Babcock Ridge revisited

By Beth Sullivan

The day was too beautiful. It begged for a special hike. Last fall we walked Babcock Ridge and got a bit turned around at a couple of places. It was a great hike but the trail was not yet ready. But the Avalonia volunteers in North Stonington have been busy all winter and it shows!

We needed to get out with GPS equipment on the trails so maps can be created and posted on the trails and on-line for visitors. The entry is a small pull-off lot at 113 Babcock Road. There is room for several cars. Once signage goes up after a formal dedication later this spring, it will be far easier to spot from the road.

The trail is blazed in blue and starts out as an easy wide trail, the “stem of the lollipop” before the loop portion begins. Through force of habit, I always go counter-clock wise, to the east first. If it makes a difference to anyone, this way has a steep upslope segment with an “easier way” alternative offered. No problem at all. The clockwise route would provide a longer but somewhat more gradual slope upward.

Mourning Cloaks announce spring

We got the GPS, smart phone and camera all ready to go, and set off. Immediately we were greeted by several Mourning Cloak butterflies. These are the first to emerge in the spring after a winter hibernation. They tend to like to overwinter in crevices and cracks in rocky areas and hollow trees. There are plenty of both at Babcock and the warm sun brought them out. We had at least a dozen on the whole hike. A perfect first sign of spring!

One of several Mourning Cloaks out and about on a warm day.

A short way farther along the trail, we could begin to hear the “quacking” sound of Wood frogs in the vernal pool. As we got closer the chorus got stronger and was joined by a few Spring Peepers. I was apparently not quiet enough in my approach, because they stopped their calling. However the water was in constant motion as I could see individuals swimming in the shallow, warmed water. They will be laying eggs soon,as will the Spotted salamanders, and the vernal pool will host larval Marbled salamanders and Fairy Shrimp, as well. If you approach, be patient, sit still, the chorus might resume for you.

The early Spring vernal pool was noisy on this sunny day.

Wetlands to see

The trail drops down to a wetland area. Here you make a choice. The blue trail goes pretty straight up the ridge. A yellow-blazed “easier way” crosses the beautiful green, mossy wetland and makes a switchback trail up to the top in a more gradual way. I would take the wetland option, just because it is pretty.

Wetlands spread out rocky and mossy.

When the trails reconnect, it continues up and up to the top of the rocky ridge. Along the way you can see large ledges, caves, and rock faces covered with lichen and fungi. You can imagine what creatures would use these caves for denning opportunities.

Wonder what might live in this cave?

At the top, elevation about 290 feet, the winter views are far and wide. A few little side trips off the trail to peek over the edge are well worth it! We encountered a garter snake sunning against a warm rock. It was not happy to be disturbed! The trail crosses through the stone wall and actually joins the southern portion of the Erisman Woodlands loop. Here you can make some more choices. You can continue on the Babcock trail and head south back down to where you began, or you can follow the Erisman loop trail, extending the hike, in essence making a figure eight. It was well signed and easy to follow. Enjoy the top. If you are lucky you might glimpse the elusive Pileated Woodpecker that resides up there.

This Garter snake was not happy we disturbed its sunbath.

The trail offers choices and is easy to follow.

This day we took the Babcock loop back down. We noted old barbed wire, signs of historic boundaries, some of which was so deeply embedded into the trees it was completely encased. The wetland is more spread out, rockier here, and the stream is fuller and babbles more.

The elusive Pileated Woodpecker. Photograph by Niall  Doherty.

Ancient barbed wire, embedded deeply, speaks of the land's history.

Looking at the landscape in winter, it is easy to imagine the path of the glaciers, leaving rocks and ledges and all sorts of rocky till, making valleys for the water to collect and flow.

The trail is a bit more than a mile and a half, easy to follow, with lots to look at. I cannot wait for the season to progress, the greenery to change the views. Maybe next time I will go clockwise!

There is a special dedication of this Preserve, tentatively scheduled for May 14^th. Please check the website for details.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan, unless otherwise indicated.

Take a walk on the (sort of) Wild Side

By Beth Sullivan

Many of us like the comfort of a well -hardened trail, maybe a map and an expectation of what lies ahead when we go for a hike. Often, though, I like to find a place without a trail, without too many expectations and plan on a bit of an adventure. Many of Avalonia’s preserves are as yet untrailed. And many never will be. It might be to protect a particular habitat. It is often because of fragile wetlands and the difficulties associated with building bridges and spanning areas that could be damaged by traffic. They are, however, generally open to the public.

