Bogs and Beaches

Thanks to a teacher in-service day on Friday followed by Columbus Day weekend, Maura had four days off from school. We had considered going camping and the weather would have been perfect for it but Saturday was Yom Kippur, which meant that Jennifer and Maura were in services. On top of that Jennifer thought she might need to work Sunday or Monday so we decided not to plan a camping trip after all. We did get the chance to get out for a few nature hikes.

On Friday afternoon I took Maura to Ponkapoag Bog in the Blue Hills Reservation. We walked the boardwalk that crosses the bog to the edge of the open water of Ponkapoag Pond. We searched for signs of southern bog lemmings but didn’t see anything that we could be certain of. I’d hoped to find green droppings or piles of clipped sedges that indicate their presence. All we saw were narrow paths through the vegetation in the open parts of the bog that could be lemming runs. While we saw no clear signs of lemmings we did enjoy the walk and noted the succession of environments as we moved away from solid ground from thick woods dominated by maples and cedars through open meadows to a final verge of stunted cedars on the edge of the open water. We saw some beautiful red dragonflies and few birds flitting through the brush that I couldn’t see well enough to identify  but nothing else was moving in the bog. The weather was perfect but I suspect most of the wildlife had already moved on for the season.

On Sunday we made a family expedition to Plum Island, in Newbury, Massachusetts, on the shore north of Boston. The weather was unseasonably warm for October. The temperature reached the low 80s Fahrenheit, ideal weather for a day on the shore. There was heavy traffic on Interstate 95 around Boston so getting to Plum Island was a chore but we enjoyed our visit once we arrived. A wrong turn took us to the inhabited part of the island where we discovered that Plum Island Light was open for visitors. We ate our picnic lunch on the grounds of the lighthouse and then took the opportunity to climb to the top, stopping along the way to chat with the friendly Friends of Plum Island Light who staff it when it is open. The view from the top was spectacular and we learned how lighthouses work.

After the lighthouse side trip we finally found our destination on Plum Island, the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, which occupies the undeveloped part of the island except for the beach at the southern end which is a state park. We parked at the Hellcat Trail lot and walked both loops of the Hellcat Interpretive Trail where we learned about the National Wildlife Refuge and the barrier island environment of Plum Island. Both loops of the trail are on boardwalks to protect the environment and allow visitors to cross wetlands dry shod. A pamphlet available at the trailhead describes the trails and gives information on the wildlife and ecology. One loop winds through a man-made freshwater marsh which was constructed in the 1950s to improve habitat for migrating birds. We saw an egret, swans, and ducks in the open water and learned about invasive species in wetlands, including the common reed which still fills much of the marsh. On slightly dryer ground the trail wound past bayberry and through stands of red maple.

The other branch of the Hellcat trail climbed the large stabilized secondary dunes that make up the backbone of the barrier island. At the top an observation area looks out on the smaller, less stable primary dunes closer to the beach, with their spreading mats of false heather and beach grass holding them in place. Along the way the interpretive guide described the ecology of the island and the plants that survive in the harsh environment of salt-spray and shifting sand. It also discussed the impact of development on barrier islands and their important role in protecting the saltmarshes and the mainland behind them from the impact of storms.

The one environment on Plum Island we didn’t visit was the actual beach. It took too long for us to get there and we didn’t have the time for one more walk down to the water on the ocean side. Perhaps next year we’ll get to visit the beach there or make a trip to the Cape Cod National Seashore for a trip to a wild beach.

A Lemming Hunt

I’d promised Maura months ago that we would hunt lemmings this summer. We don’t want to kill any, of course. We just want to find them. Our hope is to spot one, or at least see some evidence of their presence. We’ve both of us done our research. There certainly are lemmings in Massachusetts. The Southern Bog Lemming lives in the Commonwealth. As its name suggests it inhabits bogs. It is not an easy animal to see because it lives in runs at the base of the bog vegetation and rarely comes out of cover but if you look closely it is possible to find signs of its presence in the form of distinctive green droppings and little piles of clipped off sedges.

This lemming hunt took us to an out of the way corner of the Blue Hills Reservation in Braintree. It’s cut off from the rest of the reservation by Interstate 93 and doesn’t get many visitors. We didn’t see anyone while we were there. We hiked for most of an hour. Unfortunately we didn’t see any lemmings either. On the map there appeared to be a road leading through a wetland that might be good lemming habitat. The road is there, and the wetland, but there is no way to see the wetland from the road through the dense curtain of trees and bushes that borders it.

As a lemming hunt the trip was a bust but Maura and I did have a nice hike together. We’ll go looking for lemmings again soon. The next time we will try the boardwalk on Ponkapoag Pond, which I’m certain will lead us over some likely lemming habitat and get might us close enough that we can see the signs.

