Washington Crossing Fall 2012 - State...Page 2 Natureʼs Grapevine Autumn 2012 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection e Division of Parks and Forestry. supporting plant

Vines of all Kindsby

Warren Coker

ines sometimes create a sense of being in a dark, mys-terious jungle with biting insects, steamy temperatures, while hacking your way through the undergrowth with a machete. Possibly they provide a flashback to the

days of childhood, with memories of giving a good Tarzan yell as you swung out on a vine over a summer swimming spot on the river. Vines might also impart a sense of elegance, grow-ing on the outside walls of a stone building or church. Vines are amazing plants that have developed a unique way to compete in the everlasting forest struggle for sunlight. Nearly all plants need sunlight to grow, and the thick canopy of tall trees like oaks, poplars, elms, and hickories block out a great deal of sunlight from above. Below on the forest floor, some plants survive there with less sunlight. Ferns, mosses, specific shrubs and bushes live well in the damp forest floor full of nutriment from decaying logs, leaves, and other organic matter. But where do vines fit into this forest scene? They seem to appear almost everywhere from the forest floor to the highest reaches of the tree canopy above. Vines often weave and wind their way through the forest, taking many twists and turns that must be studied closely to find out where they begin and end.

Hedge bindweed is a wild member of the morning-glory family.

Following the vines as they drape from tree to tree, twisting over branches, and running underneath briar patches can be an adventure. Vines are opportunists, like so many other organisms in nature. They take their chances by reaching out with coiled tendrils for extension and support at a later time, letting nature determine the rest of the winding path they will take.

Hitching a Ride

Young vines do not typically have the structural strength within their stems to make the necessary upward reach for sun-light that gives them the ability to develop and grow.

photo credit: Wayne HenderekA tendril from a wild grapevine reaches out to grab onto something.

Vines are usually enhanced with ways to attach to a nearby plant, shrub, sapling, or tree. Some vines are clingy. The clinging vines, like poison ivy, have small, hairy roots on the side of the vine and small adhesive discs that cling to the bark of nearby plants and trees. Anchoring to the stronger nearby plant or tree, the vine will then ride up towards the precious sunlight as the supporting plant or tree grows. Some vines, such as wisteria and Virginia creeper, will develop large central trunks; some bigger than a human leg, as they travel up into a growing tree over the course of decades. Wisteria, with the beautiful purple blossoms in springtime that resemble clusters of hanging grapes, is an example of a twining vine (Martine, 2002). Twining vines will secure initial wraps around a supporting structure and then proceed to wrap tightly around the support several times in whatever fashion offers the

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection e Division of Parks and Forestry

NATURE’SGrapevineWASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK, NJ Autumn 2012

sturdiest connection. Vines also attach themselves to supporting structures using small coiled vines called tendrils. Tendrils grow in a tightly wrapped way, looking much like a spring.

photo credit: Wayne HenderekThis wisteria vine grows upward in a double spiral.

The tendril tip has a hook at the end, and this hook moves with the sun, following it across the sky. When the hook attaches to something that will support the new growth of the vine, the fun begins. The tendril slowly unravels itself onto the supporting plant and begins to wrap around it several times. Once this con-nection has been established, the vine and the supporting plant will usually become entwined in many locations. Some vines occasionally develop a twisting pattern with two vines from the same plant, and can grow towards the sun by providing support for one another. These are often beautiful natural structures, with double and sometimes triple spirals bound together (Comstock 1990).

Mankindʼs Use of Vines

Vines offer a renewable, sturdy, yet fl exible material that has been incorporated into human life since before recorded history. It might be a safe assumption that the fi rst practical use of vines by humans may have been as rope to help people up an incline or to get out of a ravine. As a kid, I remember using vines

to struggle out of imaginary alligator pits and quicksand bogs. For more realistic and practical uses, vines can be used for shel-ters, tools, baskets, bowls, weapons, traps, and fencing; just to mention a few of the multitude uses vines can provide. In some areas of the world, vines are large enough to use in building homes. Other vines are so thin and strong, they make effective cordage or thread for sewing. Cutting live vines, soaking them, and then forming them into specifi c shapes over a low fi re al-lows them to be shaped into a wide variety of useful items.

