/ PINE KNOB WOLCOTT METACOMET RISLEY MACEDONIA POND

TUNXIS NATCHAUG OLD FURNACE GAY CASE MOUNTIAN CITY NIPMUCK MATTATUCK

MATTATUCK PLAINFIELD MATTATUCK CFP

QUINEBAUG PACHAUG A I N APPALACHIAN SHENIPSIT RAGGED MTN. NEHANTIC T H E C

HOUSATONIC HIGHLAWN PACHAUG SALMON RIVER TUNXIS FOREST O MMUN IT Y | S UMM ER 2014 WATERBURY NEHANTIC AREA TRAILS SCOVILL LOOP CFPA TRAILS SUNNY VALLEY QUINNIPIAC NARRAGANSETT FIELD FOREST MATTABESETT NAUGATUCK LILLINONAH PEQUOT SLEEPING LONE COCKAPONSET GIANT PINE NAYANTAQUIT KETTLETOWN ZOAR POMPERAUG MATTABESETT

PAUGUSSETT CHATFIELD REGICIDES ASPETUCK WESTWOODS STONY CREEK MENUNKATUCK

SAUGATUCK

Interactive Blue Trails Map Online Connecticut’s http://www.ctwoodlands.org/BlueTrailsMap Whether you’re a devout hiker of the Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails or a walker looking for a local escape, the Connecticut Forest & Park Association’s new online trails Blue-Blazed map will help you plan your outing before your boots hit the ground. As a companion tool to the Connecticut Walk Book, this map will allow you to zoom in and see the latest trail locations, learn trail names and distances, and Hiking Trails fully discover all that Connecticut hiking has to offer. The Uninvited Beetle Now that the emerald ash borer is here, the strategy is to hold it back

BY DANIEL CANDELLA Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Debbie Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org The biggest threat to the future of the Emerald ash borer adult feeding on an ash leaf. wo years ago, an alien species descended Connecticut forest is the loss of biodiver- into the Connecticut forest. Its desti- sity. The less diverse a forest is, the less it nation: the canopy of the ash tree. So tends to thrive. Ash trees are also an impor- The Connecticut Agricultural Experi- far no one has found a defense to halt T tant part of the lumber industry in Connect- ment Station released 13,000 stingless par- the invasion. icut for the use of firewood. asitoid wasps, native to China, Tetrastichus “All we can do is slow the spread; we can- planipennisi, between May and Novem- not eliminate it,” said Dr. David Wagner, ber of 2013 in the towns of Prospect and a research professor for the Department of Middlebury. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the “These things are like aliens,” Dr. Rut- University of Connecticut. ledge said. She compared the wasps’ unique The culprit is an invasive species from Asia, dining habits to the 1979 science fiction/ Agrilus planipennis, the emerald ash borer. horror film, Alien. One of these wasps stings It was first detected in Connecticut by staff its victim—the emerald ash borer—paralyzes members from the Connecticut Agricultural the insect, and injects its eggs into it. Using Experiment Station in the town of Prospect the emerald ash borer as a surrogate, the on July 16, 2012. By then, it had been in eggs grow and eventually erupt with tiny North America for a decade. wasps emerging. The EAB (as it is sometimes called) is a “There were some stumbles early on in small, green beetle that belongs to a large the practice of biological control,” said Dr. family of beetles known as the Buprestids, Rutledge. Scientists debated whether to use or metallic wood boring beetles, and feeds Howard Russell, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org another invasive species to attack the bee- strictly on ash trees. These beetles eventually Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) on tles. Would that cause more havoc? The key, kill the ash trees by destroying the water- and a penny. they realized, to slowing the spread of emer- nutrient-conducting tissues under the bark. ald ash borer is finding a species that is host Ash trees are also home to 46 types of specific—that is, would attack only the emer- Hitched Rides in Shipping Containers important arthropods such as spiders, ald ash borer. These shiny green beetles first arrived in worms, moths, and butterflies. These insects “You don’t want an insect that’s too smart North America in 2002. Like nomadic trav- are host-specific to the ash—when the tree and finds another beetle more tasty,” Dr. elers hitching a ride, the emerald ash borers dies, so will they. This grim prediction Rutledge said. almost certainly will come true. State offi- clung to packing materials inside shipping Using Wasps as Spies containers that arrived in southeastern Mich- cials, research professors, and scientists all igan, near Detroit. Eventually the ash bor- agree that the eradication of the emerald ash Another way the state detects and man- ers migrated outward south to Ohio, then borer is highly unlikely and that the attempt ages the spread of emerald ash borer is by east, eventually affecting Connecticut and to keep the population under control is the using other insects to track the invader, a process also known as biosurveillance. A our neighbor Massachusetts in the summer only option. program called Wasp Watchers uses biosur- of 2012. The latest discovery in the fall of “The only way to do that is to find a natu- veillance as the primary tactic for detecting 2013 in Colorado indicates a progression ral predator for the insect you want to man- emerald ash borer in a specific location. Dr. westward. Altogether 21 states have been age,” Dr. Wagner said. Rutledge and other trained observers, many affected. State forest officials and scientists at the Con- of them volunteers from the UConn’s mas- Ash trees, which make up 3 percent of the necticut Agricultural Experiment Station favor ter gardener program, participate. forest, probably will drop to well under 1 per- combatting “fire with fire,” said Dr. Wagner, Like a spy conducting reconnaissance, the cent, according to Dr. Claire Rutledge, an by using another invasive species to manage the assistant scientist and entomologist for the population of the emerald ash borer. continued on page 27