Sometimes it is more about time and volunteers. To set up a trail requires mapping skills and a lot of time, depending on the size of the preserve.

The trail at Babcock starts out wide and open.

It has been a year since Avalonia completed the acquisition of the Babcock Ridge Preserve in North Stonington. During the acquisition period there were many hikes up there to introduce people to the area. Now it has settled into a lovely quietness.

Farther on it is indistinct and there are a few intermittent red tapes as markers.

Visiting again

We walked in recently, the first time since last fall. It is obvious it is not heavily used. The first portion of the loop trail heading east ( or right off main path in) remains pretty easy to follow as it is an old trail or roadway. There were a few flags on trees remaining from the organized hikes, but those became irregular and some faded and not easily spotted. The path narrowed down, the leaves covered what was the trail, and it began to look like a place that has been undisturbed. We decided to continue the hike anyway.

What we knew was that it was a loop. It rose up to the high ridge and descended back down to complete a circle. We also knew that at the top of the ridge was a stone wall as the boundary of this preserve and where it joined the Erisman preserve to the north. Getting lost was really not a concern.

At the very top of the ridge a stone wall marks the northern boundary.

As we walked counterclockwise into the loop, there were places to discover off to the side: the vernal pool was pretty low in water, but the green frogs squeaked and jumped in at our footfalls. We found wood frogs too, not far away from their water source. We found a grassy wetland glade at the base of the steep slope up. It took a while to decide our best route up-lots of rock and ledge, great holes and small caves. We could imagine why people claim to find bears and fishers and even big cats, bobcats or the rumored mountain lions, in this kind of an area. We saw none of those! One opening had the musky smell of possibly a fox den.

The vernal pool was pretty low when we visited.

The vernal pool may have been low, but we found a Wood Frog not far away.

It's easy to imagine what might live in these rocky hollows.

Signs of a majestic resident

We made it up to the ridge where we found signs of the Pileated woodpecker known to live up there: big rectangular holes and huge splinter chips of wood on the ground. There was too much foliage to allow any kind of real view but there was definitely a sense of height. The way down was not hard; we stayed along what must have been a boundary as there was old barbed wire embedded in tree trunks.

The Pileated Woodpecker leaves quite a calling card.

A stream crossing allowed study of another habitat, and an easy crossing. Another small rise and we were close to the road again.

Boundaries can be marked by ties, old barbed wire or drilled holes.

Babcock Ridge will someday be fully blazed-have an entrance sign, maybe a little stream crossing. But for now it invites some adventure, an opportunity to make your own walk and discoveries, off the beaten path.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan.

Visit Babcock Ridge Saturday, April 26

Join members of Avalonia Land Conservancy at Babcock Ridge, Saturday April 26, at 10am for a hike through this rocky corridor. While you're hiking, look for amphibians in the vernal pools; search the trees for migrating birds headed north to their summer breeding grounds, or resident birds looking for the perfect nest site on the Ridge. Look for moss and skunk cabbage, and maybe, finally, some leaf buds on the trees to prove that Spring is here.

Meet at 113 Babcock Rd., North Stonington. Look for the "park here" sign and other cars.

*Help us reach our goal*

And while your walking the trails, remember that we are only $25,000 away from reaching our goal to be able to purchase and preserve this property.

Please contribute what you can before the June 30 deadline. 

Written and photographed by the members of Avalonia Land Conservancy.  

Update on Babcock Ridge Acquisition

By Beth Sullivan

Some things slow down during the winter, but behind the scenes a number of individuals have continued their effort to complete the fund- raising for the acquisition of Babcock Ridge in North Stonington. Our June 30 deadline is approaching quickly.

Even walking this land in the winter, during the quiet season, it is obvious what a gem this piece of land is. We wrote about it here last September. Through the late summer and fall there were guided walks through the preserve to explore and understand the habitats we aim to protect. The vernal pond is deeply frozen still, but over the last weeks, as the sun has gotten stronger, there have been moments of melting. By the end of this month ( we have to believe it will get warmer) the little pond will have thawed, the ice will have loosened its grip on the earth, soft evergreen sphagnum moss will welcome the Spotted Salamanders, Wood frogs and Spring Peepers will be drawn to the water for egg laying.

