By Susan Sprout

I just had to write about this particular plant, especially now, because it has started to set seed. Having often heard references to it on TV nature shows and personally, “Holy Cow! That’s the biggest dandelion I’ve ever seen”, I thought the plant should be correctly identified, given its due, so to speak. That big beige fluff ball of seeds was not made by a dandelion at all, but rather by a plant with the common names of Salsify, Oyster Plant, or Yellow Goatsfoot.  Three common names, three different plants, all found living in PA, and sharing some or all of those common names. They are non-natives, probably brought here from Europe as food plants. The long, narrow, grass-like leaves are edible in salads or cooked. Their long, white roots grow straight down like carrots, and when boiled or baked and eaten, taste somewhat like oysters.

These three plants belong to the Aster Family for they all have composite flowers made up of tubular disc florets bunched in the middle with flatter, petal-like ray florets surrounding them on the outside. All are classified in the genus Tragopogan which is Greek for “goat’s foot”. The reason for that name may be because the thin, green bracts that grow beneath each single flower head are longer than the ray florets and stick out past them like a skinny triangle- shaped goat’s beard! Or it could be the fluffy, scruffy seed head.

How do you identify them? By the color of their flowers – yellow or pink. I have had trouble getting a decent photo of their flowers because they all close up by noon. The closed flowers may show a small flash of color at their tops. So, the yellow-flowered ones would be T. dubius and T. praetensis which flower from May to August. Both have similar height (2 – 2 1/2 feet tall) and flower width of two inches. They can grow for ten years before blooming and will then die off after. If you find a pink or purplish flowered one, it is the biennial T. porrifolius. They are taller than the yellow ones – up to four feet! Their two inch wide flowers bloom from May to July.

So, when you see some really big seed heads – up to four inches across – in fields, roadsides, waste places or in someone’s garden and they look like dandelions on steroids, REMEMBER  – “Holy Cow! It’s Salsify (pronounced sal-sa-fee by our English ancestors)!

It’s the Fourth of July and according to legend the Fair Play Men read a declaration of Independence on the Banks of Pine Creek under an elm tree on July 4, 1776 unaware that THE Declaration of Independence was being read and debated in Philadelphia, PA.

The site where this event is reported to have taken place is now part of the Tiadaghton State Forest thanks to the members of the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy and a former owner of the property.

NPC owned the property for a short time in the early 2000s before transferring the property to the Bureau of Forestry. The Bureau of Forestry owns it because of its use accessing Pine Creek. I will warn you the bank to get to the Creek is steep and due to the historic nature of the site any development that would require digging or moving dirt is cost prohibitive.

If you visit the site now, you’ll see a large tree (not the tree the Fair Play Men would have stood under) and a Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission blue and yellow marker.

Thanks again to NPC’s members for keeping this property along Pine Creek accessible and a little piece of local legend alive.

NPC members gathered at Pier 87 along Loyalsock Creek on June 15, 2022 for the Annual Membership Meeting.

The Nominating Committee recommended Dennis Ringling and Amie Penfield be elected to a first 3-year term. Both had been appointed to fill positions on the Board created when other Board members resigned from the Board.

Jonathan Bastian and Jonathan Nichols are both completing 2 consecutive 3-year terms and are rotating off the Board. Roy Siefert was elected to fill one of the seats.

The elections take effect at the June 28, 2022 Board meeting.

Pier 87 was chosen as the location in part as a nod to the Bar Bottom project in 2020 and all the work at State Game Lands 134 along Plunketts Creek (a tributary to Loyalsock Creek).

Here are some photos from the meeting:

Paddle Happy West Branch was organized and orchestrated by Bad Adventures, a guiding service for paddling and hiking trips. The trip benefitted the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Coal Creek project with Bad Adventures matching donations made by the adventurists.

NPC purchased 216 acres along Coal Creek in Blossburg Borough to provide access to the largest Abandoned Mine Drainage discharge in the Tioga River Watershed. A treatment plant is being designed now to address the Coal Creek discharge and several others. The funds raised during this paddling trip will help offset the costs of the project.

The 2-day paddling trip had participants paddle from Montoursville to Montgomery on day 1 with a lunch stop at the Muncy Heritage Park and Montgomery to Milton on day 2 with lunch at the park in Watsontown.

