Our Environment: "A Walk Along the Turner Reservoir Trail" By Scott Turner
Scott Turner, Environmental Columnist
Our Environment: "A Walk Along the Turner Reservoir Trail" By Scott Turner
Last Saturday in Rumford, friends and fellow Ohio State Buckeyes Ron and Diane hosted a gathering of local alumni, featuring a nature walk along part of the Turner Reservoir Loop Trail.
“Buckeyes” is the official Ohio State nickname. A buckeye is a small, dark nut produced by Ohio’s official state tree, the buckeye. The tree grows naturally in the Midwest and lower Great Plains, with scattered populations to the north and south. Folklore says that the nut resembles a deer’s eye, and that carrying a buckeye brings good luck.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe buckeye tree is not native anywhere in Southern New England. Moreover, it is rarely used in these parts as an ornamental. So, the largest collection of buckeyes in the region that day likely belonged to the 15-or-so folks who trekked into the Bridgham Farm Conservation Area, located on the western shore of the reservoir, and part of the East Providence Land Conservation Trust.
We were a mingling of Massachusetts and Rhode Island natives, who’d attended Ohio State at some point, and returned east, plus non-native transplants from several states such as Illinois, Ohio, Maryland, New York and New Jersey.
The Newman oak may be pre-Columbian, said Ron, or there before 1492. The trunk was massive but even more impressive was the tree’s widespread crown. That canopy was likely the largest I’ve seen anywhere in the Ocean State.
The woods showed significant signs of former habitation including various species of introduced trees, shrubs and vines, along with native flora and fauna, and a crisscross of stonewalls.
Amidst this foliage amalgam, one non-native tree stood out—a large amur corktree—identified by its short trunk and spreading branches, all covered by thick, corky bark.
The corktree is native to eastern Asia, preferring full sun and rich soil. That it now stood in the woods suggested that the tree was once an ornamental in the open, swallowed over time by regeneration.
In the preserve’s forest openings, multiflora rose was common. Another native of eastern Asia, multiflora rose arrived in the U.S. in the late 1700s. It was cultivated as an ornamental, and used for both erosion control and as a living fence. Multiflora rose smells good, and wildlife eat its fruit.
But multiflora rose climbs fast and spreads quickly. It is so invasive that Massachusetts banned its sale in 2009.
The woods also contained native species such as Eastern white pine, Eastern cottonwood, sassafras, black cherry and especially red and white oak.
This time of year, cottonwoods release their seeds within fluff that floats on the wind, and downy little clouds floated past us.
Near the reservoir, stretches of native wild geranium speckled the forest floor in pink-purple color. As the ground grew moister, the local wetland forest—red maple and black gum, dominated the landscape.
The Loop Trail featured idyllic views of the reservoir and its rocky islands and wooded shoreline. Several different birds sang, such as Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler and Baltimore Oriole, three species often found near water.
As we approached the dam and spillway, we found yellow-flowering water lilies near the shoreline. We also spied a fish ladder built to help restore herring to historic spawning grounds.
The route back took us through the open field and meadow of Bridgham Farm. We were surrounded by thigh-high grasses, swaying in a light breeze, and wildflowers of various sorts. There was red clover and a purple-flowering pea. Also present were cinquefoil, hawkweed and buttercups, all of which flower in shades of yellow.
This has been a good spring for buttercups, possibly because the species does well in most areas, and we’ve had lots of rain.
According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, “a special layer of cells” found just below the surface cells of buttercup petals accounts for their “shiny, waxy texture.” The Center also notes that the stems and leaves of a buttercup contain an acrid juice, “discouraging browsing animals and favoring the spread of the plant.”
Drawn together by shared Ohio State roots, we arrived at Ron and Diane’s home from multiple points and various life paths, all agreeing after the walk that the conservation area and loop trail were dazzling spaces well worth our interest.
And, as nice as it was to stroll there on a sunny spring day in the mid-70s, Ron left us with this teaser, “You should see it in fall!”
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