|
Dorothy Reserve Trail Guide
Red Tail Hawk
Butterfly and Daisy Fleabane
Pitch Pine, young pine cones.
Tufted Titmouse
Mountain Laurel
Cinnamon Ferns
Golden Club
Swamp Azalea
Stream Bottom.
Pink Lady's Slipper
|
Station I: Unfragmented Forests. Many species that live in the
watershed need large areas of continuous forests to survive. Where many large
tracts of unbroken forest remain, unique species of wildflowers, moths,
salamanders, and hawks can exist. Large mammals such as gray and red fox, river
otter, and bobcat also rely on these areas The Dorothy Reserve was acquired by
the New Jersey Conservation Foundation to help protect the Atlantic County Pine
Barrens and to insure that this area will not become fragmented from the
northern areas. This sensitive Pine Barrens area between Routes 50 and 54 is
designated as the Elwood Corridor by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission. 
Station 2: Pine Barrens Savanna Side Trail.
Snakes, butterflies,
moths, and other species depend on small savanna habitats or opens areas that
were once plentiful and created by fires. This area has been cleared and planted
with savanna plant species in order to recreate this natural environment that
many species need to survive and reproduce. Native wildflower species planted
here include blazing star, stiff-leaf aster, gray and sweet goldenrod, and
grasses such as little blue stem grass, Indian grass, switch grass, and broom-sedge. When there was a house at this site many non-native species were
introduced, including venus's looking-glass, common mullein, daisy fleabane,
yarrow, and Deptford pink.
Station 3: Pine-Oak Forest/Fire Ecology Pitch Pine, White, and
Black Oak are the predominant tree species in this uplands area. Other trees
found here include the Post Oak, Scarlet Oak, Chestnut Oak, and Sassafras. The
Black Huckleberry is the most common shrub in this area and makes up much of the
forest under story. Fire is the most important factor which has shaped the
vegetation of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Lightning strikes caused wild fires
thousands of years before the Pines were settled by man. Fires are a necessity
for many Pine Barrens plant species such as the Pitch Pine, which only releases
its seeds after being heated during a fire. Fire also clears the forest floor
allowing seeds to take root and grow. 
Station 4: Birds There are many species of birds common at the
reserve including, carolina chickadee, junco, titmouse, and goldfinch. To best
observe birds, bring a lawn chair and sit quietly for a while. You might see a
mother turkey leading her young across the road, a red bellied woodpecker
looking for insects in a tree, or a broad winged hawk soaring by, searching for
a meal. This pitch pine forest also provides habitat for many migratory song
birds who breed in these areas and winter in South and Central America. Some
make journeys of over 3,000 miles. Species found here include the whip-poor-
will, whose distinctive cry can be heard at night, and the ruby-throated
hummingbird, which can be observed feeding on the flowers of the sweet
pepperbush in the late Summer.
Station 5: Excavated Area This area was dug for fill years ago but many
species of plants now thrive here. In the Spring look for the small, dark blue
flowers of the pointed blue-eyed grass and the yellow loosestrife which has
small yellow flowers arranged around its stem. Along the edges of the area look
for mountain laurel with its large clusters of white flowers and sheep laurel
with its small, deep pink flowers that bloom in June. In the late Summer look
for the tiny, tubular, blue flowers of the nuttal's lobelia and the clusters of
tiny white flowers of the rough boneset. Many types of grasses are also found
here including bushy beard grass, little blue stem grass, Canada rush, soft
rush, and bristle spiked cyperus. Many insects and animals feed on the seeds
these plants produce.
Station 6: Ferns Ferns are the earliest and simplest type of vascular plants.
Vascular plants are plants that have the ability to bring water and food from
their roots, up through their stems to their leaves. These types of plants do
not produce flowers or seeds and rely on spores to reproduce. 300 million years
ago, during the Paleozoic Era, ferns were the dominate plant species on earth.
Many attained the size of trees. The bracken fern with its triangular cluster of
leaves is the most common fern in the reserve. It grows along the trail and in
the uplands. In the wetlands area look for the Virginia chain fern with its dark
stems, the netted chain fern with its thick uncut leaves, the royal fern, with
leaves that resemble a locust tree, and the large cinnamon fern which is common
in wetlands.
Station 7: Cedar Swamp You are looking upstream into an Atlantic White Cedar
Swamp. This habitat was once very abundant. Cedars were harvested and cut into
shingles, siding, and other products by area mills. Many of these wet areas have
been cleared and turned into cranberry bogs. Because of the Pine Barren's
nutrient poor soil, many kinds of insectivorous plants rely on insects for food.
In this area they are found on the hummocks and along the banks. The northern
pitcher plant has cup shaped leaves that fill with water. They trap and digest
the insects that fall into them. The spatulate leaved sundew has small leaves
that pro duce tiny droplets of sticky dew which trap and digest insects. The
golden club is common here and has a club-shaped spike of tiny yellow flowers
that bloom in May. Its dark green, water resistant leaves persist through the
summer. 
Station 8: Maple swamp looking down stream from the road is a harvested
Atlantic white cedar swamp which has been taken over by red maples and other
species. Few cedar swamps ever regenerate after harvesting. In this area look
for the white trumpet shaped flowers of the swamp azalea and the large creamy
white flowers of the bay magnolia that bloom in June. In August look for the
white, cylindrical, fragrant flowers of the sweet pepperbush which is common in
the area. In the summer many species of dragon flies hunt along the creek for
small insects. The long-legged waterstrider is also common. It skates on the
surface of the stream using the waterproof hairs on its feet.
Station 9: Sand/Cohansey Aquifer. In this area you can notice the distinct
white sand of the Pine Barrens. This soil contains up to 90% silica and was used
by glassworks such as Estell Manor. For fuel they relied on pine and oak trees,
which were cut down and turned into charcoal. The Pinelands Commission protects
the Cohansey Aquifer, one of the largest sources of fresh water in the east
coast, containing an estimated 17 trillion gallons of fresh water. The water of
this aquifer often is found near the surface, creating many bogs, swamps and
streams like the ones found here. There is a delicate balance between water
quality, potential overuse, and the ecology of the Pine Barrens.
Station 10: Pink Lady's Slipper Orchids. The orchid family is the largest
family of flowering plants with an estimated 20,000 species, most of which are
found in the tropics. They make up approximately 8-10 percent of all flowering
species and are the most evolved and complex members of wildflowers. Some
species' flowers mimic in- sects, others are thought to be pollinated by a
single type of insect. Their seeds are almost dust-like and a single seed pod
can produce millions. Most are small, but they among the most beautiful
wildflowers found in Southern New Jersey. The pink lady's slipper is found along
the edges of the trail and blooms in late May. Its large pink flower resembles a
slipper. The genus name, Cypripedium, is derived from Latin and means
"shoe of Venus'". Orchids have a symbiotic relationship with an
underground fungus. The orchid gives the fungus sugar in exchange for nutrients
from the soil. The fungus cannot be transplanted, so orchids are nearly
impossible to move. Never pick or dig up orchids or other wildflowers.|
Weymouth Information Weymouth History Mayor's Corner Weymouth Events Weymouth Boards Weymouth Environmental Commission Weymouth Organizations Links Weymouth Post A Tour of the Watershed
|