While most participants stuck to their kayaks there was a rather large canoe on the trip. Built by Aaron Myers, the wooden canoe weighs around 450 pounds and holds 10 paddlers. Saturday they were a few short of 10, but Sunday they had 10 people paddling and they flew down the West Branch Susquehanna!

Riverside Campground in Montgomery was “home base” for the trip and where about half the group camped Friday and Saturday nights.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner was provided each day along with folk music at lunch and dinner. In addition each stop has water and Gatorade as well as the snacklebox (okay they just call it the snack box, but I think snacklebox is way more fun to say).

The trip is a great way to “show-off” the West Branch Susquehanna to out of town guests, or maybe see it for yourself for the first time. The 2023 dates will be coming out later this year. Start planning your staycation or vacation to join other adventurists, Bad Adventures, and the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy in exploring and supporting conservation!

By Susan Sprout

You may think of Spiderwort as just a plain, old, garden plant. But, it has quite a story. Spiderwort, or Tradescantia virginiana, is a plant for all continents! It is native to the Americas from southern Canada to Northern Argentina and the West Indies and has become naturalized in regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Its genus name Tradescantia was given to the plant in honor of father and son, John Tradescant the Elder (born c.1570) and John Tradescant the Younger (born 1608). They were both plant-loving naturalists, gardeners, collectors of seeds and bulbs and oddities, and travellers to three of the four continents known during their lifetimes. They were not above asking friends from the American colonies, like John Smith, to gather and send back to England plant specimens for their own personal use as well as to use in their jobs as head gardeners on properties owned by King Charles I. John the Younger, who grew twice as many species as his father, made at least two collecting trips to Virginia for plants. Their combined books and collections of rarities have become part of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford.

The “wort” part of Spiderwort’s common name comes from an Old English or Anglo-Saxon word spelled “wyrt” or “weart” which means plant. The “spider” part is a bit more interesting! Some writers refer to the spidery quality as coming from the long, pointed, opposite leaves hanging from tubular sheathes that hug the stems. Their weight bends them over, giving them a leg-like appearance. But, if you look closely at one of the three-petaled flowers (I used a magnifier) you can see the real reason. There, in the center, are six pollen-bearing, yellow stamens nestled in a delicate spider web of filaments surrounding them. How neat is that? 

As it grows, this plant forms terminal clusters of hair-covered buds which open to become flowers ranging from blue to purple. Another identifying characteristic of Spiderwort are the two pointed, opposite leaves extending out from directly beneath the bunches of flowers and buds. Seed capsules formed after pollination will split open to dispense two or more seeds. Spiderwort is a perennial that also spreads by underground stems creating clumps. They can appear in the wild near stream banks, in woodlands, on hills. They grow well in partly shaded borders along roadsides, too. 

There are eighty-four different species of Spiderworts besides ours in the world. Their plant parts have been used in salads and made into tea. Flowers, once dried and powdered, were used to treat bleeding noses by snuffing it in. Their most surprising use that I discovered while reading  has to do with those spider-webby blue hairs in the flower. Their cells are sensitive to sources of high energy ultraviolet radiation like gamma rays and will mutate and turn pink! They can also detect pollutants like sulfur dioxide. Amazing and not just your plain, old, ordinary garden plant! 

By, Susan Sprout

Miterwort (Mitella diphylla) and False Miterwort (Tiarella cardifolia) are spring-blooming, perennial plants native to eastern North America and members of the Saxifrage Family, along with another recent post, Early Saxifrage. You may remember that the family name means “rock-breakers”. Miterwort and False Miterwort are alike in many ways, but different enough to NOT be placed in the same genus. Their similar habit of growing in rich, moist woods in heavy shade allowed me to find them growing together by a small run, in a forested area near the base of a hill. What a treat to find them together!

What catches the eye first when seeing Miterwort, is its smooth upright stem of widely-spaced, cup-shaped flowers that appear to be floating above their maple-shaped green leaves. On closer inspection, you can see how beautiful they are. Each of the five tiny petals are fringed, making them look like white, lacy snowflakes. About half-way down their stems are a small, single pair of opposite leaves, earning them the species name “diphylla” or “two-leaves”. The remainder of leaves are found at the base of the plants. After pollination by small bees and flies, the female organs, or pistils, form  two-beaked pods that resemble a bishop’s cap or mitre. As they mature and dry, the pods split open to reveal shiny, black seeds that can be washed loose by raindrops.