Vines of Washington Crossing

Virginia creeper, or woodbine, Parthenocissus quique-folia, is one of the most obvious vines growing at Washington Crossing State Park. Virginia creeper is a member of the grape family (Vitacae) and the surface of the vines is made of a scaly, fl aky type of bark. The vines that cling to tree trunks demon-strate how they grew on the tree. The vines that grow in thickets and shrubbery demonstrate how they began to grow there. Now, how does a 200 lb. Virginia creeper vine end up more than 100 feet up in the air attached to a branch far away from the trunk of a tree? The answer isnʼt a magic rope trick. In cases where a large vine is hanging alone from a great height, the vine was probably torn from the trunk of the tree during severe weather, or the weight of the vine itself became too great for the connec-tion to the tree trunk, or the tree branch the vine was initially growing on simply grew out and away from the trunk of the tree, taking the vine along for the ride. These are possibilities, but every vine has its own story.

photo credit: Wayne HenderekVirginia creeper has a unique leaf comprised of fi ve leafl ets that radiate from a central point on the stem.

I recently guided a group of visitors through the park. Upon passing a wrist-sized vine that went straight from the forest fl oor to a branch about 100 feet above, a guest asked, “Will that vine hold me if I climb it?” I thought about this for a second. Considering that the vine probably outweighed the guest three times over, and that multiple wraps of the vine around the upper

Page 2 Natureʼs Grapevine Autumn 2012


supporting plant is sometimes crowded out for sunlight and space to grow (Comstock, 1990). Many types of wild grapes are located in the park as well. Close to the Nature Center is a growth of summer grapes. These are delicious grapes that have a thick purple-black husk and an amazing flavor when they are perfectly ripe. Other grapes at the park are Fox and Frost grapes, both with their own distinct leaves and fruit characteristics, but the vines of these grape plants move in the same way, with tendrils coiling and reaching out for the next ride headed closer to sunshine. Honeysuckle is another abundant vine at Washing-ton Crossing, And Japanese honeysuckle seems to be the most common type. In the Petersonʼs series A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs, eighteen different types of honeysuckle are listed (Petrides, 1972). The Japanese honeysuckle, found frequently in this area, grows with the slender white and yellow blossoms that open at the top. Honeysuckle has a deposit of nectar at the base of the bloom, and insects and birds enjoy the blossoms throughout the spring and early summer. Honeysuckle is a vine that twines around everything in its vicinity, and sometimes it can crowd the growth of native flora.

Vines and Design

Images of vines have been discovered on ancient pot-tery, hieroglyphics, musical instruments, eating utensils, and just about every form of art. The flowing and weaving patterns to be



branches of the tree looked totally secure...I smiled and said, “I wouldnʼt suggest it unless a tiger is chasing you and itʼs your last chance.” Vines look strong and secure, and some surely are, but they could break or slip through branches unexpectedly while a person climbs them.

photo credit: Wayne HenderekThe poison ivy vine has rather ominous-looking aerial rootlets that serve as a good warning sign to keep your distance.

An important thing to remember when handling vines without gloves is that the scaly vines are safe to touch, but other vines, particularly poison ivy, can cause serious rashes and itching. Poison ivy can be tricky to identify. It sometimes has the characteristic look of a hairy rope attached to a tree, but the extending horizontal branches that grow from the mature vertical vine are smooth barked with lush green leaves on them. All parts of this plant have the oils that cause reactions in humans, so be sure that when you brush that branch away during a hike, that it is not poison ivy. The active chemical in poison ivy is called uru-shiol, and this is what causes the rashes and itching. “Leaves of three, let it be” is a good phrase to remember when steering clear of this vine, and so is, “Donʼt be a dope, avoid the hairy rope”. The rash from poison ivy exposure will last a couple of weeks. Hedge bindweed is another vine at Washington Crossing that weaves throughout the shrubs and fields of the park. Bind-weed is a member of the morning glory family, and has beautiful flowers that resemble the trumpet shape of the familiar garden-variety morning glory flowers. Bindweed is absolutely tenacious once it has begun to wrap and weave into another plant, and the

This newsletter is available free of charge electroni-cally . It can be downloaded at the web address below. Requests to be included on the emailing list may be made by contacting the Nature Center.

