Plants that Bite !

Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) can be spotted throughout Delaware County, typically along roadways. The invasive plant has naturalized in the United States, and can also be found in fields and sometimes, lawns.

 
The plant is identifiable by its hollow grooved stem, and its fern-like leaves which resemble celery leaves. The flat topped yellow flowering heads are clustered in groups of three to eight and it can grow up to five feet tall.

Wild Parsnip is flourishing along roadways and waterways in Delaware County. Here, it can be seen along state Route 30/206 in Downsville, adjacent to the East Branch of the Delaware River, in July.

 The plant is particularly abundant this year and, I suspect, that is due, in part, to highway crews opting to spray pesticides during its late growth stage as a cost savings measure, rather than mow roadside before the plant goes to seed.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the sap of the plant contains chemicals called furanocoumarins, which can burn the skin when exposed to sunlight. The reaction, phytophotodermatitis, will first cause a blistering of the skin and can also cause discoloration of the skin and increased sensitivity to sunlight.
If contact with the sap occurs, wash the affected area with soap and water and keep covered, away from sunlight, for 48 hours. If blistering does occur, stay out of the sun to prevent discoloration of the skin.
 

The leaves are similar to celery leaves. 

I had my first encounter with this plant several years ago while mowing at my farm.   Not knowing that I had gotten the sap on my knees, I spent the remainder of the day in the sun and suffered blisters for two weeks, followed my three months of discolored skin where the sap had touched my skin.

The plant is invasive, going to seed late summer and populating surrounding areas with the help of the wind.

The DEC encourages the public to report sightings of wild parsnip to www.nyimapinvasives.org.



Wild parsnip can be eradicated in small areas by cutting roots one to two inches below the soil and removing the plant before it goes to seed. Mowing the plant after it has bloomed, but before it has gone to seed can also help to remove it. Always wear protective clothing when handling the plant.

Floating the East Branch

One of my very best gal-pals suggested we paddle over Memorial Day weekend. It was a last minute, thrown-together outting - as are most of our adventures. Lack of forethought and planning did not translate into a lackluster trip as we ventured for the first time this season down the East Branch of the Delaware River, in Downsville, NY.

There was bottleneck traffic at various locations from the historic Downsville Covered Bridge - our launch point, to the Corbett Roebling Suspension Bridge, our exit point.

We encountered too many 20-somethings to keep count, who embraced their own float as an annual rite of passage in welcoming summer in the Catskills.

Anglers did not have much success, though floaters gave them a wide berth. Schools of blue-hued Carp outnumbered the native trout that the stream is famous for.

Complaints have been heard for the past couple of weeks about the vegetation growth that has also stymied fisherman. 

My outdoor adventure partner is usually my yellow Labrador Retriever, Charlie. He is better suited to hiking and exploring on foot, rather than on water. However, we met a distant cousin, six times removed (as all labs are) - who is the kind of water dog that loves to float as well as swim. 

It was a great day to be on the water, no matter how many feet one has.

 

* Lillian Browne works as a newspaper and travel magazine editor to fund her adventure habit - which she indulges every chance she gets. She is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram or on Twitter @browneinwalton

Invaded : If You Can't Beat it - Eat It!

Many native and non-native invasive plants have begun to bloom in Delaware County.  These plants have the ability to cause strife between neighbors. What some see as pests, others see as a gift - and sometimes even as food.
Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is probably among one of the most recognizable non-native invasive plants in the area.

The clustered plants are visible along stream banks and roadways throughout the region.  Stream bank management personnel loathe this plant with a fierceness rivaled only by a political battle.
The shallow root system, they say, causes instability of the stream bank and contributes to worsened conditions during a flood.
Plant lovers, myself included, instead look at the plant's attributes.
What was once thought to be a plant that hampered motorist visibility on roadways or merely provided the necessary bamboo swords and forts of childhood folly, has found a new status as an edible.
The young shoots of Japanese knotweed can be eaten, under certain conditions. They must be prepared in a certain manner to remove digestive irritants. I have eaten knotweed baked into poundcake that had a cooked rhubard taste and consistency.
The late summer flowering seed-head also provides food-stuff for honey bees. The plant is in the buckwheat family and the raw honey and honeycomb that are created with the plant are particularly tasty.