16 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014 vinced that a Thanksgiving might unite the turkey farming became a profitable sideline tic turkey, probably Norfolk blacks, brought country. In 1863, the year of the Battle of for many American farmers. Turkeys were to this country by the English in the 1600s. Gettysburg, Lincoln established the national easy to raise because they ranged for insects All the popular Bronze breeds favored in holiday on the last Thursday of November. in the fields. At our farm in Shelton, after New England until the industrial turkey At that time, turkey was the most festive high school graduation in 1934, Newell takeover were descendants of the Narra- meat the average American family could put Jones annually raised a flock of about a hun- gansett. Sadly today, the Narragansett and on the table, especially as urban living took dred turkeys until he was drafted into World her descendants are all considered endan- hold. To demonstrate charity at Thanksgiv- War II. The neighboring Beardsley Farm was gered. Neither the Beardsleys nor the Joneses raise turkeys anymore. ing, the prosperous often distributed turkey noted for its fine turkeys until the 1950s. to workers or poor neighbors. Of course, In Connecticut and Rhode Island, the Jean Crum Jones, a registered dietitian, is a member everyone assumed turkey had been on the Narragansett turkey was very popular. It of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association Board of menu of that 1621 feast. descends from a cross between the native Directors. She and her husband, Terry, and their fam- From the 1800s through the 1960s, Eastern wild turkey and the English domes- ily, operate the Jones Family Farms in Shelton.

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SU SUMMERMMER 20142014 | Connecticut Woodlands | 17 BY MASCHAL MOHIUDDIN For Sale Department of Energy and Environ- mental Protection did research and ome one, come all to the auction concluded that at least 40 birds relied of a beautiful two-mile shoreline on the shrubland for breeding. Both beach with 660 campsites pop- Your Parks and Forests? DEEP and the CEQ asked the Riv- C ular with tens of thousands of erhouse to exchange about 90 acres Connecticut residents at Hammonas- of upland forest area for the 17 acres set Beach State Park. This public gem The Council on Environmental Quality details, in of riverfront land the state owned. will be sold to the highest bidder. They said the two parcels’ values That may sound outlandish, but a surprising report, several proposals during the past must be equal. The deal eventually according to a recent report, the state three years to transfer or exchange state land, includ- fell through when appraisers esti- might as well stick “for sale” signs on mated that values of the two par- most state parks and forests in Con- ing state parks and wildlife areas. What’s going on? cels of land were not comparable. necticut. Despite the commonly held The market value of the state prop- assumption that these lands are permanently protected, they are not. erty was an estimated $1,780,000, while the property being offered “The typical person in Connecticut thinks that a state park is pro- by the Riverhouse had a market value of $490,000, a difference of tected for all people for all time,” said Karl Wagener, executive direc- almost $1,300,000. tor of the Council on Environmental Quality. “They are incorrect Mr. Hammerling pointed out that even though the Haddam deal in that assumption.” fell through, the state had authorized the sale. This means that if Eric Hammerling, executive director of Connecticut Forest and someone else had stepped in to pay the difference between the two Park Association (publisher of this magazine), agreed. “Our organi- property values, the wildlife area could have been sold and relin- zation assumed for a long time that if something was designated as quished as a state-protected land, he said. a state forest, that it was protected. We are finding more and more that is not the case.” Other Park Sale Proposals The recent report by the CEQ details several proposals during the This is not the only time recently that state land has been for sale. past three years to transfer or exchange state land. The report said Proposals for developments have included eight acres of Hammonas- that Connecticut residents are in danger of losing some of their most set State Park for use in an adjacent park in Madison, land from treasured public property, including state parks and wildlife areas. Meshomasic State Forest for a firearms training facility, and 140 acres Currently in Connecticut, the process of submitting and reviewing of Nipmuck State Forest for a wind energy facility. The proposals these proposals is flawed, according to the report. There is a lack of were rejected in two of those instances because of public and envi- accurate information about the lands at the beginning stages of the ronmental concerns, but the Madison sale went through. review process and a lack of permanent protections for Connecti- Dennis Schain, the communications director at DEEP, said that the cut’s state lands that leaves them vulnerable, even though the public state takes different approaches to how it protects public land. “As assumes such lands to be permanently protected. The report offers you peel away the onion, various pieces of state land are protected several solutions, including following the model in New York state, in various ways, and some more than others,” he said. where state lands are permanently protected. Mr. Hammerling focuses on the community’s role in this process. “A lot of it boils down to public trust in state lands and public trust Haddam Riverfront Land Almost Sold in 2011 in government,” he said. One example of a property exchange that came close to occur- The CEQ offered nine recommendations. One is the need for a ring was the Clark Creek Wildlife Management Area in Haddam clear and unified proposal review process that includes brief infor- that the state nearly sold in 2011. The state bought it in 2003 for mation about the property’s history, conservation purposes, general what it described as “high priority recreation,” including as a fish- management plans, and natural resources. According to the report, ery and for conservation. the purpose of a cohesive procedure is to determine early whether The Clark Creek Wildlife Area is 17 acres, and it literally encom- the property is just unused land or if it has conservational purposes. passes the Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station, a private upscale ban- Another recommendation is preserving land for perpetuity. In quet facility. The Riverhouse owners hoped to create a destination other words, all future land purchases by the state for conservation for tourists by expanding and adding lodging facilities. The land rolls use should be ensured permanent protection in the deed. downhill until it reaches the banks of the Connecticut River. The Some of the recommendations would require legislation and even owners described the state property as a former sandpit, full of shrubs. a state constitutional amendment. The purpose of these recommen- Although the Riverhouse owners said that the surrounding state dations is twofold: to get important information about the protected land looked ordinary, looks can be deceiving. The Connecticut state land in question to the front end of the decision-making process

