Kieron Cleveland, Summer Intern. Report on visit to CRK Allen reserve.
Photos from a visit to CRK Allen on July 20th, 2012, shows atv tracks on the property, some pickerelweed and how extremely low the water was, and plymouth gentians in bloom on the shoreline.
This was my first visit to the CRK Allen Nature Reserve in Quinan. We travelled up the trail and into the woods on the property line to the shoreline. Once we hit the shoreline we noticed there was a large pile off driftwood near the woods, which either drifted there, or potentially a beaver was behind moving it all. Along the shore there were some Plymouth gentians in bloom, along with other species of plants including: pipewort, coastal plains goldenrod, water lobelia, and St. Johnswort.
At the previously marked sampling site there were Plymouth gentians in bloom, but not as many as previous years. Continuing down the shoreline past the sampling site, there were many more Plymouth gentians. There were animal tracks near the water that looked like deer, and racoon tracks. At the point, the survey marker was missing.
The cable through the concrete blocks had been cut, and it was clear that atv’s had passed through, but like last year, could not get through the adjacent wetland. The water level was very low, and we crossed the Coldstream to explore the shoreline just off the adjacent property. There were Plymouth gentians along the shore, and we also noticed some type of rare plant (probably liverwort) beside a fallen maple. There seemed to be more basal rosettes among the gentians on this property, which is a good sign for next year. We saw relatively fewer rosettes on the C.R.K.A side.
After rounding the point, the shore runs into a cove with an extensive wetland, which makes access from that side difficult. It was a good experience overall, and I learned some things about rare flowers and plants in Nova Scotia.