The young shoots of Japanese knotweed are edible.

Botanists and others who study plants may have heard of the Doctrine of Signatures - which, in part, says that a plant will grow where it is needed and what it is needed for.

Perhaps coincidentally, Japanese knotweed began sprouting up on the heels of what the media was touting as a honey bee crisis, one in which honey bees were said to be disappearing. Plants, in may cases are dependent upon bees for pollination and propagation. The disappearance of the honey bee would be impactful for many reasons. But Mother Nature seems to have at least partially addressed that concern by providing a helpful natural food source for them.

Another tasty invader, Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) can be found neighboring with knotweed. This plant is delicious. It can be eaten raw, in small amounts, in salads and used in place of spinach in many dishes. 

Garlic Mustard is also edible, raw or cooked.

As the name suggests, it has a distinct garlic flavor, is a member of the onion family and a cousin to another native invasive - wild leeks or ramps (Allium tricoccum.) Ramps can also be eaten raw or cooked and used in place of spinach or other greens.
There is an abundance of information available on the health benefits of eating plants in the onion and garlic family. 
And let us not not forget spring's ever-present dandelion. The common lawn weed/flower is often the first food source for honey bees, but equally important is the plant's tremendous health benefits. The leaves and roots are both edible and chock full of vitamins. It can, likewise, be eaten, raw or cooked. And the flowers, as the great-grandparents of the northeast knew, are the base and source for dandelion wine.
The next time a plant makes it's presence known outside your doorstep - ask why.  How can the plant help you or its environment? Plants only show up where conditions are perfect for them to exist and there is a purpose for them to fulfill.

Happy foraging!

* Lillian Browne works as a newspaper and travel magazine editor to fund her adventure habit - which she indulges every chance she gets. She is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram or on Twitter @browneinwalton
 

Blooming Trails

The unusually cool but wet conditions  in the northeast part of the country this spring have resulted in blooming hiking trails on Bear Spring Mountain in the towns of Colchester and Walton in Delaware County.

Two rare specimens

Not only are ephemerals such as wild ramps or leeks and trout lilies prolific this year, but endangered species such as red trillium (Trillium erectum aka "Nosebleeds") are flourishing.

A flourishing patch of wild leeks or ramps

Traversing trail no. 7 during the first weekend in May was a feat - maneuvering through suction cup mud while battling ear-bound midges and no-see-ums.

Charlie Browne is an expert at fettering out the muddiest, wettest sections of a trail. Here, he found Skunk Cabbage or Symplocarpus foetidust 

Before embarking on the two hour hike, I crossed paths with one of the friendliest New York State DEC Forest Rangers to ever police the back country of Delaware County - Jason Seeley.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Ranger Jason Seeley

Seeley and I have found ourselves in the same place at the same time a number of times while I was covering a forest or brush fire and he was called in by a local fire department for his blaze extinguishing expertise.
The man is a pro in every sense of the word, and I dare say, he loves this mountain as much as I do. He offered a word to the wise before he began his patrol and I began my hike - carry a whistle and be alert for bears.
Charlie Browne and I  did not encounter a single bear, though we spotted fresh scat and more Spring Beauties than we could count.