False Miterwort, also called Foamflower, has small white or pinkish flowers that grow closer together, forming a narrow cluster that is bunched nearer the top of a leafless stem. The ten stamens, or male organs, of these small flowers extend beyond the edges of the flower petals creating a fine texture like fluffy foam, which accounts for its other common name. The leaves are heart-shaped and hairy. Some tend to have darker pigment or spots near their leaf veins. The flowers have similar pollinators and their paired seed capsules will split open along one side like Miterwort.

We caught fish!!!

Family Fishing Day with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and help from the Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited was a success!!

After learning a little about being SMART angler (Safety first, Manners are important, Appreciate clean water, Release some of your catch, and Teach others), practicing casting, and learning to tie a knot to help keep your hook on your line, the group got their rods, reels, and bait and got to fishing.

Some of the participants had gone fishing before. For others this was their first time fishing.

At least one young angler got a fish on his first cast…and it was his first fish ever. The group continued to fish for over an hour before there were a couple rumbles of thunder. That ended the fishing for the day.

Thank you to all the families who came out and gave fishing a try. We hope to see them on the lake and streams again!

Stay tuned for more fishing programs and check out the PA Fish and Boat Commission’s website for more of their upcoming events.

And don’t forget NPC is a fishing tackle loaner site! Reach out if you want to borrow some rods and reels!

By, Susan Sprout

Lovely and delicate Squirrel Corn, Dicentra canadensis, is blooming now! Look for it in rich woodlands with nearby streams. I found mine near a small run, down over a bank, along a dirt road. My husband, once again, hearing, “Oh! Oh! Quick, stop the truck. I gotta get a picture of this!” Large colonies were growing in the dappled sunlight that filters down through the upper canopy during the day.

The flowers got my attention first. They looked like Dutchman’s Breeches, but the closer I got, the more they resembled small white Bleeding Hearts. If you are familiar with the garden variety Bleeding Heart blossoms, you know they are really pink and have spit-apart heart shapes that dangle from an arching stem. The Squirrel Corn flowers, cream or very pale pink, are arranged the same way, hanging down on a smooth, arching stem, several inches above the light green foliage. The leaves are sort of a triangle shape, divided and re-divided into narrow segments, giving them a lacy effect. In order to correctly identify this native plant, I teased its roots apart to look for the physical characteristic responsible for its common name – a small group of attached tubers that resemble kernels of corn or small yellow peas – and then carefully replanted them. Yeah! Squirrel Corn! 

After fertilization, drooping seed capsules with flattened, oval shapes will form and split into two parts releasing the seeds. Dicentra, the genus name of all three plants – Dutchman’s Breeches, Squirrel Corn and Bleeding Hearts – means “two spurs” which they all have! They are members of the same family. I can’t say which one right now because they are listed in two different ones, Poppy Family and Fumitory Family, depending on the resource!

All parts of Squirrel Corn are poisonous and can cause skin irritation after contact with cell sap. In fact, after I dug around to check the roots, my fingers itched for a bit. Hand sanitizer helped with that. (Silver lining of the Covid cloud…we never used to carry it in the truck before!)  These plants are native from southeastern Canada down through northeastern and eastern United States. They attract butterflies and bees, songbirds and small mammals (squirrels?). They appear to be resistant to deer and rabbits.

By Susan Sprout

Up until the 1960’s, fungi were considered plants and categorized in the plant kingdom. After extensive chemical and DNA testing, they were placed in their own separate kingdom. Morels are an ascomycete, or sac fungus, because their spores are produced in microscopic sacs that then release them to the winds. 

It seemed every time I googled something this month, a photo of morels showed up on the screen. I knew what they were because one popped up in my friend’s yard last year. Oh, how I longed to have one appear in mine as well! Several days after my husband mowed our yard for the first time this spring, a Yellow Morel appeared. What a beauty it was, with its white-ribbed stem and unusual bumpy and pitted yellowish-tan cap! The pits and hollows are where its spore-making sacs, the asci, are located. Here’s hoping lots of its creamy ocher-yellow spores have dispersed in my yard and underground. We do have two dead apple trees that, along with other mixed hardwoods like ash and elms, are favored habitat for this species of morel, Morchella americana. Trees, as they deteriorate, provide all the essential nutrients that morels need to sustain themselves, which they do by using their extensive mycelium (masses of tubular filaments) to absorb food and water. They may come back in the same place every year if the weather is favorable. Similar to Earth-like planets astronomers are looking for in space, in the soil down here, Yellow Morels have their own habitable or Goldilocks zone. They cannot grow in very hot climates or very cold climates.