18 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014 and to protect state lands that are supposed to be “preserved.” One swap occurred in 2007, when the town of Long Lake needed The CEQ report also highlighted the New York system for protect- an underground water supply and reservoir. ing its state forests and parks as a model. The New York state con- “The Forever Wild Clause has protected over 3 million acres of stitution includes a “Forever Wild Clause” for the Adirondack and forest, some of which has never been cut, and the remainder that has Catskill regions: been cut is proceeding toward old growth status,” Mr. Sheehan said. The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired consti- Rocci Aguirre, Adirondack Council’s conservation director, said tuting the forest preserve as now fixed by law shall be forever kept the New York preservation system works. “People here understand as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, really well how hard and complex it is for land swaps to happen in or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the the Adirondacks,” he said. timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed. In Connecticut, public awareness of the state system of conservation of parks and forests is key, according to the CEQ report. The current John Sheehan, director of communications at Adirondack Council, system belies public expectations, and it has the potential of harming said, “Using a word like forever doesn’t ever happen. Even in mar- public trust. The report concluded that residents truly believe that riage we have ‘till death do us part’ as a clause.” state lands and wildlife areas are protected forever, even if the Con- Mr. Sheehan said this clause in the New York state constitution is necticut law says otherwise. the strongest forestland protection law that he is aware of. The amend- Mr. Wagener said that the public needs to be more aware of how ment was a reaction to the intense deforestation and pollution that quickly it can lose state “protected” land. As we went to press, the had been taking place in the Adirondacks in the 1880s. state legislature passed two bills related to this controversy. One, Sen- To challenge the Forever Wild Clause in the constitution by selling ate Bill 70, affirms the state agricultural and environmental depart- land, two separately elected legislative approvals are needed as well as ments’ authority to protect public lands, and calls for an online reg- a voter authorization in an election. There has never been a success- istry showing which public lands are legally protected. ful attempt to alter the forever nature of the clause. But House Bill 5550 legalizes the sale of eight small public parcels, However, if land from the Adirondack and Catskill regions is needed the most significant of which is under three acres of Peoples State For- for public health or safety reasons, a separate amendment can be pro- est for the town of Barkhamsted to build a senior center. posed to take that piece of land out of the forest reserve. Special pro- Maschal Mohiuddin will be a seventh-semester senior beginning this visions still must be met for swapping lands for this limited purpose. fall majoring in biology and journalism at the University of Connecticut.

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Fall 2010 CONNECTICUT WOODLANDS 15 TRY This HIKE

Exploring a wildlife sanctuary along the Mattatuck Trail BY DIANE FRIEND EDWARDS Trail is a good choice for a summer hike. For the most part, it winds through a shady forest of hard- A spit of land provides a perfect ’ve always thought this is one of the pretti- woods interspersed with stands of towering pines place to view Beaver Pond along est spots in White Memorial,” my husband, and hemlocks. Along the way, it passes several lovely the Mattatuck Trail at the “I Paul, told me as we paused at the shoreline of ponds and crosses the Bantam River, which it fol- White Memorial Foundation. Beaver Pond. Standing on a small point of land jut- lows for a short distance. Although the terrain is

ting into the pond, I had to agree. Set amid a mixed moderately difficult near the southeastern end of DIANE FRIEND Edwards forest of evergreens and deciduous trees, the spot the hike, most of it is gentle enough for a leisurely exuded serenity. A pair of mergansers made their stroll. Several access points allow you to vary the way across the pond, while a gentle breeze rippled length of the hike. (Note: One of the access points the water’s surface. The only sound was the bur- identified in the Connecticut Walk Book West, on bling of water trickling over rocks below the low Isaiah Smith Lane in East Morris, is no longer open stone dam to our left. to the public. There are “No Parking” and “Private On that April day, we were following the Blue- Property” signs.) And the foundation’s property Blazed Mattatuck Trail, 6.3 miles of which mean- includes an extensive network of trails, some of der through White Memorial Foundation, a 4,000- which intersect with the Mattatuck, making loop acre wildlife sanctuary in Litchfield and Morris. routes possible. (Note: On White Memorial Foun- Although the sunshine felt warm, the ground was dation maps, the Mattatuck Trail is indicated by the still cold and damp from recently melted snow, so letter “M.”) we resisted the impulse to sit for a while. But come summer, I knew from previous visits, this will be a The Hike perfect place to sit and enjoy the ambience. The Mattatuck Trail cuts across White Memorial The White Memorial segment of the Mattatuck diagonally from southeast to northwest, with many