Top: Spring Beauties, Left: Trout Lilies, Right:  Shoe Leather Express Only

#getoutsideandplay
#hikethecatskills

* Lillian Browne works as a newspaper and travel magazine editor to fund her adventure habit - which she indulges every chance she gets. She is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram or on Twitter @browneinwalton

 

Trout Lilies and Trout Season - Wild Edibles in the Catskills

Spring has certainly sprung in the Catskills.  The return of robins are always a sure sign. Mother Nature can fool us with her wily ways, taunting us with 60 degree temperatures for a week followed by a two week cold snap with nights falling back to mummy-wrapped down comforter degrees. We may fall trap to spring's strip tease, but not so with the season's ephemeral perennial pop-ups - trout lilies and ramps.
Depending on elevation, these decadent beauties that natives take as official "spring-sign" begin emerging anywhere from the first week of April through the first week of May. This year, there was very little snow to be found in the western Catskills and sub-zero temperatures - the theme of Old Man Winter circa 2014 - were experienced less than a hand-full of times. 

Ramps, or wild leeks, emerged during the first week of April, heralding the arrival of spring in the Catskills.

Pickable wild edibles had emerged by April 10.
The seasonal patchwork pattern of trout lilies and ramps, or wild leeks, across shaded forest floors positively confirm both the arrival and the countdown of the fleeting season.

Trout lily leaf

Interestingly enough, the opening of trout fishing season coincides with the arrival of trout lilies, something our ancestors who fished and foraged, were well aware of.


 

New friend Barry Fetterolf harvested a lovely rainbow trout the first week of April on the Beaver Kill.

Before the days of processed, preserved and packaged foods purchased from the shelves of the local grocery market, we picked and fished for whole, natural foods for nourishment.

Some of us still do.

Sustainable harvesting is key to preserving wild edibles for future generations. Harvest only the leaves, above ground, and leave one-third of a patch to propagate next year's crop.
Ramps have become hip in local eateries that cater to weekenders and out-of-towners. Those, whose families have lived here for generations, have been picking, pickling and stewing this spring ephemeral for generations. 
One of the tastiest ways to consume ramps is to turn them into garlicky "chips." Fill a gallon-sized plastic zip-top bag with freshly picked ramps; add several capfuls of extra-virgin olive oil;  massage the greens until completely covered with oil and spread onto a baking sheet in a single layer; sprinkle with coarse sea salt and bake at 250 degrees for 25 minutes OR preheat the oven to 500 degrees then turn it off - leave the ramps in the oven until you remember to take them out. 
If that seems like to much work - eat them raw - in any type of salad - or in place of any recipe that calls for onion, garlic or chives.
Consume trout lilies sparingly, raw, in salads; and don't forget the dandelion greens!

Always positively identify a plant before consuming it.

* Lillian Browne works as a newspaper and travel magazine editor to fund her adventure habit - which she indulges every chance she gets. She is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram or on Twitter @browneinwalton

 

Something's Fishy in Roscoe (and Livingston Manor) - Legends and Lore

The mini-hamlets of Roscoe and Livingston Manor that comprise the town of Rockland in Sullivan County are long-standing rivals; though residents are hard-pressed these days to say why. The rivalry likely started with a high school sports competition of yesteryear, before the days of shared sports teams.
Competitiveness seems to be ingrained not just in the residents, but in the landscape and the waters that flow throughout the town. The most notable waters are the famed Beaver Kill and it's partner the Willowemoc Creek.

Both streams flow through "The Manor" as it it known locally - before meandering into Roscoe and converging at Junction Pool.

There, Roscoe-residents capitalize on a whopper of a fish tale that involves a two-headed trout called "Beamoc." 

The Beamoc tale  involves a migrating trout that has grown two heads caused by the indecision of which stream to swim - the Willowemoc Creek or the Beaver Kill, once it happens upon Junction Pool. The indecision, the legend goes on to say, is due to strange and mystifying currents and eddies at the pool. There the two streams rival for the attention of the fish. The creature eternally swims in the pool, but has never been caught, nor to anyone's knowledge - seen. 


 

An angler wades beneath the Chiloway Bridge, in the Cooks Falls - Horton area - on April 10.

The waters are touted as magical and can certainly cast a spell on an angler. But other visitors have also been known to dip a toe, or hand, into the magical waters - just to see what happens.

