Highland Avenue Woods
Environmental Education Reserve
News and Information Site



Thirty-six acres of walking trails plus a new
classroom and learning center

115 Sylvania Place, South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080
Contact: SPNatureTrails@verizon.net

Today is



Last updated: July 6, 2008



NOW ON DISPLAY AT THE NATURE CENTER
Native American Inhabitants of HAW
Rocks of New Jersey and Around the World
Animals and Their Tracks
Funny Bonz/Bat Quiz/Turkey Facts
Skulls, Skins and Bones
Bird Nests and Feathers
1930s Leaf Prints by Jay Scovronek
Photography of C. Andrew Beagle
Winter Words to Know and Understand
Winter Woods Scavenger Hunt
Edible and Medicinal Weeds of the Woods and Garden
Bird Audio/Visual Booth -- Learning Bird Calls
Reptiles and Amphibians Audio/Visual Booth -- Learning Frog Sounds
HAW Wildflower, Mushroom, Shrub, Vine and Tree Specimen Books


SEE http://geocities.com/friendsofthewoods

WELCOME TO H.A.W.
Nestled between residential neighborhoods and light industries lies South Plainfield's best kept secret: HIGHLAND AVENUE WOODS. Nearly 36 acres of streams, uplands and wetlands provide habitat for a diversity of animal species and plants of both northern inland and southern coastal regions.

The Borough-owned Reserve has identified more than 100 species of herbs, 32 species of shrubs and understory plants, and 25 trees and woody vines. Over 75 bird species, including the rare loggerhead shrike, have been recorded according to their seasonal occurrence. Mammals found on the Reserve include white-tailed deer, raccoon, cottontail rabbit, short-tailed shrew, mole, white-footed mouse, woodchuck, gray and northern flying squirrel, muskrat, and bats (red, little brown and big brown species). Newest sightings include red fox and wild turkeys. Evidence of beaver activity has been noted along a perimeter stream.

A small variety of fish live in the stream. Several species of reptiles and amphibians are found throughout the Reserve. Thousands of tiny spring peepers emerge in March around the water-filled vernal ponds to mate and lay eggs.


Origin of Highland Woods
Roughly 25,000 years ago, the Wisconsin Glacier reached its furthest southern point and stopped along Woodland Avenue on the So. Plainfield-Edison border. As the glacier melted and withdrew northward, sediment was deposited in the outwash plain.


The Reserve's soil is classified as Dunellen Variant, a fertile and permeable sandy red loam deep over bedrock. A layer of white clay, or kaolin, is found along the stream banks. A series of spongy, circular depressions of organic peat that hold standing water several months of the year are probably pingoes. These relics of the ice age were formed when artesian pressure forced groundwater between layers of permafrost. Pressure caused the ground surface to erupt and collapse into deep pits. The depressions filled in over time with a distinct peaty soil type and are usually bare of vegetation.

History
Native Americans were hunting, fishing and camping in the Reserve long before the European fur traders descended upon North American Shores. By 500 A.D., a permanent population of Lenape lived on the banks of local streams, cleared the forests and planted gardens. Evidence of their presence in the Reserve has been found along the stream terrace.

It is not known when the first white man set foot in So. Plainfield. The land that the town now occupies was part of the Elizabethtown Purchase of 1664 and, in 1666, became part of historic Piscataway Township. Early settlers were farmers; some were loggers. Logging began along the Cedar Brook, northeast of the Reserve, by the mid 1680s. A saw mill and grist mill were built near the center of town.

In the mid-1700s, two hamlets developed: Samptown and Brooklyn. Surrounding farms were generally less than 200 acres. Parts of the Reserve's uplands were probably farmed or logged until World War I; others into the 1950s. Tree stands range from 40 to 90 years old.


The agrarian way of life did not last long in this north-eastern section of Piscataway. The arrival of the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1875 expanded job opportunities, not only with the railroad, but incoming industries. A blue collar workforce replaced the farmers and loggers. Agriculture was all but abandoned here in the early 1900s while the rest of Piscataway lagged behind into the 1960s. The Borough of South Plainfield incorporated in 1926.

