ENTS- Stopped today, quite by accident, at North Chagrin Reservation in eastern Cuyahoga, western Lake Counties, Ohio. The area is very similar(except lacking chestnut oak) to Stebbin's Gulch which Randy, Ed and I visited this early Spring. My son and I walked along the rim of a deep narrow ravine cut by Buttermilk Creek, which flows into the Chagrin River and ultimately Lake Erie. The woods on top of the ravine is primarily beech, tulip, and sugar maple, many old and mature, while in the ravine hemlock, red oak, and yellow birch prevail, along with beech. I had no measuring equipment with me, just a camera in cell phone, but many of the trees in the ravine were tall---I think some of the hemlock will break 130', if not taller, as will some red oaks. There were even a few white pines along the opposite side of the ravine. I'll return to measure before leaf-out in Spring.
One interesting thing was a fern, probably Christmas fern, growing as an epiphyte on a beech, about 50' up---I've not seen that before, at least that high above grade. Also intersting was a building called Squire's Castle, named for an early industrialist than owned much of what is now the park property. It was a nice day, with temps approaching 60F, but once off the primary improved trails we were on our own. Some photos of the area can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/srgalehouse/NorthCagrinReservation102909# Steve -- Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected]
