ENHS Nature Trails January 2003 Article 3

Bike Path Cleanup Party Report

The The biggest piece of trash found was the frame of a Huffy bicycle, what else on a bike path cleanup? On 8 December, 2002, three stalwarts turned out for the ENHS "Bike Path Cleanup Party." These three were ENHS board members Dave Wagner and Margaret Zane and ENHS member Anne Burrowes. Although a small crew, the path had so little litter that they were entirely adequate for the job without feeling pressure.

There were few flowers in bloom, only on a single plant of feverfew, Tanacetum parthenium, huddled below the bike path just west of the Ferry Street bridge. It was a cold day after a cold fall. We enjoyed the dry air--no rain this time. The biggest piece of trash found was the frame of a Huffy bicycle. It had lost all removable parts except the pedals and the chain. Mostly we picked up bits of paper, plastic, and bottles. The returnable and recyclable containers we kept segregated. This was not hard thanks to the bag carrier loaned by Tom Titus and a similar one that Marge brought.

The sight of the day was a stump covered with licorice ferns. Marge went over to admire it and began grooming it, pulling off dead leaves and the odd twigs. Soon I joined her and after a few minutes we had a mound of pure green that practically glowed in the woods by the path. I wonder how many people will notice how lovely it is. None will know it was preened to be so green!

Close to the end of the work trail we found a Port Orford cedar growing with incense cedars. This is good to know; a nice place for a bicycle botany lesson. It is about 50 feet east of the big light pole east of the Washington-Jefferson bridge. It was in here that we noticed "fossil" spider webs. We thought these were "fossil" because the freeze must have killed the tending spiders. There were none visible. The webs, beaded with droplets of dew, lingered long after their makers.

The last item of natural history to notice was a patch of liverworts in the packed soil by the bike path. These little rosettes of Riccia are never often found in the same place in succeeding years since the plants are annuals that depend on finding recently disturbed soil. Their "blooms" are common but always somewhere different each year. We had a grand time, leaving the bike path pristine, clear even of cigarette butts and candy wrappers. Who'll join us next time?

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