In 1991, the South Plainfield Environmental Commission recommended that 26 acres of Borough-owned land between Highland Avenue and Sylvania Place be preserved. The Mayor and Council approved the request the following year, and added over 9 scattered acres, with Green Acres funding, to connect it with Pitt Street Park. In 1993, the Board of Education leased it for $1 per year for use in environmental education studies.

Funding for the Nature Center classroom and activity center was obtained through a recreation grant from Middlesex County.


Reserve Management
The Reserve is designated as open space for its educational resources and passive recreational opportunities. It is overseen by the South Plainfield Environmental Commission and the Friends of the Woods, a volunteer group of youths and adults. Security is provided by the So. Plainfield Police Department Bike Patrol.

The Commission and the Friends worked hard to remove tons of trash which were illegally dumped before the Reserve was protected. Trails were blazed and marked, and in 1997, 16 trail stations were designated in conjunction with a self-guide booklet. Hiking is permitted only on the trails. Limiting foot travel off the trail will help protect the plant populations and preserve the wilderness experience for future generations.

The Nature Center classroom is used by the district schools and the Friends of the Woods. Since 1993 the Commission or the Friends have sponsored free walks and talks programs for the general public, scouting groups, garden clubs and the district schools. A schedule of programs is available at the Nature Center or Borough Hall.


Visitor Activities
The public is encouraged to walk the trails to observe, study and photograph nature. Wildlife are best observed in the early morning or late afternoon. Please walk quietly so that you may have a chance to view it.

Waterproof boots or old sneakers are recommended during most seasons. Mosquitos and ticks may be a nuisance from May to September, so insect repellent and protective clothing is recommended.

Aside from the regularly scheduled programs, groups of 10-15 may schedule guided tours with the Friends of the Woods.

We Need Your Help
The following regulations must be observed to protect and preserve the wildlife and plant communities.

HOURS: Sunup to sundown. Visitors are permitted only on the trails during daylight hours unless othewise posted.

TRAILS are open to foot and bicycle travel only. NO MOTORIZED VEHICLES.

PETS must be on a leash. Owners must pick up excrement and dispose of it properly.

COLLECTING, disturbing, or destroying plants, animals, or parts thereof, is prohibited.

CAMPING and fires are not permitted.

LITTER: Please don't. There is a $1000 fine for dumping.

NO HUNTING.

Visitors are responsible for knowing all the Reserve regulations.

Visitor Information
The South Plainfield Environmental Specialist is available at Borough Hall, 2480 Plainfield Avenue from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

To contact The Friends of the Woods, e-mail SPNatureTrails@cs.com.


The Nature Center: A Preview The Nature Center will feature:
An extensive (non-lending) library of books, magazines, audio and video tapes

Environmental teaching material, puzzles and games

Nature Art and Photo Gallery

Storytime Grotto and Puppet Theater

Aquarium

Displays of flora, fauna, rocks and bones, nests and other things


In October, 2005, a construction crew began clearing an area adjacent to the Sylvania Place main gate at Highland Woods. Shortly thereafter a prefabricated trailer, funded by a grant obtained by the South Plainfield Recreation Department, was delivered and placed on the site. The crew worked through the fall and winter to ready the facility for spring occupancy. The double classroom with handicap accessible ramp and bathrooms has heat and air conditioning, and a rear observation deck. The facility is avaialble for use by the So. Plainfield schools for field trips, and as a headquarters for the Friends of the Woods.

NO FURNISHINGS
The grant did not provide for furnishings. A request for donations yielded students desks from the Board of Ed., and tables, chairs and bookcases from private citizens and a local business. The center's needs have not yet been met, for it is in need of stationary chairs for the student desks and several other items. See WISH LIST.

ACTIVITY ROOM
The trailer has 2 rooms, one of which will seat 30 students. The other room will be used for hands-on activities, displays, storytime, computer and video equipment, art gallery and office. Presently, displays are being prepared for the activity room which will illustrate the flora, fauna and habitats in Highland Woods. Two collections of rocks and minerals have been donated. Displays of animals skulls, bird skeletons and nests, and animal tracks are in the design phase. Taxidermy specimens may be loaned to the center. A large collection of nature books, magazines and puzzles are filling the bookcases, and environmental posters and pictures of HAW will soon be hung.

