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Home My WebLink AboutOctober 02, 2003 - Northville's 'rare work of nature' The Suffolk Times • October 2, 2003 • ' or vl e s ` , ��r� vv�c�� na �.�� Hnvin��, i;i�:rry in�v�>i.vi�n with Hallockville Museum Farm for many years,I was delighted when I heard that KeySpan was giving them 20 acres of farmland in back of the homestead on Sound Avenue.This means that the museum can expand � ,��;; ��, �. � �i4�r/ n��l�di �� r��1��ilad;�, r its operations to tbe actival planting ? , N ,�,hN��% ,�� ,, ,.,,� r��` /�/,la i�� ,� ;ury�rn� ��/i,�%/ of crops that ,h��i" % a� �� WOUICI T0 C0S0Tlt � i � �° r � ��i i l l l��l�l� ��N �OGVS p �'fM�� p�,li, `�`��,;• �y��/,/�///�l'�%�r i%i✓r' �,fl�uii�r; / �� Hallockville at �/ y�� ,r� �i� , t110 tUl'll Of tlle r i 7'��,�"p��i �%� i ii r rti NATURE century. � �;�, „ � �„,n � b Pa�l� �115 1S 1 p1T't ' ��/��%'�� a` (�� , �. Stoutenburgh of a bigger piece ' � ' ��i",f��, r�;;'u' of over 500 , i/� ,� ,',,. , — acres that will �4;�� . �: be divided betwcen a state park with � �. �d 200 acres,preserving more than a ` ^ ' �_ ��. : �� q� mile of Soundfront as well as the � ��,� �� i � , property's woodlands,bluffs,sand °��" �" " � �� ; dunes and freshwater pond.Three i�l�,��7u��;i�rN' "� �� ti�;�", hundred acres of the property will �'a��/r��'�' /„��" �� M� remain prime farmland in perpetuity, ��/� y ,�� """* with private ownership by local farm- �l�'�� ,� � u��"� � � � d '��i�l� �� ° � ers. Besides the 20 acre� to be given � �, � ' � " ��, � to Hallockville Museum Farm for � �� h4 � � ; '�"� � y'_�'�.w� i; � � ��r�i i ' �I��r"m;;, agricultural purposes,there will be an " � � , �� , ' �% � ��,�� n. ��9, i� '�/li��'�� pa �iy4/�r�� N �� adjacent two-acre parcel available to ,�, �� a'"��°'�,A �� %�'�H, ', ;�„�� '� tl�e Long Island Antique Power '�" ` � ' , ,r i / ' ��///V/4/�// / %�� Association for a museum featuring � % � � ,�,„ � �%,,� � antique tractors and farm equipment. � ti� , ;',,, ,�� ,'�i�ti�, ,�� i"�> My hat's off to all involved in this gGI1CTOUS gl�t. I iinet,ll7�vi��w plioto by I'�wl Sluulcnliuryli This common plar�t, jewelweed, also known as touch-m�not, is I had been up to this property found in moist areas. It has a fun seed pod that, when touched, years ago when we had one of the bursts and spreads its seeds about. l�irst nature walks in the area and so I wanted to show Barbara what was invoived. Seeing I am a bit restricted in walking a great distance,we decided to drive up alongside the cornfields that,by the way,were planted by the Antique Power `The glaeier Association. Ragweed was every- mpSt h8V@ where and i felt sorry for those who have difficulty with the spores of had fun this irritating plant.They are air- Creating borne so they can cause allergies to this area.� anyone,anywhere. As we got out of the car at the north end of the field,a darning nee- dle came in and greeted us.It checked us over thoroughly,back and forth,over and under.It seemed to t e area is the common,invasive be checking to see that we weren't locust.Along with the cedars,they going to affect its livelihood in any are the first to take over fallow land. Aftcr much dodging o� way.It was dining on mosquitoes. We could see cedars scattered puddlcs that ran from Forty steps and we were on a sandy through the woods. One in particular one side oP the road to dirt road. I don't think you could was heavy with gray juniper berries. the other and then walk- really call it a road.It was more like a Of course,we had to pick a few and ing through deep sand, trail.The unique thing about this squash them in our fingers to catch we finally came to the wooded section of the property is that lovely wild aroma. great dune area.This is a that it must be sitting on clay,for thc In the wet areas we found jewel- huge open arena-like puddles that you'd normally think weed,that large leafy plant that has area kept void of plant would dry up at this interesting yellow-orange flowers at life,probably by so many time of the year were its branch ends.You can take a leaf off-road vehicles of'one still full of water.These and dip it in water.It repels the water sort or another using it. were huge puddles that and leaves nothing but sparkling little