20 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014 DIANE FRIEND Edwards Left, a hiker stops to enjoy the view of the Bantam River from a bridge along the trail. Right, a memorial boulder honors Alain (1880-1951) and May (1869-1941) White, a brother and sister who preserved 4,000 acres in Litchfield as the White Memorial Foundation. The boulder lies off the Mattatuck Trail near Plunge Pool. twists and turns along the way. You can hike by turning their family estate into the White After crossing another paved road (Bissell the trail in either direction, but we started Memorial Foundation 101 years ago. Road), you will head north and then west, where the Walk Book said to: at the end of Your next notable discovery will be a passing Duck Pond before reaching the end Slab Meadow Road in East Morris, outside guardrail of sorts, made of stone piers and a of the hike back at Bissell Road near the main of White Memorial. From the parking area, metal wire, overlooking Plunge Pool. Look entrance to White Memorial. walk down the dirt road (Pitch Road) for but don’t leap! In another half-mile or so, about 150 yards to the trail crossing. (Note: you will pass below the dam that forms Directions The Walk Book mentions a water company Heron Pond on your left. Continue on a To Slab Meadow Road parking: From gate, which is no longer there.) Turn left to woods road to Route 63, where—keeping a the junction of Routes 109 and 63 in East watchful eye on traffic—you turn left to fol- follow the Blue-Blazed trail uphill, entering Morris, go east on Route 109 for 0.3 mile. low the road a short distance, then cross to White Memorial property—indicated by a Turn left onto Slab Meadow Road and fol- a dirt parking area on the other side of the “Wildlife Refuge” sign on a tree—0.4 mile low it 1.2 mile to where the pavement ends. road. (This is the hike’s approximate halfway from the start of the hike. To Bissell Road trailhead (limited park- mark. If you don’t want to do the entire 6.3 The trail continues winding up and down, ing): From the junction of Routes 202 and miles, you could leave a car here and make passing near boulders and stone walls and 209 in Bantam, follow Route 202 east 1.3 this the end, or beginning, of your route.) crossing occasional wet areas. (We saw sev- From the dirt parking area, walk past the mile. Turn right onto Bissell Road (by White eral vernal pools—temporary pools formed gate and trailhead map to head back into Memorial entrance) and go 0.1 mile to trail- by snowmelt or rain—which usually dry up the woods. The rest of the trail follows easy head on left. by summer.) At 0.8 mile, you will reach Bea- terrain. You will cross the slope of Spruce ver Pond. Enjoy the view, then cross the Take Time to See the Nature Museum Hill, walk along a raised roadbed through dam and a spillway. Keep following the trail Cranberry Swamp and past Cranberry Pond, White Memorial has a wonderful natural as it skirts the western side of the pond and and cross a dirt road (Webster Road) before history museum with dioramas and interac- continues generally northwestward, now and entering Catlin Woods, a mixed forest with tive displays, located in the White Memorial then making a hairpin turn to veer in another many large white pine and hemlock trees, Conservation Center at the end of White- direction. as well as oaks, maples, and birches. About hall Road, the main entrance road. For more Two miles from the start of the hike, you 5 miles from the start of the hike, you will information, visit whitememorialcc.org. will see a large stone memorial off the trail cross paved Whites Woods Road. Soon you Diane Friend Edwards is a writer, photog- to your left. The memorial honors Alain and will reach the Bantam River, which the trail rapher, and lifelong lover of the outdoors. She May White, the brother and sister “who parallels for a short distance, then crosses via lives in Harwinton with her husband, Paul. loved the quiet and beauty of the forest and an iron bridge. The trail then parallels the who saved these thousands of acres for us” other side of the river, following a dirt road.

SUMMER 2014 | Connecticut Woodlands | 21 From the Land

http://en.wikipedia.org Grunts, slumps, and c bblers Cooking with blueberries, New England natives

BY JEAN CRUM JONES They also observed the Native Americans better-flavored fruit than could be grown eating plentiful amounts of the wild fruits, in their homeland. hen summer comes, my mind turns fresh from the vines. to thinking about fixing grunts, At that time, the British believed that eat- It Slumped and Grunted on the Plate slumps, and cobblers with our deli- ing fresh fruit was unhealthy. This opinion New England housewives devised a W cious farm berries. These quaint, dated to the time of ancient Greek physi- number of new dishes made with apples, whimsical names define dishes that are true cian Claudius Galen, who believed that food huckleberries (known as blueberries in their New England originals developed by Colo- was converted to blood. Seventeenth-cen- cultivated form), and some of the other com- nial American women. These fruit-rich cre- tury medical texts indicated that fresh fruit mon berries. The women steamed the fruits, ations were based on favorite English rec- would cause blood to putrefy. So the new sweetened them with molasses, honey, or ipes for steamed puddings and pies that settlers ate moderately from the abundant maple syrup, and topped them with dough were modified by the available native food- ripe supply. The British Colonials would not in a deep pot covered with a tight lid and stuffs and the limiting circumstances found eat the fruit until it was cooked. Most of suspended over the fire. It baked until the in America. There is no way to identify the the found fruit they dried for steamed bread fruit was tender and the topping dumpling- precise time or persons who developed these puddings or minced meat compounds. like. Thick cream, if available, was poured on classic recipes. Most traditional cooking These people were used to the milder-fla- top, when served. They called these dishes innovations were spread by word of mouth. vored sweet apples of Britain. Soon, young “slumps” and “grunts.” A slump just seemed When British navigators first explored apple and pear orchards were being estab- to collapse on a plate after it was dished out. New England in the early 1600s, they noted lished from seeds and stems brought from A grunt—which is made the same way as a the abundant patches of strawberries, cran- England. Connecticut’s soil and climate were slump but often steamed in a metal mold berries, gooseberries, huckleberries, grapes, exceptionally well suited to apple orchards. within the pot—may have earned its name and currants growing wild on our shores. The trees produced a higher-quality, from the sounds made after it was finished