But that is just one legend, there is a legend further upstream, in a tributary to the Willowemoc, in The Manor, of the "Love Rock." The Love Rock sits slightly downstream of a bridge that spans Covered Bridge Road,  just outside of the business district.

Every school-aged child that walked that road to and from school, knew the trick of getting the person they had their heart set on as a romantic partner to fall in love with them; say the name of the true love and throw a stone onto Love Rock. If it hits the heart-shaped rock, the object of one's affection will soon be enamored with the stone-thrower.

I rediscovered this gem of a legend last year and gave it a go. It worked! However, the staying power seemed to wear off. I gave it another whirl, this time with a larger stone, to see if it "sticks" longer. On my third attempt, my stone hit its mark. I'll keep you posted on the outcome.

Back in Roscoe, a third tale continues to bring in tourists and legend seekers by the droves. That is the legend of Agloe, a fictional town, that actually was a town and became the basis for the popular teen novel "Paper Towns," authored by John Green.  

The remains of this town-that-wasn't-that-actually-was sits alongside state Route 206, just west of Beaverkill Road, near Hodge's Pond. The site is cleverly marked with a sign and promoted without shame by the local Chamber of Commerce.
There is much more to the Catkills than just hiking or fishing.

* Lillian Browne works as a newspaper and travel magazine editor to fund her adventure habit - which she indulges every chance she gets. She is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram or on Twitter @browneinwalton

 

Muddy Ruins - Bear Spring Mountain Trail No. 8

Bear Spring Mountain, a state forest preserve located in the towns of Colchester and Walton in Delaware County, is a showcase of fantastic views, opportunities for up-close encounters with wildlife, an abundance of water features, a variety of flora, fauna and wild edibles to be enjoyed.

Trail 8, located near the bottom of the park, off West Trout Brook Road (accessed from state Route 206), begins at Middle Pond. It is the sloppiest and wettest trail in the system, partially due to a recent timber harvest and because it is the catch basin for run-off from the eastern peak. State maintenance crews also just installed three new drainage culverts along the first half-mile of trail, which will keep soup-footing until summer.

A pair of waterproof boots with hearty tread - NOT sneakers - are highly recommended on this trail. 

The trail begins with a man made waterfall - an excellent place to cool off in the summer since it is heavily shaded with a never-ending spray.  

If you are lucky, you might spot a rainbow! (lower right hand corner)

Explorers have pulled out old farm house implements buried in the mountainside but exposed by the weather and time - and tucked them into and atop the stone walls. There are pieces of old silverware,  pottery, colored glass, nails, etc. 

The multi-use trail is a direct connection to Spruce Grove, where trailered horses are permitted to be stabled. Don't be surprised to find horse-prints in the mud or an occasional horse and rider on the trail.  The 2.3 mile trail is rated as easy, outfitted with several meadows and ponds, tons of apple trees, and hardwood forest throughout the mostly shaded trail. 

Trail side, late spring through mid-summer, there are a plethora of wild edibles - such as bergamont, wild strawberries, yellow dock, watercress, knotweed and acorns, present. In the autumn months look for berries and apples.

There are also several ghosts of farms past along the trail in the form of partially exposed stone foundations. These are worth stopping for.

Early spring is the perfect time to access this trail as mother nature has yet to don her leaves and greenery after awaking from a winter's rest, and landscape visibility is prime. 

In much the same fashion as people constructed roads alongside rivers and other waterways, the length of the trail hugs the mountain stream. There are places where the stream manspreads into a thirsty field with last season's knee-high grass disguising mired footing.  

Though wet, muddy and sticky this trail has its attributes. There are numerous foot bridges, wild flowers, water features and ruins to be explored and enjoyed at any time of the year. Hike on!

* Lillian Browne works as a newspaper and travel magazine editor to fund her adventure habit - which she indulges every chance she gets. She is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram or on Twitter @browneinwalton