Their tracks are every- were created through droplets on the leaf,giving it tile name where. Hucisonia,a time—the kind only jewelweed. It has neat seed pods that, gt-ounci-hugging plant, four-wheel-drive vehi- when touched,burst and scatter their was trying to grow in an cles would tackle. seeds about,giving it another name: isolated sandy spot.It We walked along, touch-me-not.It's a fun has beautiful little yellow admiring the densc thing to do with grandchil- flowers in the spring.It overhanging growth on dren when on a walk.Its grows in dry sandy places each side of the road- juice,when rubbed on a sus such as Orient Beach way.Occasionally wc'd pected spot of poison ivy, State Park,the pine bar- spot the footprint of a often can give relief. rens,and in the dunes on Fire Island. raccoon alongside a We spotted black alder, Barbara scouted ahead and found muddy puddle.Catbirds with its scarlet red berries an overlook to the Sound.The scene crisscrossed the road in getting ready to show off below was breathtaking. Here we front of us and cardi- during the cold winter were high above the.Sound,below nals flitted in and out of months when everything else is drab. was a beaiitiful clear beach. How dif- the trees as we passed. It's a shrub that loves the wet areas. ferent from our own north shore with Soon we came to the It could have been picked by the its glacial boulders and rounded pond this area is notecl Hallock family to add color to their stones.The glacier must have had fun t�or.Technically it's Christmas decorations. creating this area.We could see called a"perched Big puddles were everywhere. Northville's oil platform off shore pond,"which means a Some even had small frogs in them. with a tanker tied up unloading its pond located above At one point where the pond became cargo of oil that would be pumped groundwater and fed by very shallow and green with algae, through a pipe under the Sound and surface water.The pond turtles basking in the sun slipped into eventually into the tanks on the is probably 70 ar 80 feet the water as we passed by. bluffs of Northville. � above groundwater.It's The road must have been made Walking in the deep sand is much a unique and interesting years ago when LILCO owned the more tiring and much more difficult ��ond.Around it were property. Goldenrod was everywhere. than walking on the hard-packed wceping willows,but- We found four different kinds.We road,so I thought it was t<�nbush and—first to show their also saw staghorn sumac with its clus- about time to head back. color in the fall—the pepperidge ters of fuzzy reddish berries.These We'd take one more look trees. can be used to make a very nice out at the Sound.There 'I'here were also swamp maples, drink.The berries also serve as sur- were no bulkheads or which thrive in the wet,sandy area vival food for birds during the cold groins that we could see,n around the pond. I'd say the pond winter months. erosion,just beautiful looks to be about two acres in size. We even found the invasive beaches with their heavy We were surprised at how clear the ,►a anese bamboo,or Japanese vegetated banks rising 80 water was and the lack of duckweed knotweed,with its clus- feet or more above the on it. Most of the small ponds around ters of greenish white sparkling water below. our North Fork get covered with the t7owers.Nearby was the Our trip had been an eye-opening tiny green floating duckweed.I'm interesting plant called experience,one that gave us a deepe wondering why this one has not a bit boneset. Early herb doc- appreciation of what has just recentl on its surface.Could it be that we tors used this plant in transpired to save this area.Thanks have mare runoff(fertilizer) in one setting bon�s,and other to the state and county and to all the form or another around our ponds on medical treatments. It local energy that went into this ven- the North Fork,making ideal condi- has clusters of flat white ture to keep this remarkable area for tions for duckweed to grow? Up here flowers at this timc of all to enjoy.My hat's off to them and there is no runoff,therefore no duck- the year. maybe someday all will have a weed? chance to visit this unbelievable rare I would say the dominant tree in work of nature.