Station 1 – Pond Habitat
The Keney Park Pond is home to many varieties of fish, birds, animals, and insects. The fountain helps air-ate the water and reduce algae. Don’t be surprised if you see a bald eagle or osprey circling overhead searching for a rainbow trout. Or a great blue heron standing like a statue, trying to catch a bluegill or bullfrog for breakfast. Artwork by Lyrica Collins
Station 2 – Swamp White Oak
Swamp white oak is a beautiful tree with attractive bark and leaves. The leaves have a two-tone appearance, dark green on top with a silvery-white underside. Fall color is an orange-gold to yellow in mid-autumn. It can grow in wet soil and is an excellent shade tree for relaxing near a pond on a summer day.
Station 3 – Raspberry Bush
Wild raspberries are usually ready to harvest in early July. Wear clothes you don’t care about much when harvesting, because the thorns can rip cloth and the raspberry juice can stain. The bushes are located along this trail as you enter the woods near Station 4. You can eat them right off the vine when they are red!
Station 4 – Shagbark Hickory
The shagbark hickory is a long-lived large tree with a straight trunk, and is excellent for shade. This native tree is named for its bark, which peels away in large, flat, curving plates, giving the tree a shaggy appearance. As a member of the walnut family, the hickory produces edible tasty nuts.
Station 5 – Beech Tree Grove
A beech tree grove is a group of beech trees, which are known for their broad canopies and are considered a symbol of generosity and protection. Beech trees are also important food sources for many species, and their bark and leaves provide homes for fungi, mosses, and lichens.
Station 6 – Dead American Beech
A dead tree provides life to a forest. A pileated woodpecker may search for insects living under the bark, or spend some more time building a cavity nest. A black bear may also search for insects, using its sharp claws to break the tree apart, and possibly knock it over. The tree will then quickly decompose to create fertile soil for new trees to sprout.
Station 7 – Sweet Birch
Sweet birch is an attractive tree, with shiny, red-brown bark and yellow foliage. Native to the eastern United States, the tree also attracts butterflies and serves as a caterpillar larval host.
Station 8 – Tulip Poplar
The fruits of the tulip poplar provide food for squirrels in the late fall and winter months, and white-tailed deer often browse on the twigs. Tulip poplars grow quickly and are very tall. When European settlers first came to North America, tulip poplar and white pine trees were the largest trees in the eastern forest.
Station 9 – Red Maple
The red maple tree has the greatest north to south range of any tree species living entirely in the eastern forests (Newfoundland to southern Florida). It is also the state tree of Rhode Island. The red maple features something red in each of the seasons—buds in winter, flowers in spring, leafstalks in summer, and brilliant foliage in fall.
Station 10 – New York Ferns
New York ferns are medium-sized, deciduous ferns with yellow-green fronds. They grow one to two feet high, in clumps of two to three feet in width. The New York fern often grows in large colonies carpeting the forest floor. This fern is not evergreen; its fronds turn golden brown in the fall and die back as the weather gets colder.
Station 11 – White Pine
The eastern white pine has played a very important role throughout the history of America. In colonial days, the best of the trees were set apart by the king for masts on British ships. Today it is still a valuable commercial tree but also favored in parks and spacious yards for its beauty and fast growth. It is the state tree of both Maine and Michigan.
Station 12 – Spice Bush
Due to its habit of growing in rich woods, early European land surveyors used spicebush as an indicator of good agricultural land. The leaves, buds, and new growth twigs can be made into a tea. Indigenous Peoples of North America used the plant as treatments for multiple ailments. Many animals and birds feed on the leaves, twigs, and berries, including white tail deer, opossums, pheasants, and robins.
Station 13 – American Chestnut (extinct)
The American chestnut once dominated eastern North America. The tree was among the largest and tallest, in the forest. The nuts provided food for Indigenous Peoples and wildlife. Chestnuts are full of calories, and rich in vitamin C. Despite its demise due to an Asian blight, the American chestnut is not officially extinct. The blight cannot kill the underground root system. Stump sprouts can grow where there is plenty of sunlight, but inevitably succumb to the blight. Artwork, Gathering Chestnuts by Ernest Smith
Station 14 – Sugar Maple
Sugar maple is a New England native known for its exceptional fall color and is a popular choice for parks, golf courses, and backyards. The sugar maple is one of America’s most-loved trees, and is the state tree of New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Vermont. One of its most prominent features is amazing fall color. As the seasons change, the leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, burnt orange, and red.