A FEW GLITCHES
The facility will undergo some repair work this month prior to its opening. The recent heavy rains revealed that the windows leaked. Gutters will be installed to help route the water off the face of the building. A few other minor problems will be addressed, and security is being increased by the So. Plainfield Police Department.

HELP WANTED: DOCENTS, READERS, LEADERS
Ideally, the Nature Center will be open to the public on weekends, but to do that means that we need volunteers to make that commitment one day a month for 3 hours. Eight volunteers will permit the Nature Center to be open on Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. Docents' responsibility include opening and closing the center, handing out trail maps, and basically being a presence in the building so that visitors can explore the displays, view the nature videos, or use the extensive research material in the library. Docents need not be versed in environmental science. The activity room is self-explanatory.


JOIN THE FRIENDS OF THE WOODS
A $10 yearly family membership will help fund this year's programming costs, material for the Nature Center, and trail maintenance supplies. Periodic meetings will be held at the Nature Center in addition to regular indoor-outdoor Walks 'n' Talks programs. The FOW status as a non-profit 501C3 organization is pending.

WISH LIST
The following items are needed: microscopes, dissecting scopes, binoculars, telescope, computer and printer, room dividers, 50 stationary or folding chairs, 10 gallon aquarium, folding chairs, wall mounted projector screen, cd and tape player, glass display cases, 2 picnic tables, wooden benches, flower box planters, bird feeders and bird baths. If you have an item that you care to donate, please contact the Friends of the Woods at: SPNatureTrails@cs.com

A VIRTUAL TOUR OF HIGHLAND WOODS
with the Friends of the Woods
Friends of the Woods Tour Guide F.O.W. naturalist instructs a group of Girl Scouts during an after-school tour of H.A.W. The Reserve is open to the public from sunup to sunset. Group guided tours are available by contacting the Friends of the Woods.


Sylvania Place Trail Head Twenty-first century technology allows us to experience many exciting things without leaving home. This web tour is by no means intended to replace a visit. Rather, it is intended to pique your interest and curiosity. There is no substitute for the real-world sights, sounds and smells of nature.


Watchable Wildlife Grant Site The Reserve at Highland Avenue Woods is designated as a wildlife viewing site, one of 87 sites throughout New Jersey that appear in the New Jersey Wildlife Viewiing Guide. The wildlife viewing improvements found here were partially funded by a grant through the "Watchable Wildlife" project, which is managed by the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program. Funding for the grant was provided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Environmental Protection Agency and proceeds from the sale of "Conserve Wildlife" license plates.


District Girl Scouts On October 7, 2000, 45 district Girl Scouts visited the Reserve to work on requirements for a Wildlife Badge. Community schools and organizations such as the scouts are encouraged to utilize the facility. The Friends of the Woods' members volunteer as guides for groups that request private tours.


Autumn Splendor This forest is primarily composed of species of oak and hickory. However, stands of pioneer species such as big-tooth aspen and white poplar are found in light gaps created by developers or fire. Someday these will be replaced by other species adapted to the decreasing light conditions.


Turk's-cap Lily (lilium superbum) Turk's cap lily is one of many native species that grows undisturbed in the Reserve. It is unusual to find an intact native wildflower community. Exotic weeds have pushed out the natives in most of central New Jersey's remaining woods.

Among the natives found in the Reserve: shinleaf, wood anemone, jack-in-the-pulpit, yellow wild indigo, striped wintergreen, indian cucumber root, and many more.


Skunk Family We have identified 90+ species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians in the Reserve. This forest fragment, however, offers no suitable habitat for deep woods species -- like spotted owls and wolves. Species that can tolerate fragmentation -- like deer and skunks -- freely roam without predators.

This family of skunks numbered 10. The babies emerged from a shallow den in an uplands habitat in broad daylight. The mother, a nocturnal hunter, was nowhere to be seen, but probably was close by.