Phone..........(609) 737-0609Fax...............(609) [email protected] - Sat 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Sun 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Closed Mon and TuesWebsite........www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/ parks/washcros.html

Park Naturalist& Newsletter Editor......Wayne Henderek

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/washcros.html

The Martucci Family, Pennington, donated several fish tanks and vivarium supplies to the Nature Center

Around the ParkSomething fairly uncommon has taken place in the Nature Centerʼs observation beehive over the summer. The colony swarmed as per usual around the middle of the season and two new queens emerged simultaneously. Swarming is an activity in which the original queen leaves the hive with half the workers in order to start a new colony somewhere else. The bees remain-ing in the hive normally raise several new queens and carry on with business. Instead of the two new rival queens fighting to the death as they always have in this hive, they each migrated to two opposite sides of the same frame and set up housekeeping. As a consequence, we have apparently, two separate colonies with the two queens peacefully coexisting. As far as we know, this is the first time this has happened in this particular hive in at least, twenty-five years of observing.

Camp and scout groups from East Windsor, Pennington, West Amwell, Burlington and West Windsor came out to the Nature Center this past summer. In addition to family nature walks, pond studies, and two night hikes, public programs in backpacking, map and compass skills, primitive fire building and monarch but-terflies were offered. Schools, home school groups, scout groups and other groups should give us a call if they wish to schedule activities for the coming autumn and winter. Our public events for families and individuals for autumn are enclosed in this edi-tion of Nature s̓ Grapevine.

found in the natural curves and twists of vines offer fantastic source material for the imagination and inspiration for artists everywhere. Vine patterns and designs that are so frequently beautiful in nature are often replicated in human art. Some of the most elegant gardens in the world have vine designs incorporated into them. The unpredictable and surprising ways in which vines grow, with seemingly random wandering, reinforce the thought that the world we live in is constantly changing. Within the disorder that we might see at first glance when looking at vines, the thought also occurs that there are recurring shapes and forms all around us in nature. The spirals in the face of a sunflower, the spirals of certain seashells, the double helix of the DNA strand, and the spiraling motion sometimes found in the growth of vines are all connected in nature. Vines seem to stir the human imagi-nation in unexpected ways. After the summer leaves have fallen, a walk through Washington Crossing at twilight can reveal the true shapes of the vines as they weave their way from ground to sky. ____________________________________Warren Coker has worked with North Carolina State Parks, Virginia State Parks, New Jersey Audubon Society, and has just spent the summer working at Washington Cross-ing with New Jersey State Parks. He lives in Lawrenceville and teaches at Rider University. Warren has a Doctorate in Musical Arts from Shenandoah University.

References

Comstock, Anna Botsford. Handbook of Nature Study. Cornell University Press, New York.1990.

Martine, Christopher. Shrubs and Vines of New Jersey. New Jer-sey Forest Service. Forest Resource Education Center. Jackson, New Jersey. 2002.

Petrides, George A. The Petersonʼs Field Guide Series; A Field Guide To Trees and Shrubs. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 1972.

Volunteer Notes

Gene Ramsey, Pennington, Larry Kane, Princeton, and Dave and Jennifer Skitt, Ewing, all members of the Amateur Astron-omers Association of Princeton conducted a very interesting demonstration in solar observing on Labor Day Weekend. The sunʼs activity tends to run in eleven-year cycles. Since it was in a phase of its cycle known as “Solar Maximum”, plenty of activity was taking place that afternoon with bands of sunspots and solar flares and prominences visible in the various telescopes that were in service for the event.

Nettie Rekowski and Ellen Coleman, both of Ewing, came out to staff the Nature Center during programs last summer.





AUTUMN PROGRAMSat the

NATURE CENTERThe following is a list of activities being offered through the Nature Center at Washington Crossing State Park in Titus-ville, New Jersey. These events are available to families and individuals only. Programs for scouts, schools, home school groups and other groups are scheduled via phone call by special arrangement. Some of these events will require ad-vanced registration as indicated below. Attendance is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. All chil-dren must be accompanied by an adult. All programs will initially meet at the Nature Center unless otherwise indicated. In the event of inclement weather, some programs might be canceled. It is always advisable to call ahead before coming out. Phone: (609) 737-0609

STARS, STAR CLUSTERS, AND GALAXIES (pre-teen - adult) Friday October 5, 7:30 p.m. This fourth session of the astronomy seminar will describe the magnitude, distances, and parallax of stars plus the types of star clusters we can see, both open and globular. The session will conclude with a description of the types and locations of galaxies and nebulae we can view from our backyard. In-structor: David W. Letcher, Amateur Astronomers ̓Assoc. of Princeton. Advanced registration required. Enter the park at the Phillips Farm (group camping) entrance on Bear Tavern Rd. Meet at Nature Center. Free.