A sign of the coming thaw.

This vernal pool is still frozen but will soon be bursting with life.

Sphagnum moss covers portions of the wooded wetlands.

Through the winter, hikers have walked the trail and moved through the woods, exploring, to understand the rugged land. We have discovered Pileated Woodpeckers high on the ridge. They require large tracts of large trees, as their nest holes need to be really big to accommodate their crow sized bodies. The photo illustrates the unique almost rectangular shape of their nest holes which can be 6 to 9 inches in length. If you look on the ground near where a Pileated woodpecker has been working, the wood chips and shards are impressive-several inches long!

Pileated Woodpecker hard at work.

Wood chips from a Pileated Woodpecker's excavation

These rectangular openings are characteristic of the Pileated Woodpecker.

While the snow was on the trails we found deer prints, among others, using the same paths we did. We noticed mammal prints traveling along below the rocky ledges, leading to caves and dens.

Deer follow the same trails as the hikers.

As of this writing we have only $65,000 left to reach our goal. To this point we have received extremely generous donations from members and individuals. Dog Watch Café assisted with a great, fun, fund raiser bringing in $600. Some grants have been approved and added to our tally. Several more grants are outstanding, and we will hear about them in the next couple of months. We still need your help.

Our fund raising is entering its next phase. We are reaching out to corporations and businesses in the area asking them to Invest in North Stonington’s Future with Babcock Ridge with this message from Avalonia: Indeed it is in everyone’s economic interest to protect what is special about the place we call “home.” As the rate of growth increases in our area, it becomes ever more important as “value investors” to entrust our town’s natural and farm lands preservation, as well as historic sites protection, to an organization that helps guide and balance both growth and preservation activities in our county – “to protect what needs to be protected and build what needs to be built.”

The next scheduled walks on the preserve come up soon:

• Wednesday, March 26 at 6:30 pm: to look for amphibians at the vernal pool.
• Saturday, April 12 at 10:00 am
• Saturday, April 26 at 10:00 am

Please plan on joining us for a walk. See first-hand why this is so important in the grand scheme of things. See our earlier post for location information. If you have donated already, we thank you sincerely, and invite you to join us on a walk to explore this area you have invested in. Even after the bone chilling winter, there is still much to see and appreciate and preserve.

All Photographs Copyright 2014 Bruce Fellman

Avalonia annual appeal

The following comes from the Avalonia annual appeal letter. As the year comes to an end, it's time to remember that your financial support is important to the success of Avalonia Land Conservancy.

Thanks in part to donations, Avalonia is growing in leaps and bounds and most importantly acres. In the past year contributors like you have helped Avalonia conserve 140 additional acres to protect our water sources, provide homes for wildlife, and offer places where we all can enjoy nature for years to come. Contributions during the past 45 years have allowed Avalonia to acquire and protect over 3,400 acres.

This year Avalonia was thrilled to complete the acquisition of Bell Cedar Swamp, described by the CT DEEP as a “rare, intact Atlantic White Cedar swamp listed as a Connecticut Imperiled Natural Community.” Avalonia enlarged the Hoffman Preserve by 53 acres, expanded Billings Brook Preserve by 4 acres, and added 16 acres of protected land to a large greenway in the midst of the Mystic tourist area.

Preserving additional properties, such as Babcock Ridge, is increasingly important, but increasingly challenging. Saving land is just the beginning; when Avalonia commits to protect a property, the commitment is to protect it in perpetuity. Each new acquisition brings stewardship obligations and associated costs. Avalonia has been successful in winning grants, both for acquisition and stewardship, but most grants require matching contributions, either in cash or in volunteer effort. Please help preserve Babcock Ridge with your donation.

Babcock Ridge

In the past year, with generous member support, Avalonia has strengthened conservation partnerships with CT DEEP, USFWS, Connecticut College, Trinity College, The Nature Conservancy, and other groups through collaborative efforts. These organizations offer Avalonia substantial assistance free of charge because they recognize the efforts and commitment that you, Avalonia members and volunteers, bring to Avalonia's mission of conservation. But if Avaolina is to continue to grow, funds will be needed as well as energy and passion.

Avalonia is your land trust. During the upcoming holiday season, take some time to go out and explore the lands that you have helped to preserve. Go alone and enjoy the peace and solitude, or take the family and show them what Mother Nature has to offer and what you have helped to save for them. It is a gift that lasts.