Snapping Turtle In June, 1997, we stumbled upon a snapping turtle digging a hole in which to lay her eggs. She chose a sandy site high and dry along the White Trail that was partially in the sun. After she was discovered, she abandoned the egg-laying efforts, and crawled into the watery ditch below the trail. Perhaps she returned later to lay the clutch undetected, and undisturbed.


Trout-lily (erythronium umbilicatum) This native yellow wildflower is also called dog's tooth violet, yellow adder's-tonge, and fawn lily. It grows in large colonies in the moist, acid soil of the woods, blooming between March and May. Native Americans used it to treat fevers and ulcers.


Garter Snake Garter snakes are often found basking in the sun along the trail. They are harmless, but emit an unpleasant odor if handled. The only other species of snake found at the Reserve is the northern water snake.


Mayapple (podophyllum peltatum) The umbrella-like leaves of the mayapple emerge through the forest leaf litter and open. Mayapple, also known as American Mandrake or Wild Lemon, grows abundantly in the moist and shaded areas of the Reserve. It produces edible lemon-shaped yellow fruit. The leaves are eaten by Varigated Fritillary Butterfly caterpillars even though they contain a poisonous resinous compound called podophyllin.


St. Johnswort (hypericum perforatum) Parts of the Reserve have been disturbed by local development. "Weeds," such as St. Johnswort above, grow abundantly in poor, disturbed soil in open, sunny areas. This lush growth of weeds, however, improves the soil. They will be followed by other species that do not need as much sun. Ater 50 or 60 years, a tall forest will be growing on this spot.


Roosevelt School Environmental Club Students head up the hill past the fallen tree to investigate the high ground in 1993. The Reserve is an ideal place for outdoor environmental education. An area this rich in biodiversity is very hard to find in Central New Jersey because so much land has been developed. The study of nature in an outdoor setting can greatly enhance the classroom science curriculum.


Pink Lady's Slipper (cypripedium acaule) Growing near the Pine Barrens species are native northern secies like pink lady's slipper orchids. For years the orchids flourished in the Reserve, but in 2000, not a single plant bloomed. The previous year's drought might have had something to do with it, or perhaps the deer nipped the stems. The orchids made a slight comeback the following year, but by 2006, not a single blooming plant was discovered.


Mushroom In the summer of 2006, the Reserve bloomed with mushrooms and bracket fungi of all shapes, colors and sizes due to the wet weather conditions. Fungi play an important part in the ecology of the forest. They break down, or decompose, vegetation, returning nutrients to the soil.


Winter Wonderland The Reserve is a mosaic of streams, uplands and wetlands that provides habitat for a variety of wildlife. Much of the Reserve's diversity is caused by various disturbances that introduced colonizing species into what was once an unbroken and deeply wooded forest.

There are 16 numbered trail stations throughout the Reserve. Each is described in the Nature Guide, Trail Map and Species List booklet available at no cost at Borough Hall. The guide explains the diverse communities of plants and animals that form an island surrounded by homes and industry.


Spring Beauty (claytonia virginica) Spring beauties form large carpets on the forest floor, mixed with trout lily and several species of violets. Spring is an especially interesting time of year to take leisurely walks through the Reserve. Besides the many species of wildflowers, migratory birds are active in the forest.


Sounds of Silence We often ask ourselves the question, "can this really be South Plainfield?" after walking through the serene environment of the Reserve.

It is almost hard to imagine that this beautiful, lush and quiet place exists in a suburban environment. The 35-acre Reserve is surrounded by housing and light industrial development -- a blight of urban sprawl. Nearby is Interstate 287, the roar of the traffic audible day and night in the immediate area, except in the woods. Preservation of open space should be on every town's public agenda. A walk through Highland Woods would prove it.


Ground Pine (lycopodium cumplanatum) There were several populations of evergreen plants in the Reserve, including ground pine, above, and striped wintergreen. Ground pine is a primitive, non-flowering plant of ancient lineage. The yellowish candelabra structure in the middle of the picture is the fruiting body, filled with spores that produce the next generation of plants. Ground pine has ceased to grow at HAW, possibly because it has been shaded out.