NATURAL DYES (all ages) Sunday October 7, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Many interesting colors can be derived from wild plants. Come out to learn how several of our more common plants can be coaxed to yield dyes for coloring natural fabrics and take home a few samples of your own. Advanced registration required. (A fee might apply, to be determined)

PRIMITIVE TECHNOLOGIES DAY (all ages) Sunday October 14, 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Archaeologists and primitive technolo-gists from throughout the region will be on hand demonstrating and discussing a variety of primitive skills that local Native Americans and indigenous people from throughout the world practiced in prehistoric times. Free.

GOAT HILL OVERLOOK HIKE (pre-teen - adult) Sunday October 21, 1:30. Goat Hill Overlook is a relatively new state park acquisition. The 213 acre tract sits on a bluff overlooking the Delaware River in W. Amwell Twp. and boasts commanding views of the Delaware Valley including portions of Lambertville, New Hope and areas north and west into Bucks County, PA. The tract contains extensive hardwood and mixed oak forests, open fields, numerous rock outcrops, a former diabase quarry and hiking trails. We will meet in Washington Crossing at the park pond on Church Rd and carpool to the overlook for an exploration hike. The terrain will be rugged. Wear hiking shoes and bring drinking water. (A fee might apply, to be determined)

GEOCACHE WASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK ( preteens – adult) Sunday October 28, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Geocaching is a high-tech update on the good old-fashioned scavenger hunt game utilizing GPS (global positioning system) technology to locate objects hidden among the forests, fields and trails of parks, playgrounds, natural areas and other open lands. Participants will learn how to obtain information and hints from the Geocaching.com website, on the location of over a dozen geocache sites located in and around the state park. They will then use handheld GPS devices to go out and find as many caches as possible. Once a cache is found, participants typically will sign in on the log contained within and then take an object from the cache box after leaving a trinket for subsequent geocachers. Participants should bring a pocket full of trinkets to exchange when they locate caches. Trinkets can include small toys and balls, plastic jewelry, pens, pencils, scratch pads, patches, action figures, coins, etc. Advanced registration required after 9/25. A limited number of GPS navigation devices will be made available to participants. Bring your own handheld GPS device if you have one. (A fee might apply, to be determined)

NATIVE AMERICANS OF THE AREA OF THE PARK (all ages) Saturday November 3, 1:00 p.m. Jim Wade, former archivist and researcher with the N.J. State Museum will discuss primitive stone tool use by Native Americans in central New Jersey. Empha-sis will be on the significance and importance of the Indian way of life during the autumn season, focusing on the activities of fall hunting, gathering and religious ceremonies. The program will include a slide presentation and Native American artifacts will be on display. Seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. (A fee might apply, to be determined)

SHELTER BUILDING WILDERNESS SURVIVAL (6 yrs. - adult) Sunday November 4, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. This program will deal with the fundamentals pertaining to survival when lost in the wild. Participants will construct a weatherproof shelter completely from native materials. (A fee might apply, to be determined)

(events listings continued next page)



(Nature Center events continued)

SHELTER BUILDING WILDERNESS SURVIVAL (6 yrs. - adult) Sunday November 11, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. This program will deal with the fundamentals pertaining to survival when lost in the wild. Participants will construct a weatherproof shelter completely from native materials. (A fee might apply, to be determined)

NATURE CENTER CLOSED Thurs. Nov. 22 - Tues. Nov. 27Have a Happy Thanksgiving

GEOCACHE WASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK ( preteens – adult) Sunday December 2, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Geocaching is a high-tech update on the good old-fashioned scavenger hunt game utilizing GPS (global positioning system) technology to locate objects hidden among the forests, fields and trails of parks, playgrounds, natural areas and other open lands. Participants will learn how to obtain information and hints from the Geocaching.com website, on the location of over a dozen geocache sites located in and around the state park. They will then use handheld GPS devices to go out and find as many caches as possible. Once a cache is found, participants typically will sign in on the log contained within and then take an object from the cache box after leaving a trinket for subsequent geocachers. Participants should bring a pocket full of trinkets to exchange when they locate caches. Trinkets can include small toys and balls, plastic jewelry, pens, pencils, scratch pads, patches, action figures, coins, etc. Advanced registration required after 11/6. A limited number of GPS navigation devices will be made available to participants. Bring your own handheld GPS device if you have one. (A fee might apply, to be determined).