Station 15 – Maple Tree Grove
Indigenous people of North America and European Colonists used the inner bark of maple trees to make a tea to treat coughs and diarrhea. Other uses included making soap from its ashes, using the bark as a dye, drinking the sap as a spring tonic, and taking the syrup for liver and kidney problems. During the 2001 baseball season, Barry Bonds switched from a traditional ash wood bat to one made of maple and hit 73 home runs.
Station 16 – Red Oak
The red oak (Also Station 22, Northern Red Oak) is a New England native and one of the faster growing oaks in the forest. The leaves are large and bright throughout the year, emerging pinkish-red, turning dark green in summer, and changing to russet-red to bright red in fall. It is very tolerant of salt and air pollution makes it a good tree for city parks. Artwork by Azaria Griggs
Station 17 – Norway Spruce
The Norway spruce is native to Europe and was brought by European settlers to plant as ornamentals on new homesteads. In the forest the trees support a wide variety of wildlife. They are important as winter cover for white tail deer and small game including grouse and cottontail rabbits. Song birds and many other animals also frequent spruce groves. Norway spruce also makes a good roosting tree for hawks and owls.
Station 18 – Magnolia
The magnolia is the state flower of Mississippi. It is know for its flowers and large leaves. The magnolia symbolizes stability in the United States, but is also prevalent in China where it is known for beauty and gentleness. The tree was named after the French Botanist, Pierre Magnol.
Station 19 – Wetlands Habitat
Wetlands can be areas of standing water, or damp, muddy, or waterlogged soil. They are constantly changing based on the seasons, water levels, and migrations of animals. The area in front of you is a habitat to frogs and other animals that live near water. You will likely see raccoon footprints in the mud along this trail in the spring or early summer.
Station 20 – Sassafras
The root bark of the sassafras was enjoyed by Indigenous Peoples of North America as a flavorful hot or cold tea and also used as a traditional remedy for treating a variety of illnesses, including common head colds and fevers, and as a digestive aid and general restorative tonic for overall health. In the south powdered sassafras leaves were used to thicken soups and stews, and enslaved West Africans used it to thicken gumbo.
Station 21 – Black Locust
Black locust is native to eastern North America. It has been widely planted as an ornamental, for land reclamation, for erosion control, and for honey bees and the production of honey. Black locust leaves, stem, bark, and seeds contain a toxin that can make humans sick and be fatal to horses.
Station 22 – Norther Red Oak
Acorns from the northern red oak are at the top of the food list for blue jays, wild turkeys, squirrels, whitetail deer, raccoons, and black bears. Acorns were also a key part of the diet of many Indigenous Peoples of North America, and used to make soups, breads, and mush. Acorns were collected in the fall, roasted, shelled, and ground into flour. To prepare the flour acorns were leached in water to remove the bitter taste that could cause sickness.
Station 23 – Natural Spring Water
Natural springs form when groundwater is forced to the surface of the earth by natural pressure. The wooden bridge you are about to cross was build over a small stream which originates at a natural spring only a short distance away. Large cattails (Also Station 38, Cattails) are visible at the source of the natural spring.
Station 24 – Bluebird Habitat
Bluebirds need cavities for nesting, which they usually find in old or deserted woodpecker holes, hollow branches, or nest boxes. Bluebirds live in open spaces with scattered trees and perches for resting and feeding. They prefer areas with little ground cover and understory on the edge of fields, so they can swoop down to the ground to catch insects. Artwork by Semaj Asberry
Station 25 – Goldenrod
Goldenrod are known for their striking golden-yellow flowers that bloom in late summer and fall, providing a burst of color to gardens, fields, and landscapes. Indigenous Peoples of North America and European Colonists used goldenrod as a wound healer, applying it to skin injuries, and also consumed it as a tea or chewed on its leaves to treat a sore throat or toothache, reduce fevers, and aid in urinary tract infections. They also used it to treat bee stings.
Station 26 – Grasslands Habitat
Prior to European settlement, Connecticut was largely forested. By 1800 grasslands were widespread due to the clearing of forests for farming and charcoal production. Today Grasslands are an important but diminishing natural resource. Many wildlife species are dependent on these areas for food, cover, or breeding. Animals that can be found in grasslands include bobolink, eastern meadowlark, horned lark, northern leopard frog, small rodents, turkey, wood turtle, snakes, and numerous insects.