Grackle Perch Many species of birds, both resident and migratory, can be seen at HAW at various times of the year. Here, upon closer inspection, rests a grackle on a fallen branch.

A few years ago, a rare loggerhead shrike was observed in the woods. Over 75 species of birds have been identified here, including scarlet tanager, great crested flycatcher, red-eyed vireo, cedar waxwing, restart, brown thrasher and lots of warblers. Latest observation is the wild turkey and eastern wood peewees.


Station 2 Runoff Basin A torential rain has filled the runoff basin, the water only inches from covering the bridge at Station 2. Resident and migratory bird populations are drawn to the water features in the Reserve. Swamp maples and black willow grow side-by-side with other water-loving plants, such as meadowsweet, water horehound, and water hemlock. There are no fish because this area dries out every summer.


Fragmented Woods The Reserve was formally established in 1992, and is owned by the Borough of South Plainfield, New Jersey. Parts of the Reserve were farmed or logged until World War I, others into the 1950s, producing tree stands of varying ages.


Eastern Box Turtle The eastern box turtle retreats into its shell to avoid a predator -- us. On occasion, baby box turtles and eggshells are found. The biggest problem the turtles face is the desire of individuals to take them home as pets. We encourage everyone not to harvest anything, plants and animals alike.


Fox Grape (vitis labrusca) Fox grape is a favorite food of many species of birds and mammals. This abundant growth is at Station 10 along the White Trail. Under the vine in the moist soil grows jewelweed, whose orange, tubular flowers are a favorite of the ruby-throated hummingbird.


Fall Colors The brilliant and dazzling colors of a tupelo tree (left) signal fall at the Reserve. Hickory, tulip and birch trees are turning vivid yellows. Visitors may walk or bike the trails any season from sunup to sundown, seven days a week. No motorized vehicles are allowed except for those of the FOW trail maintenance crew.


Vernal Pond The ponds are good breeding habitat for frogs, since there are no fish to eat the tadpoles. We think these geologic features were formed by ice geysers during the Wisconsin glacial period. We are not sure why almost nothing grows here. It may be the freeze/thaw cycle heaves the soil and disturbs roots, or possibly some nutrient is lacking.


Pingo A series of vernal ponds, possible pingos, may have persisted here since the Wisconsin Glaciation 20,000 years ago. These are spongy, circular depressions of black organic soil on which little or nothing grows. They hold water during the winter and usually dry out by June.

The Wisconsin Glacier's terminal morraine is about 1-1/2 miles from this spot on Woodland Avenue. The melting glacier deposited rich, sandy loam throughout the area.


Fern Forest In the spring along the Red Tail loop, the moist area transforms into a primordial dense growth of various fern species, which unfurl from tightly wound fiddleheads into lacy fronds. Fern species include cinnamon, New York, sensitive, interrupted, lady, royal, and bracken.


Squirrel's Nest An eastern gray squirrel's nest built in a pin oak tree looks like a safe haven for its occupants. Squirrels have a wide array of food choices in the forest. Northern flying squirrels have also been identified as HAW woodland inhabitants, but being nocturnal, are rarely seen.


Station 14 We are looking up the steps to the highland trail from the floodplain at Station 14. Several years ago, runoff from Hurricane Floyd flooded this section of the reserve to the 3rd log.


Groundhog Hole It's not unusual to find groundhog holes in every section of Highland Woods. Other mammals include deer, rabbit, skunk, muskrat, raccoon, opossum, chipmunk, white-footed mouse and shrew.


Muskrat Home Another mammal found at HAW is the muskrat. Here, one has dug a hole under the root system of a tree along the stream bank on the northern edge of the reserve.


Indian Pipes (monotropa uniflora) Indian pipe is a waxy, ghostly-looking plant that is leafless except for scaly bracts. It is a saprophytic plant that feeds on decayed organic matter. It is also parasitic, feeding on juices of living roots of other plants. Indian pipe wilt upon exposure to sunlight, which is why it is found in shady, moist, acidic rich woods.

Enjoy history? Like to know about South Plainfield's past? Log on to http://geocities.com/sphistoricalsociety for lots of interesting information.