22 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014 cooking. As steam escaped, the dough emit- and dinner meals in courses, ranging from kitchens and cooking equipment, helped ted a grunt when it was unmolded. savory to sweet. pie become the quintessential New Eng- When a fruit and biscuit topping were land food. During the days before Thanks- Pies cooked in a dish placed in a fireplace oven, it giving, housewives reportedly made batches might have been called a “cobbler” because Another popular dessert associated with of 70 to 100 pies at a time—apple, pumpkin, of the cooked appearance of the crust, which New England is fruit pie. In English yeoman mince, and others. The pies were put in pie resembled cobblestones. Another popu- households in the sixteenth century, enclo- cabinets in a cold room where they would lar dish, cooked in the fireplace oven, was sure in a pastry shell was the most impor- freeze and then be available all winter long. the “pandowdy”—meaning to chop. The tant way of preparing fruit. The belief was Apple pie took over as a regular part of the housewife would bake the fruit dish until that the more thorough the cooking, the New England breakfast for nearly 100 years. the pastry crust on top began turning crisp more the threat of sickness from fresh fruit When I worked as an administrative dietitian and golden. Then, she would take it out of would be minimized. When the original set- at the Yale University Dining Halls, I stud- the oven and “pandowdy” or chop the crust tlers came from Britain, they planted wheat, ied some of the menus from the 1890s and into the fruit in large pieces, bake it a lit- the grain mainstay of their diet, so they could noted that apple pie was on the menu every tle longer, and then serve it with a cream produce bread and pastry for pies. Alas, Con- morning and, often, at dinner, too. sauce. Later on, as sugar from the Carib- necticut was plagued by three invasions that But the common expression “as American bean became more available and affordable, destroyed the initial successful wheat farming as apple pie” is a misnomer, in my thinking. cranberries and strawberry-rhubarb mixtures in our state: black stem rust (1660s), Hes- We should really go farther back in our his- became popular. sian fly (1780s), and wheat nidges (1830s). tory, too, exclaiming that a true American Originally, these juicy dishes were served Culinary historians believe that our pie adap- is “as American as blueberry cobbler.” Let’s as the main course for breakfast or at any tations of slumps, grumps, cobblers, and go back to our New England culinary roots other meal as an accompaniment with the dowdies developed because flour was scarce. this summer and enjoy some old-fashioned, other main dish. It was not until later in the The colonists adapted to eating “rye and native desserts or breakfasts. 19th century that they became identified as injun” (corn) bread in place of wheat bread. desserts. As sugar became more available, After the opening of the Erie Canal in Jean Crum Jones is a registered dietician who the fruit and pastry dishes became sweeter, 1825, wheat flour was more easily available helps run the Jones Family Farms in Shelton and the Victorians began arranging lunch in our region. That, along with improved with her family.

Connecticut Blueberry-Peach Cobbler Blueberries and peaches ripen at the same time on Connecticut farms and have a natural affinity for each other. Try this delicious old-fashioned farm recipe. the fruit (the “cobbles” will melt together in the oven). To prepare fruit: Heat gently until simmering Sprinkle generously with fresh grated nutmeg and 1 cup fresh blueberries; 1½ cups fresh sliced ripe ground cinnamon to taste. peaches; 3 tablespoons brown sugar; ¼ cup water and 2 teaspoons cornstarch combined. When thick, add 2 Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 min- tablespoons butter; 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; 1 utes until the crust is cooked through. Best served warm teaspoon lemon zest. Place in 1-quart glass baking dish. with a scoop of Connecticut-made ice cream or fresh whipped cream. Serves 6. For the cobbler crust: Sift together 1 cup flour; 1½ teaspoons baking powder; ½ cup sugar; Recipe inspired by Elsie Masterton, from the Blueberry Hill ¼ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Then cream ¼ cup but- Menu Cookbook, Thomas Crowell Co., 1963. ter with 1 egg and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Beat in ½ cup buttermilk, add flour mix, and beat until just smooth. Drop the topping in large spoonfuls over

SUMMER 2014 | Connecticut Woodlands | 23 From the ARCHIVES The history of a cedar swamp BY JAMES L. GOODWIN

his article has resided quietly for some 50 years in the files at the Goodwin Conser- vation Center in Hampton. It appears to Tbe notes for a talk James L. Goodwin may have given in Hampton. The influence of Mr. Goodwin remains large to this day in Hampton and throughout Connecticut. Goodwin came to

