We shall meet at Sigrun Gadwa’s house, 183 Guinevere Ridge, Cheshire. The first part of the program will be a tour and discussion of pollarding attempts with Catalpa, tulip poplar, black walnut, and mulberry; also several patches of managed watchlist invasive species including wineberry, ragged robbin, and European nettle.
Then we shall walk along the crest and north-facing slope of a low traprock ridge in North Cheshire, east of Guinevere Ridge in the ~ 28-acre West Cheshire Highlands Preservem owned by the Cheshire Land Trust. This is the far northern section of the long intrusive traprock ridge, that begins in West Rock State Park, accessible by car during the summer season.(The Rt 15 tunnel passes under it). The ridge has various names: including Prospect Ridge & Peck Mountain. A forty year old subdivision, including our house, occupies its lower flanks. The ridge crest forest is typical of trap ridges, rich in hickories with some basswood and talus on steeper slopes. Invasive burning bush (Euonymus alata) is unfortunately competing with two uncommon shrub species, prickly ash (Xanthoxyem) and bladdernut (Staphylea).
Throughout the hike on the ridge crest, we shall be alert for evidence of spread of the watchlist species on my property. The hiking will be somewhat rocky, with short steep sections, more so in the southern portion, which is optoipnal.
Leader: Sigrun Gadwa. (203) 537-1869 sigrun.n.gadwa@gmail.com