Stevenson Recreational Facility
Route 34, Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut

Directions:

Saw Mill River Parkway north to US 684 north to US 84 east; get off at Exit 11; turn right onto Mile Hill Road; turn right again, this time onto Washington Avenue (Route 34);  head all the way down Route 34 (it follows down Berkshire Road and then down Roosevelt Drive) to just before crossing the dam bridge over Lake Zoar.  Turn right at the sign for the boat launch just before the bridge; head past the power station and park at the parking area at the Recreational Facility.  There are stairs leading down to the Housatonic River, just below the dam and the waters of Lake Zoar.  (Be careful at the bottom of the steps as some of the rocks are loose and one can slip or fall here.)

Trails:

Paugussett Trail: Stay on Route 34 towards Newtown; take second or third left after the dam onto Route 111/Zoar Rd; cross the railroad tracks; turn immediately left onto Cottage Street (staying to the left as Cottage Street Cottage becomes Webb Circle); turn sharply left onto the narrow Old Fish House Road. Here is a park sign; follow the road to the park.

9/07/2005.   On a beautiful day, Ceferino Santana, dog Sonar and I parked below the Stevenson dam.  We walked down the steps to the shore line of the Housatonic River.  We examined the open shore line, which was not extensive here.  There were no apparent trails along the shoreline.  We climbed back up the stairs to examine the small park area.  I had the feeling that we were being watched.  Examining the plants near the No Trespassing area, the open gates suddenly started to close.  And not much longer after that a police car showed up.  By this time I was looking up a plant in the purple illustrated book to Gleason and Cronquist and we were looking pretty innocuous.  On his way out, the police officer stopped to take one last look to make sure we weren't suddenly going to pull out a bomb to blow the dam.   Dr. Patrick L. Cooney. 

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney

*   = plants blooming on field trip, 9/07/2005

Trees:
Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven)
Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar) 
Picea abies (Norway spruce)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine)
Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Ulmus rubra (slippery elm)

Shrubs:
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)

Vines:
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Cuscuta sp. (dodder)     *
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis labrusca (fox grape)

Herbs:
Acalypha sp. (three-seeded mercury)
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Aster spp. (aster)     *
Bidens cernua (nodding bur marigold)     *
Bidens sp. (beggar tick)
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle)
Commelina communis (Asiatic dayflower)     *
Conyza canadensis (horseweed)  
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pileweed)     *
Euphorbia cyparissias (cypress spurge)
Euphorbia nutans (eyebane spurge)
Galium sp. (bedstraw)
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed)     *
Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs)     *
Lobelia inflata (Indian tobacco)    *
Ludwigia palustris (water purslane)
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife)     *
Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose)     *
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel)     *
Pilea pumila (clearweed)
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain)
Plantago major (common plantain)
Polygonum sp. (smartweed)     *
Prunella vulgaris (self-heal)     *
Rumex acetosella (sheep sorrel)
Scutellaria lateriflora (mad-dog skullcap)
Solanum nigrum (black nightshade)     *
Solidago speciosa (showy goldenrod)     *
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)
Urtica dioica var. dioica (stinging nettle)     *
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)
Verbena hastata (blue vervain)     *

Sedges:
Cyperus filiculmis (slender sedge)

Grasses:
Digitaria sp. (crab grass)
Eragrostis spectabilis (purple love grass)
Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail grass)
Tridens flavus (purple top grass)

Ferns:
Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern)
Dryopteris marginalis (marginal woodfern)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive  fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)

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