Education

Lovely morning walk with Stephen Paul Broker at the Mendell’s Folly Bethany Land Trust, Inc. parcel. We heard and/or saw sign of mammals: Beaver (feeding evidence), Bobcat (scat), and Red Fox (scat and the breeding season skunk-like scent marking at the trailhead to the meadow), and delightful birds: including Virginia Rail heard at the far end of the wetland, Great Blue Heron floating by overhead, Golden-crowned Kinglets hovering in the canopy, Swamp Sparrow, a Cooper’s Hawk that lifted up into the trees from the forest floor, and my favorite song and sight of the morning: a diminutive but energetic Winter Wren singing its high… Read more: January Naturalist’s Notes

Take a walk on our land trust trails this winter, and you will notice evergreen clups of Princess Pine, also known as flat-branched club moss (Dendrolycopodium obscurum). This low-growing, ancient plant is native to the northeastern United States, including Connecticut, and thrives in shaded, acidic soils, often beneath pine and mixed hardwood forests. In the starkness of winter, its vibrant green foliage stands out against the leaf-littered forest floor, making it easy to spot. Princess Pine is a relic of prehistoric times, representing the Lycopodiophyta group, which includes some of the first vascular plants to evolve. Despite its common name,… Read more: Princess Pine (Dendrolycopodium obscurum)

Lakeview Lodge Veterans Memorial Park Bethany