Hampton in 1913 and purchased 25 acres of Photographer unknown an abandoned farm and white pine forest. He This photo from the Goodwin archives was taken in 1933 during the construction of the dam. began managing this parcel in 1914. In 1964, he conveyed what had been his Pine Acres Farm, districts. At some early date, probably when the first settlers came in more than 1,700 acres, to the state of Connecticut. The house, outbuild- about 1715, the Cedar Swamp, which extended north and south for ings, and 80 surrounding acres were “to provide education in forest, some two miles, was divided into lots from five to seven acres each wildlife and general conservation among youth and adult groups on and apportioned among the settlers so that each owner could have a statewide basis.” The complex was named the Goodwin Conservation fire-wood and cedar trees from which shingles and posts could be Center and the adjoining woodlands the James L. Goodwin State Forest. obtained. Cedar was valuable as it has a more lasting quality in the This year, 2014, marks the 50th anniversary of that donation to the ground than other woods. people of the state. Since 1964, thousands of children and adults have “Canada Parish,” long burdened by its remoteness from the place walked the grounds, hiked the trails, fished in the pond, and enjoyed the of public convention for negotiating town affairs, renewed its efforts beauty of this gift. Many times people visiting the center stop because for independence soon after the Revolutionary War. In 1786, at a they “remember coming here as a child with my parents” and they fished town meeting by a majority of one vote, the people voted to establish or rented a boat “from Mr. Goodwin.” The legacy left by Mr. Goodwin a separate township, which was speedily enacted by the Assembly in still resonates in those who visit this beautiful nook of the Quiet Corner. Hartford. By incorporating parts of Pomfret, Brooklyn, Canterbury, —James Parda and Mansfield, the town of Hampton was formed. The northwest part of Hampton, where the Cedar Swamp lies, was very sparsely settled, having remained, for many years, in the hands uring the early 1700s, the northeast section of the then Wind- of non-residents. [We assume Mr. Goodwin meant that those responsi- ham Township gained steadily in population and importance ble for the swamp could not live on that land.] despite its remoteness and inaccessibility. Its soil was good and A bridge must have been built across the Cedar Swamp connect- Dcheap, its situation pleasant and attractive. A high hill, at the foot ing Hampton with Chaplin shortly after the Town of Hampton was of which ran the Little River, now known as Hampton Hill was con- established, for at a town meeting in September 1793, the question sidered a favorable site for a settlement and by a land distribution in came up as to the maintenance of the bridge. The next year at a town 1712 was open to purchasers. Various persons bought land in 1713, meeting in the fall, it was voted to continue the maintenance of the on the hill or in its vicinity, and settled upon it and helped build up bridge, which was built of wood. what was known as Windham Village. In December 1716, the town While purchasing land in 1915, which was later to become my agreed that the northeast part be named a parish after the name of Pine Acres Farm, I became interested in this Cedar Swamp, about the first settler David Canada, of whom little is known but the fact two miles long and a quarter of a mile wide, which was situated in a of his purchase and settlement. It is believed that David Canada built valley about 1,000 feet east of my farm buildings and immediately the first house in this section and kept the first tavern. He must have north of what is now Route 6. The swamp was covered with a thick died early as his name does not appear among the Windham town or growth of old Southern White Cedar and Red Maple and accord- church records. However, his sons’ names appear among the inhab- ing to the old map was divided as early as 1791 into twenty-six lots itants at a later date. varying from five to seven acres each under individual ownership as In 1763, Canada Parish was divided into school districts, the burnt they were when I made my first land purchase of Lot No. 1 in 1915. “Cedar Swamp” being the dividing line between the first and second This lot consisted of 7 acres and had a fine stand of White Cedar and

