WILDFLOWER AND BOTANY WALKS
May Flowers are in bloom in April along the edges of wooded trails in all our woods. Lady's Slippers are blooming in the last weeks of May. We have been looking for Skunk Cabbage and have not found any. If anyone knows of Skunk Cabbage growing within the town of Falmouth, please let me know.
We often walk the Bicycle Path from Locust St. to the Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuary. All along the way there are wildflowers to enjoy, discuss and identify. As the weeks go by the first ones disappear and new ones bloom. We notice the vines that are alien and invasive that grow over the shrubs and trees along the path. The former railroad track transects the marsh into salt and freshwater marsh, and we notice the difference in vegetation in the two areas. In the sanctuary we find different flowers and plants because the soil, the moisture, and the light vary from site to site. As we near the shore, we become aware of wetland plants -- sedges, grasses and rushes and other plants that grow only where the soil is saturated.
Recently I have found Small-flowered Gerardia and Wood Anemone in the wetlands at Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries.
People have always been interested in learning the names of plants.
When they become aware of the diversity of the wild plants around them,
they enjoy them more than before. Awareness of our natural surroundings
enhances our enjoyment of them. We have much to enjoy and much to protect.
Some trips will include tips on nature photography. Bring a notebook and
binoculars on your trips, and wear rugged and comfortable shoes. I hope
to see you on our trips, which last an average of two hours.