Tim's Naturalist blog - The Striar Conservancy, Halifax, MA, USA
Date: Sun 16 April 2023
Location: Striar Conservancy, owned by the Wildlands Trust, a conservation org operating in southern MA. 168 acres.
Trail description: 1.5 mile loop that passes 5 or 6 vernal pools, so visiting in Spring is a must. Also has a nice view (with a bench) of the Winnetuxet river, about halfway along the trail. I gasped when I saw the view, it's really nice seeing this open vista after being in the closed canopy of the forest, and it seemingly comes out of nowhere. The path crosses over some meandering small streams which are also really pretty and add variety to the trail.
After stopping at 4 or so vernal pools looking closely for herps I was ready to accept that the beautiful trail itself would just be the highlight and that I wouldn't see the Endangered spotted turtle which the sign board at the head of the trail mentioned to look out for. Then at the 5th pool I saw something on a log about 15 m into the large pool. I got my binocs and voila, three spotted turtles were there! I wasn't prepared for their striking orange necks and bright spots on the backs of the shells. I felt that sense of awe that reminds me why I love naturalising, that thrill when you see an exciting species you've been searching for or a threatened species you weren't. Or some new unexpected organism that just looks so cool you can't help but feel like excited. It was a magical moment that it inspired me to start writing some short notes on my iNat journal for walks I do, so that's what this is.
As soon as I moved to try get to a better angle for photographing (lots of hanging vines and thicket making it hard to focus my basic camera) the turtles disappeared into the water, showing how shy they were and making the observation all the more special.
There were also lots of small trees/ tall shrubs of Vaccinium, with light green leaves and ericoid white flowers. Vaccinium is an important genus in New England, as it includes the blueberries and cranberries we eat. It's also cool seeing another genus of the Ericaceae, which has experienced wild speciation in Southern Africa in the Erica genus (>600 spp.) - these are the Ericas I am most familiar with. Seeing its cousins here in a different climate zone and over a great distance, yet still having very similar flower morphology, is cool and gets me thinking about its biogeographic history.
Fav observations: Animal: spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata). https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/155354274
Plant: this unidentified Vaccinum (blueberry) that has got me trying to learn more about traits differentiating species of this genus. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/155349949
Other notes: my first time observing Ilex glabra (gallberry). Various mayfly adult exoskeletons attached to leaves of various tree spp. Anemonoides quinquefolia (wood anemone) only spring wildflower blooming at multiple points along trail. Lots of flat clubmoss (Dendrolycopodium obscurum). Heard a hairy woodpecker call. Trail was relatively quiet - only encountered 2 or 3 other groups/couples walking.
Overall, 8/10 trail. Wish I'd had more time to explore the other paths leading off the main one. But a great way to see vernal pools and typical SE MA forest species. Not many wildflowers yet other than wood anemone.
Read more about the Striar conservancy: https://wildlandstrust.org/striar-conservancy
https://www.nsrwa.org/listing/striar-conservancy/