My resource book, Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States, indicates there are more than 100,000 species of fungi described so far, and 64,000 of them are ascomycetes, ranging in size from pinhead to moderately large. The truffles of Italy and France are members of this group, too. No, I did not harvest my morel for food, although I understand they are delicious when prepared properly. They are extremely toxic if eaten raw. Perhaps the poison in their caps kept animals from consuming them before they reproduced. It worked – they have been living on earth for over 154 million years.

“Every year the Environmental Excellence honorees show the creative and innovative ways we can improve our environment, and this year is no different,” said Governor Tom Wolf. “The projects highlighted this year show tremendous diversity in how they are making Pennsylvania a better place.”

The Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy and Pennsylvania Game Commission’s efforts on Plunketts Creek at Proctor are being recognized with a Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence. The project removed an earthern berm, reconnected Plunkeets Creek to its floodplain, allowed improvements to Huckle Run Road, and works to reduce flooding for neighbors at the site and downstream.

The project was evaluated for the degree of environmental protection, innovation, partnership, economic impact, consideration of climate change, sustainability, and environmental justice, as well as outcomes achieved. It, along with 14 other projects from across the state, were recognized with the 2022 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in Harrisburg.

During the event, DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said, “It is always a privilege to spotlight people going above and beyond to improve the environment and make our great outdoor spaces more accessible. Each of the projects awarded this year will leave a positive lasting legacy for Pennsylvania.”

This project’s lasting legacy will be less flooding, more ecological functioning, and better water quality. Plunketts Creek is a High Quality-Cold Water Fishery with naturally reproducing trout. The Creek is in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the water in the Creek gets to the Bay through Loyalsock Creek, the West Branch Susquehanna River, and then the Susquehanna River

In Phase 1 in 2020 NPC and PGC stabilized the eroding streambanks on an 850 foot stretch of Plunketts Creek using log and rock structures designed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The eroding streambanks were adding sediment to the stream and covering the substrate on the bottom. By immediately stabilizing the streambanks, the source of the sediment was eliminated. Over time, the sediment on the stream bottom will flush out of the system.

In 2021, as Phase 2, the partners removed 2,200 linear feet of the earthen berm along Plunketts Creek and restored the Creek’s access to the floodplain, lowering adjacent flood elevations and the erosive potential of the stream. One of the outstanding attributes of the project was the 333^rd Engineering Company of the US Army Reserves, based in Reading, PA, completed the project as their summer 2021 training exercise. The soldiers were able to get 3 weeks of training while also providing a huge environmental benefit to the community.

A Dirt and Gravel Road Project on Huckle Run Road (also on State Game Lands 134) received over 1,500 truckloads (approximately 15,000 tons) of material from the berm. The dirt road was incised forcing rain water and snow melt to run down the road. This directed sediment into nearby Huckle Run (also High Quality with Naturally Reproducing Trout). In addition to the water quality improvements, this road project also improves public access. Huckle Run Road will soon be open to allow the public to access the State Game Lands.

The project was only possible because of the efforts of a number of partners working together. One of the key partners was the 1^st Platoon of the 333^rd Engineering Company of the US Army Reserves. The Reservists used the project as their 2021 summer training project. Their assistance was possible because of the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training program.

The partners who worked with the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy and Pennsylvania Game Commission to help make the project possible were:

• Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
• Lycoming County Conservation District
• 333^rd Engineering Company of US Army Reserves
• Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds
• Susquehanna River Basin Commission
• PA Council of Trout Unlimited
• Coldwater Heritage Program
• Loyalsock Creek Men’s Club
• Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association
• American Legion Post 104 (Montoursville, PA)

If you’re interested in learning more about the project, check out these blog posts:

Army Reserve Engineering Unit Partnership with NPC and PA Game Commision

Plunketts Creek Berm Removal One Step Closer

333rd Makes Progress at Plunketts Creek

Berm Removal Along Plunketts Creek Wraps Up

Survey Work at Plunketts Creek

Plunketts Creek Using Its Floodplain