Baby, it’s cold outside but…
Spring is in the air! From daffodils poking through the snow to the deep, buzzy song of the American Woodcock, the signs are everywhere. Many trees are tinged red with waking buds, while skunk cabbage blossoms melt the surrounding snow. Look for fresh woodpecker holes, Red-Shouldered Hawks gathering grass for nests, and robins on the ground. Don’t let the chilly weather stop you—bundle up, go for a walk, and enjoy spring on the Mountain!
The Lost Hamlets and Villages of the Sourlands
Despite being forgotten on many maps, the Sourland's hamlets and villages have a rich history. These unincorporated communities, such as Neshanic, Montgomery, and Zion, are easy to drive through without recognizing their significance. From the mid-18th-century Neshanic Reformed Church to the historic Stoutsburg Cemetery, the final resting place of African American Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers, these sites are a testament to the past. While some, like the Wertsville general store and the hamlet of Rileyville, have faded, others like Mt Airy, Furman's Corner, and Linvale are still referenced today, reminding us of the region's enduring past.
Goldenrod
One of the first things that I read when I started research on goldenrod is that its leaves are good to eat, the flowers are a good addition to a salad and that Native Americans ate the seeds. I knew about a nearby patch of Canada goldenrod, so I closed my computer and went out for a taste test. The leaves were somewhat minty but not very good. The flowers tasted awful. I
The Moon
Both my wife and one of my daughters read an earlier draft of this essay and advised me that it didn’t really have anything to do with the Sourlands. All of my other essays have focused on a plant, an animal or an ecological process in the Sourlands. But, even though the Moon is 238,900 miles above the Sourlands, I think that it is an important part of the landscape and deserves it place in this series. I hope that you agree with me.
Squirrels
When I told a neighbor that I was going to write on squirrels, she said, "Don't be too nice to them, they are such a nuisance." If you maintain a bird feeder, or if you are tired of seeing your potted plants dug up to be replaced with a hickory nut, or--especially--if you have been driven crazy by squirrels racing around in your attic, you probably agree with my neighbor.
Eating the Sourlands
I was in a field one June with a friend, and I saw some ripe strawberries. I picked a few and, holding out my hand, said, "Here, John, would you like some?" John, who goes into fields as seldom as possible, vigorously shook his head no and responded, "I never eat anything unless it comes from the Safeway."
Plant Communities
Plants do not live alone in a natural landscape, nor do they only live with others of their own kind. That is not to say that they simply appear higgledy-piggledy. They live in communities, and the make-up of those communities depends on the habitat.
Seeing the Sourlands: Spring Ephemerals
Now that it is spring, I want to do something different. Instead of a picture and an essay, I am just presenting pictures of some of the lovely spring flowers that are found in the Sourlands in spring.