Please give what you can by sending a check to :

Avalonia Land Conservancy, Inc.

P.O. Box 49

Old Mystic, CT 06372

Avalonia is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent permissible by law.

Visit the remodeled Avalonia website here.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan and Rick Newton.

Help Avalonia acquire the Babcock Ridge Property

The Babcock Rdige property is critical to forming a wildlife corridor between two existing Avalonia properties. Learn more about this in an article from The Day, linked here.

You can help Avalonia Land Conservancy raise the funds to complete this important purchase at a dine-out fund raiser at the 99 Restaurant in Groton on Tuesday, October 15 from 5 to 8 o'clock.  15% of your purchase will support Avalonia when you present the coupon found here.

There are several opportunities to take guided hikes through this interesting tract. See the details below.

Another Opportunity to support Babcock Ridge

We recently wrote about the importance of conserving the Babcock Ridge corridor in North Stonington. To help raise the funds needed to acquire Babcock Ridge, there will be a dine-out fund raiser at the 99 Restaurant in Groton on Tuesday, October 15 from five to eight o'clock. The restaurant will give Avalonia 15% of what you spend (tax and gratuity not included) when you present the coupon found here. (You need Adobe Reader to view this pdf file. Many computers have this program. If  you need it, you can download it here.)

You do not need to be a member of Avalonia to participate in this event, just present the coupon when you order. Please tell you friends and family about this event. Better yet, invite them to join you for dinner. It's a wonderful way to explain the importance of our conservation efforts and invite them to join us.

Preserving a rocky corridor

To a novice hiker, Babcock Ridge in North Stonington may seem daunting: steep hills, rocky ridges, walls and wetlands. To others, including wildlife and birds, it is a beautiful corridor of habitat, woodlands, hiding places, nesting sites and food sources. Those rocky ledges are denning sites for many types of creatures, from foxes, coyotes, and bats to possibly bears and likely some great snakes! Areas around rock ridges provide microhabitats for special birds like Worm-eating Warblers. Large unbroken areas of forest canopy are home to Scarlet Tanagers, Orioles, Thrushes, Warblers and Vireos. The mature large trunked trees and old snags can support woodpeckers, including the Pileated Woodpecker, our largest, and other cavity nesting birds. 

What might call this ledge home?

Perhaps the work of a pileated woodpecker?

 The wetlands include vernal pools, springs and seeps, all of which are fragile and imperiled habitats. In addition to unique plant-life to be found here, the wetlands support all number of amphibians, including Spotted Salamanders and Wood Frogs which lay eggs in the vernal pools. The adjoining forest habitat gives them perfect areas for dispersal.

Spotted salamander egg masses.

Upland woods are home to Great Horned Owls and Red Tailed Hawks, while the lowland areas have nesting Red Shouldered Hawks and Barred Owls. They prey on the abundance of small mammals present here, including squirrels, chipmunks, mice and other rodents.

A walk in the spring and summer will find the area lush with the green of a dense overhead canopy. Mosses and lichens cover the rocky ledges and cliff-sides. Look for special plants, ferns and others that make their homes in the cracks and crevices and seeps off the hillsides. As fall turns towards winter, the “bones” of the property are revealed: stone walls, abandoned foundations and more stark rocks and ledges. It makes for great exploring.

Avalonia Land Conservancy already owns one quarter of the 74 acre woodland, by virtue of a bequest from the late Ruth Goldsmith. It seeks to purchase the remaining portion to complete a large, 220 acre, unbroken greenway of protected Avalonia land. To the north is the recently acquired Erisman Woodlands on Reutemann Rd. To the south, across Babcock road, is the lovely Henne Memorial Tract of Avalonia’s Shunock River Preserve. The whole area is part of the protected watershed of the Pawcatuck River and hosts multiple varied habitats and unique wildlife, including native Trout in the Shunock river. If you were to look on a map of the area, the state-owned Assekonk Swamp, Pachaug Forest and the town-owned Hewitt Farm Preserve are all connected….as a crow might fly!

Donations from individuals and organizations, and funding from grants and State Programs are being sought. If you would like to walk on the Babcock Ridge trails to see how special it is, please join Avalonia for one one of the scheduled guided hikes listed in this post. Come take a look.

Please support the fundraising effort. You will help preserve something your grandchildren will be able to appreciate!

Written and photographed by members of Avalonia Land Conservancy.