A Walk in the Blue Hills

Our good run of weekend weather continued this weekend. We celebrated with a hike in the Blue Hills. We parked our car near the park headquarters and hiked between there and Great Blue Hill, hiking in a loop that included both branches of the rugged Skyline Trail. The weather was perfect, cool enough to be comfortable but warm enough to hike in a T-shirt once we got going. There were lots of people on the trails, not a surprise in the well-travelled Blue Hills. We were joined on our hike by our friend Andrew Tittler and his children. His youngest rode on her daddy’s back but Maura and his oldest child hike well enough on their own.
Though the weather was perfect it was not the most enjoyable hike I’ve ever been on. Maura can be a great hiking companion but on this occasion she was not on her best behavior. Maura is like any other child. Some days she’s a blessing and a joy to be around. On other days she is selectively deaf and won’t hear a word you say to her over her own whining. Sunday was one of the later days. She asked for a drink of water about every five minutes and had to be told so many times not to climb over rocks that weren’t on the trail that I lost my temper and yelled at her. I don’t like to do that. Needless to say we saw little wildlife, though with many other hikers on the trail we weren't likely to see anything shy.

Perhaps it was just a bad day for Maura or perhaps it was that she was hiking with another child. Maura usually goes out in the woods with just her parents. It must be easier to listen to us when no one is competing for her attention.

Fortunately Maura is usually a pleasure to be around. We’ve enjoyed many hikes together and I expect we’ll enjoy many more. Maura’s spring break starts on Friday so we’ll have plenty of time for adventures together and with her with her grandparents, who will be visiting. I’m looking forward to it.

April Vacation

Last week was Maura’s April vacation from school and we put the time to good use. Except for Tuesday, when Maura had a dentist appointment, we had a fun outing every day she was off from school. I’ve already written about our first outing, down to Cape Cod to go hiking on Monday. On Wednesday we visited one of our favorite haunts, the Children’s Museum. On Thursday was a trip to Weymouth’s annual April Vacation Carnival. On Friday Jennifer took the afternoon off and we took another family hike, this time in the rugged terrain of the Blue Hills Reservation.

We arrived in Downtown Boston on our Wednesday outing in time for an early lunch and a visit with Jennifer at her office building before we went to the museum. Though it rained later in the afternoon the weather was beautiful when we arrived in Boston so Maura and I ate our baloney sandwiches on the Greenway. Because it was Earth Day there was an event going on and we enjoyed listening to a rhythm band and watching stilt walkers as we ate our lunch. Afterwards we met Jennifer for a stroll and desert which she brought with her from an office party. Her building was having an Earth Day event in the lobby and we picked up some biodegradable swag. The Children’s Museum was as usual noisy, chaotic and crowded. Maura had a wonderful time. There were no new exhibits of note but there were a few Earth Day demonstrators there as well and Maura got a piggy bank for her collection.

Thursday morning we spent at home because we had a coupon for an unlimited ride bracelet that started at 2 pm. Maura was very excited all morning. Julie Tittler and Peter came over to join us at the carnival. Maura loves carnival rides and she had a great time, though she couldn’t convince Peter, who is four, to ride any rides with her. Maura is big enough to ride almost all of the carnival rides by herself now, including some of the really wild ones. I didn’t ride with her this time. I would have had fun doing but I wanted to save a little money. I did play a carnival game to win Maura a prize. I won a plush husky puppy throwing darts at balloons. Sometimes it’s worthwhile to spend ten dollars for a two dollar stuffed animal.

On Friday Maura had hot dogs from Windy City Eats for lunch and then went to pick Jennifer up at the T-station. Since we forgot our Blue Hills trail map we went to reservation headquarters to pick up a new one and started our hike from there. We hiked for about three hours, out on the very rugged Skyline Trail and a longer and flatter route back. The weather was almost perfect and the hike was wonderful. It’s really great to get out and get some outdoor exercise on a perfect spring day. We were all exhausted by the time it was over though. The steep and rocky terrain is hard on knees and ankles.

April vacation made me look forward to summer. Maura has a few weeks of activities planned over the summer, she’ll be attending a day camp at one of town parks one week and spend a week apart from us with her grandparents in Indiana and another week with us. We will both be home for most of the summer and I plan on taking her on lots of outings.

Trailside, Thursday, August 14th, 2008

Maura and I took advantage of a day of nice weather to get outside and enjoy nature. I was also looking for something that wouldn't cost much after Wednesday's expensive lunch. We packed a picnic lunch into my day pack and headed for the Blue Hills Reservation, Metropolitan Boston's largest park and a real gem. The only costs for the day were gas and food, and both were already paid for. The gas was in the tank already and the food was scavenged out of the refrigerator.

Our first stop was the Trailside Museum, an exhibit on the environment and wildlife of the Blue Hills run by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Because we are member of Mass Audubon we get into the museum for free. The Trailside Museum is home to many live animals that live or once lived in the Blue Hills. Most are rescued animals that could not survive on their own in the wild. We enjoyed watching turtles and the bees that inhabit an indoor hive between two plate glass windows.

After our visit to the Trailside Museum we took a hike from the museum to the Reservation Headquarters where Maura could get a stamp in her DCR passport that she got Tuesday at the Children's Museum. We stopped along the way to enjoy our picnic lunch while we sat on a fallen log by the side of the trail. On our way out we chose an easy, nearly flat trail and headed back by a slightly longer and more challenging route. We spotted two small toads by the trail as we climbed a steep path over the top of a rock hill and as we were returning to our car spotted a whole flock of goldfinches that were feeding in a field of wildflowers.