24 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014 Red Maple. As I was building a barn, the cedars were cut and sent Visit Goodwin Forest's lake, trails, and more to a shingle mill nearby to be manufactured into shingles with which we shingled the roof and sides of the entire barn. In addition, there In his book, A History of Pine Acres Farm, Goodwin re- were many large old Red Maple trees on this lot which we cut and corded his thoughts on converting the swamp to a water sold for four-foot firewood, for which at that time there was a great body and described the construction process to build the demand for the stoves of neighboring farmhouses, fuel oil furnaces dam in this manner: not having come into use at that time. My plan was to acquire and Work was started in the fall. In order to strengthen it develop a woodland tract, which could be managed according to the near the State road and to follow the requirements of best forestry principles. the State Board of Engineers and the State Highway As time went on, I purchased land entirely surrounding the Cedar Department, the dam was reinforced near the State Swamp, consisting of hardwood areas or open fields, where I estab- road for four hundred feet by a cement core or wall built lished pine and spruce plantations. So, in order to acquire the entire inside the earth filling. . . . and the result was an attrac- area, from time to time, I purchased Cedar Swamp lots and from tive lake which maintained a fairly even water level, them was able to obtain Maple cordwood and cedar shingles from although the neighbors predicted that it would dry up in the cedar trees, which were cut and sold usually in the winter. How- times of drought. ever, it was only during the coldest winters that the swamp would During this 50th anniversary year, the Goodwin Conserva- freeze over hard enough to allow a team of horses to go onto it and tion Center will be hosting numerous workshops, welcom- haul out the wood. In 1928, I purchased forty-eight acres of Cedar ing visitors to hike on the maintained trails (trailhead for the Swamp lots from the Tuttle Brick Company of New Haven, who for Blue-Blazed Natchaug Trail), canoe in Pine Acres Pond, many years had obtained cordwood from their lots, which they used enjoy a cool breeze on a summer day, stroll the native plant to fire their kilns in manufacturing bricks. gardens, listen for songbirds in the various habitat dem- By 1930, most of the southerly part of the swamp had been cut off, onstration areas, bike the Airline Trail, and experience the leaving a barren open swampy area. A narrow brook ten to twelve feet natural world in this wonderful outdoor classroom. This is wide running through the middle of it brought to mind the possibil- the only conservation education center in Connecticut in a ity of damming the brook at the lower end and flooding the swamp state forest. It was the vision of one man who practiced for- for its entire area for at least two miles. estry on the land for 50 years beginning in 1914. Today that In 1932, more Cedar Swamp lots were purchased, thus complet- vision continues with the unique public–private partnership ing my ownership of the entire twenty-six lots. One of these lots in of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, the Connecti- the more northerly part of the swamp included what was known as cut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Governor’s Island. This island of four acres was elevated about four and the Friends of Goodwin State Forest. to ten feet above the surrounding swamp and was covered with an interesting growth of all varieties of trees found in the surrounding Other activities include horseback riding, snowshoeing, forest. Large White Pines, Hemlock, Tulips, Oaks, Beech, Hickories, cross-country skiing, youth camping and letterboxing, and Chestnuts, with a thick undergrowth of Mountain Laurel and chainsaw safety training, and informative workshops many rare and unusual wild flowers such as Trillium and Calla Lillies, year round. grew in thick profusion and formed a delightfully secluded spot, which Visit in person or when the swamp was eventually flooded, could only be reached by go to friendsof- water. Owing to the inaccessibility of the island, the trees had never goodwinforest. been cut and were quite old and formed practically a virgin forest. org or ct.gov/ About 1843, the then-governor of Connecticut, John Cleveland, deep/goodwin. whose home was in Hampton, owned this island thus giving it its name. In colonial times, it is said the island was a retreat for the Nip- muc as it was so well protected and is supposed to be the last camp- ground for these Indians in Eastern Connecticut. In the fall of 1933, a dam 1,000 feet long was constructed at the extreme south end of the swamp and completed the following year. It filled fairly rapidly and by 1934, formed a lake two miles long where boating and fishing have been enjoyed for many years.

James Parda is the program director of the James L. Goodwin Conser- vation Center in Hampton. The center is a joint project of the Con- necticut Forest & Park Association and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Thanks to Seth Hisman, a student at Lyman Memorial High School, for transcribing Mr. Good- win’s article.

SUMMER 2014 | Connecticut Woodlands | 25 OBITUARy Larry Green Hebron sawmill operator and former CFPA Board of Directors member Lawrence Edward Green, a sawmill operator in Hebron who served on the Connecticut Forest & Park Association Board of Directors from 1984 to 1991, died on April 12. He was 81 and had lived in the Amston section of Hebron. Born July 27, 1932, at home in Occum, Mr. Green was the only son of Archal and Henrietta Staba Green. He grad- uated from Bacon Academy in Colchester in 1950. His wife, Fay Evans Green, whom he met at Bacon, died in 2002, after for the 48 years of marriage. Run Mr. Green was the owner, operator, and president of the Saturday, family business, Archie H. Green and Son Inc., a native hard- September 6, 2014 wood lumber producer and real estate developer. Besides his AT Woods service with CFPA, Mr. Green was president of the Colches- Sessions Woods ter Lions Club. WMA IN Burlington, CT 10k Trail Race begins at 8:30 AM He leaves his son, Christopher A. Green of New York City, 5k Trail Race begins at 9:00 AM and daughter, Colleen Green Everett; two grandsons; and 5k Trail Walk begins at 9:15 AM many friends and extended family members. Register Today! A funeral took place April 17 at Colchester Federated Church. To register as a runner or walker, visit our event website at www.ctwoodlands.org/runforthewoods2014 or call our office at 860-346-TREE