Station 27 – Milkweed
Milkweed provide habitat for the monarch butterfly. Milkweeds are the required host plants for monarch caterpillars. Female monarchs lay their eggs on milkweeds and their flowers provide nectar for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. The young shoots, stems, flower buds, immature fruits, and roots were boiled and eaten as a vegetable by various Indigenous Peoples of eastern North America.
Station 28 – Natural Planter
A stump can still regenerate saplings from its roots. This is because trees store nutrients and energy in their roots, which can be used to grow new branches and leaves after the tree is cut. If the stump begins to decay, new seeds can land and sprout in the nutrient rich soil and decomposing leaves. This is what you see here.
Station 29 – White Pine Grove
Experience the white pine grove. Do you feel a sense of awe and wonder at the size of the trees and their age? Do you feel a sense of tranquility as you listen to the sound of the breeze through the needles? Do you notice a subtle, clean, fresh scent in the air? What else do you notice in this grove?
Station 30 – Black Gum
Black gum trees are known for their striking fall colors, which include shades of red, orange, yellow, and purple. Their dark green leaves turn color in late summer or early fall, often before other trees. Bees make good honey from black gum blossoms, and the tree’s fruit is food for songbirds, woodpeckers, and other birds. The fruit is high in fat and fiber. Some people eat the fruit or make it into preserves.
Station 31 – Red Chokeberry
Red chokeberry is a tall, multi-stemmed native shrub with abundant white flowers, red glossy berries, and outstanding red fall color. The fruit is edible and was a staple for early European settlers and numerous Indigenous tribes across North America. Chokeberries were eaten raw, cooked, or dried thoroughly.
Station 32 – Norway Maple
The Norway Maple is an invasive species. It is different than the sugar maple, in that its leaves turn yellow in the fall, not red or orange. Norway maples release chemicals into the soil that inhibit the growth of other plants. The leaves are large and the canopy is very dense, which also inhibits the growth of understory plants. It was first brought to North America, because it is very durable and can thrive in cities.
Station 33 – Black Oak, Guess the Age
In forest stands like the one you are in, black oaks begin to produce seeds at about age 20 and reach optimum production at 40 to 75 years. It is a consistent seed producer with good crops of acorns every 2 to 3 years. The typical life span of a black oak is at least 200 years.
Station 34 – Rhododendron
The native rhododendron blooms in mid July rather than in spring. It can grow in filtered shade and wet soil. The essential oil distilled from the leaves is said to be calming. The fine-grained wood of many rhododendron species is used for making bowls, spoons, furniture and fences. It is also used for firewood, which produces a long-lasting heat.
Station 35 – Yellow Birch
The wood of yellow birch is heavy and strong. It is used for furniture, cabinetry, woodenware, and interior doors. Moose, white-tailed deer, and snowshoe hare browse on yellow birch leaves, bark, and seedlings. Beaver and porcupine like to chew the bark. The sap of yellow birch can be tapped for use as edible syrup. Tea is sometimes made from the twigs and/or inner bark.
Station 36 – Bitternut Hickory Grove
Bitternut hickory was a common sight for early European settlers in the eastern North America. They used the wood for furniture, ax handles, and wagon axles, and they extracted oil from the seeds for lamp fuel. They also cured ham and bacon with hickory smoke. Today, bitternut hickory is still considered the best hickory for smoking meat. This grove has one larger tree, likely the parent of the many young trees.
Station 37 – Bird and Pollinator Habitat
This area along the path is a great pollinator or bird habitat, because it includes a variety of plants, water, and nesting and perching sites. Thick grass, shrubs, ground cover, and nearby larger trees provide protective shelter for small mammals and insects. This variety of life serves to attract birds and pollinators because it is rich with food sources.
Station 38 – Cattails
Cattails can grow in boggy areas or partially submerged in water. They can stabilize the borders of lakes and ponds, protect shorelines from erosion, and provide cover for waterfowl and marsh birds. Cattails are edible and can be eaten raw, sautéed, steamed, blanched, or used in stir fry. The young flowering spikes, pollen, and starchy roots can all be eaten by humans.
Station 39 – Keney Pond Spring Head
Similar to station 23 (Natural Spring Water), this is the second area along the trail where natural spring water rises to the surface of the earth. Water from this spring head flows into the Keney Park Pond. The flow helps keep the pond water fresh and is a reason for the abundant wildlife that can be observed here.
Station 40 – Keney Pond Stream
This stream is the natural outflow from the Keney Park Pond. Streams trap and remove pollutants from runoff, including excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. Streams provide food and shelter for fish, aquatic plants, and other wildlife. They also help prevent flooding.