A Perfect Day
By Margaret Sirois
On November 15, on a perfect day for a hike, Dan Whitten led 10 SCNPS members along the Big Rock Trail in Nine Times Preserve. The group learned to identify:
- A Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana) by its “turkey-tail” scale — a reddish stripe on its border
- A short-leaf pine by resin pockets under the bark (Pinus echinata)
- And, from a distance, pitch pine (Pinus rigida) by the ball shape of needles at the end of a branch
Growing close to the Big Rock is a large Sparkleberry tree (Vaccinium arboreum) — possibly a champion! — and tasting experiences included Horse Sugar (Symplocos tinctoria) leaf and sparkleberries.
Thank you, Dan for a great hike. We learned so much!
Photo Essay by Doug Lockard
-
- A Perfect Day
-
- Climbing
-
- Yes, it was strenuous!
-
- Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra)
-
- Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum)
-
- Sparkleberry—A Champion?
-
- The Trail
-
- You are Here!
-
- Virginia Pine (Pinus Virginiana)
-
- Dan Whitten