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26 | Connecticut Woodlands | SUMMER 2014 OLD SAYBROOK THE UNINVITED BEETLE continued from page 16 Save Time, Save Gas, Shop... Wasp Watcher team has devised a way to use Cerceris fumipennis, “There is no funding for eradication because it has been deter- a wasp native to Connecticut that hunts the emerald ash borer and mined impossible to Thedo,” said Shoreline’s Dr. Martin. other beetles in the Buprestidae family, to track the ash borer like a As of now, federal regulations allow quarantine only between coun- homing beacon. ties, not subcounties, because the insect is very mobile. These reg- The wasp catches beetles in locations such as tree canopies and ulations hurt local businesses like sawmills in their economical use brings the paralyzed beetle back to its ground nest as feed for its of forestland. “Companies that sell wood for flooring, cabinets, and larvae. The nests are predominantly located around baseball fields firewood will all be affected by the infestation,” said Dr. Martin. Hull Forest Products moved from Rhode Island to Pomfret, Con- because of the sandy soil, which provides protection for the nests. U THE BEST CASUAL AND A Proud Connecticut Trails Day necticut,best in 1970 and is now southern New England’s largest saw- This is where Dr. Rutledge and volunteers wait with nets to capture TECHNICAL APPAREL the wasps and see if they’re holding an ash borer. If so, the team mill. Company officials said they have seen an increase in the number THE BEST FOOTWEAR can determine ifS therepons iso ranf oinfestationr 12 yea rins theRu nsurroundingning! forest. of ash logs in the mills becauseU people are cutting down their trees before they are even infected to save the economical use of the tree. The brainchild behind this type of biosurveillance is taxonomist Dr. U THE BEST FLY FISHING Nearby states such as Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York Steven Marshall, Ca professorongratu andlati ocollectionns on t directorhe mo sfort the University U THE BEST PACKS - CAMPING have denser forests, and the result has been stricter regulations to of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Through his years of fieldwork, he THE BEST PADDLESPORTS control the ash borer. U already knews uwhichcces swaspful Ttor auseils toD trackay in theth migrationse countr yof. the borer. So far the battle has UnotTHE gone BEST well, SHOOTINGand scientists, stateSPORTS officials, An area is typically infested between four to six years before sci- and research professors sayTHE that BEST at best BOOKSthey can only & GIFTS hope that the entists can even find them,” said Dr. Rutledge. U ash tree does not go the way of the chestnut and the elm. The Wasp Watchers program works with the Department of Energy Voted Backpacker Magazine and EnvironmentalGo to http:// wProtectionww.tilconct. ctoom pinpoint/safety.ht mlocations#enviro t oforlea quarantining.rn more Daniel Candella is a junior majoring“Retailer in journalism of the atYear“ the University about Tilcon’s commitment to ensure the best environmental and of Connecticut. He enjoys hiking the local trails in Connecticut and Once an area is determined to be host to the ash borer, then the Holiday state can take thecon properservatio nstepspract itoces quarantine,at each of ou rsaidloca tDr.ions Chris Martin, observing the vast wildlife. HisW hstoryere isG ar eproductat of an environmental journalismsince course at UConn. Adventures Begin... director of forestry for DEEP. The department’s primary roles have 1988 been early detection and getting the word out so people can prepare. Çx > -Ì° U "` ->ÞLÀ] / U nÈä® ÎnnÈxnx www.northcove.com

Hull Forest Products Inc. Serving The Needs of Forest Landowners SCOTLAND HARDWOODS Since 1972. A ROSSI COMPANY

Providing Numerous Forestry Services: FORESTRY SERVICES DIVISION P.O. BOX 328, SCOTLAND, CT 06264 Four Certified Foresters On Staff Forest Management Planning I Dedicated To Helping Landowners Tree Farm Certification Meet Their Objectives Wildlife Habitat Management Timber Stand Improvements I In Business Since 1925 CT Forestland Property Tax Classification I Fully Automated Sawmill Facilities Ǡ Forest trails anPdularncdhinagssing Standing Timber. I Complete Line of Forestry Services and Ǡ Access roads and access control Consultation Provided By A Full Time Ǡ RiparianFfoorresAt bFurfefersInitial Consultation or Sawtimber Staff of State Certified Professional Ǡ Tree/shrub site prepAarpatpiorani,spallanPtlineag,seprCunailnl:g Foresters Ǡ Upland wildlife management Ǡ Wetland wilHdlifeumllanFagoemrenstt Products Inc. TO FIND OUT HOW A ROSSI FORESTER IN YOUR AREA CAN HELP YOU Ǡ Forest1s0ta1ndHiammprpotvoenmRenotafdo,rPhoabmitfarteatnCdesnoitleqr,uCaliTty 06259 Ǡ Hardwood crop tree release MEET YOUR OBJECTIVES, (860) 974-2083 or (800) 353-3331 CALL US TODAY AT (877)-209-9906 Ǡ Multistory cropping,wsuwstwai.nhaublelfmoarneasgte.mcoenmt of non-timber forest plants Ǡ Restoration of rare or declining habitats Ǡ Renovation of windbreak, shelterbelt, or hedgerow for wildlife habitat Ǡ Silvopasture for wildlife habitat SUMMERFall 22014010 | CConnecticutONNECTICUT WWoodlandsOODLANDS | 2271

Applying for Assistance Forest landowners can apply for assistance programs by visiting the USDA Service Center in their area, where USDA staff can col- lect all the necessary information and begin the application process. Several items for documentation purposes may be required, such as copies of deeds, tax identification or Social Security numbers, bank information, and so on, so it would be a good idea to call first and ask about needed documentation when setting up the appoint- ment. Once entered into the system, each landowner will work with a member of the NRCS staff to develop a plan for the landowner’s project. If a landowner has a specific idea, or already has a written forest management or stewardship plan that suggests certain activities, it will help streamline the process. A certain fixed amount of funding is allocated for the these programs each year, and if there are more applications than funding available, applications will be ranked and approved accordingly. If your project is not approved during one fiscal year, it may still have a good chance the following year. Projects that are recommended in a forest stewardship plan, that address certain conservation pri- orities, or that enhance key habitats are likely to receive higher rankings.

Thomas Worthley is an assistant extension professor for forest stewardship at the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension in Haddam.

Fall 2010 CONNECTICUT WOODLANDS 19 U.S. POSTAGE PAID STANDARD Permit No. 344 New London, CT

16 Meriden Road Rockfall, Connecticut 06481-2961

The Connecticut Forest & Park Association joined with the National Park Service and officials and land advocates from the town of Guilford on June 8. The New England Trail’s gateway at Long Island Sound is officially open in Chittenden Park. This boardwalk will get its final decking and benches soon.

Christine Woodside