HOLIDAY WREATH MAKING (all ages) Saturday December 8, 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. Participants will construct their own wreaths from evergreen clippings collected in the park. Advanced registration required after 11/6. (A fee might apply, to be determined).

NATURE CENTER CLOSED Mon. Dec. 24, 2012 - Wed. Jan 1, 2013Have a Happy Holiday Season


VISITOR CENTER MUSEUM(609) 737-9303

MUSKET FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday October 6, 2:00 p.m. Join a Park Historian for an interpretive talk about some of the weapons used during the American Revolution and their use during the Battle of Trenton. Included will be a musket firing dem-onstration. (A fee might apply, to be determined)

MUSKET FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday October 13, 2:00 p.m. Join a Park Historian for an interpretive talk about some of the weapons used during the American Revolution and their use during the Battle of Trenton. Included will be a musket firing dem-onstration. (A fee might apply, to be determined)

MUSKET FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday October 20, 2:00 p.m. Join a Park Historian for an interpretive talk about some of the weapons used during the American Revolution and their use during the Battle of Trenton. Included will be a musket firing dem-onstration. (A fee might apply, to be determined).

MUSKET FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday October 27, 2:00 p.m. Join a Park Historian for an interpretive talk about some of the weapons used during the American Revolution and their use during the Battle of Trenton. Included will be a musket firing dem-onstration. (A fee might apply, to be determined).

(more WCSP events, next page)

CANNON FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday, November 3, 11:00 – 4:00 p.m. Lambʼs Artillery Company will be conducting artillery demonstrations at 12:00, 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30. (A fee might apply, to be determined).

MUSKET FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday November 17, 2:00 p.m. Join a Park Historian for an interpretive talk about some of the weapons used during the American Revolution and their use during the Battle of Trenton. Included will be a musket fir-ing demonstration. (A fee might apply, to be determined)..

MUSKET FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday November 24, 2:00 p.m. Join a Park Historian for an interpretive talk about some of the weapons used during the American Revolution and their use during the Battle of Trenton. Included will be a musket fir-ing demonstration. (A fee might apply, to be determined).

LECTURE The Christmas Night Crossing. Saturday, December 22, 2:00 p.m. Using diaries and letters of the participants, Resource Interpretive Specialist Clay Craighead will give a lecture on the significance of the Christmas Night Crossing and the Battle of Tren-ton. (A fee might apply, to be determined)..

THE CHRISTMAS DAY CROSSING REENACTMENT. Tuesday, December 25, 1:00 p.m. Commemorate the 235th anniver-sary of George Washingtonʼs famous Christmas Night crossing of the Delaware River by viewing the annual reenactment. Free.


JOHNSON FERRY HOUSE(609) 737-2515

COLONIAL HARVEST DAY (family) Saturday November 17, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A fun and educational day of hearth cooking with Susan Plaisted, cider making, corn shucking and grinding, woodworking, spinning, and other fall colonial activities. The history of our Thanksgiving celebration will be presented in the parlor, along with hot and cold cider and donuts. A good family event. No fee. Donations are suggested to defray costs.

LANTERN WALKING TOURS (adults and school age children) Friday evening December 21, Two tours at 7:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Two guided walking tours of the parkʼs Historic District. Tours are led by park historians and begin on the river front at the Nelson House and include the woodworking shop in the Stone Barn and the Johnson Ferry House. An atmospheric evening of candle and lantern light and warm glowing fires, colonial interiors, and the rich history of this site. Wassail and Dutch donuts are served at the end of the tour in the Johnson Ferry House. Wear warm clothing and walking shoes. Advanced registration required 609-737-2515.



New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

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Washington Crossing Fall 2012 - State...Page 2 Natureʼs Grapevine Autumn 2012 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection e Division of Parks and Forestry. supporting plant