Stonebridge Waterfowl Preserve
Newtown Turnpike, Weston, Fairfield, Connecticut
21 acres
Directions:
Exit 41 off of the Merritt Parkway. Turn right onto Sunny Lane. Turn right onto Wilton Road; turn right onto Newton Turnpike. Follow the Turnpike into Wilton. The Preserve entrance is on the left shortly after passing the intersection on the left with Stone Bridge Road.
Habitats:
pond, river, fields, wetlands, uplands, woods
Trails:
Half of the Preserve is north of Stonebridge Road, and half is south of Stonebridge Road. The parking area is on the west side of Newtown Turnpike just north of Stonebridge Ridge. The trails constitute a series of loop trails.
Northern section: The main one goes out from the parking area across the field, over Saugatuck River, back over Saugatuck River and returning to the parking area. In the far north of this northern section, there are two main loops coming off the main loop, one on the west side of the Pond and another on the east side of the Pond.
Southern section: This trail heads down one side of the Saugatuck River, crosses to the other side and returns back to Stonebridge Road and the Northern section of the Preserve.
9/21/2005. We (Ceferino Santana, dog Sonar and I) arrived early in the morning at the Preserve. From the parking area we walked north to the field and then west across the fields and then to the the bridge crossing the Saugatuck River. We walked north along the River to the Pond, which is relatively small. We decided to continue on the northwestern loop to head all the way south to Stonebridge Road. We re-crossed the river, headed back into the woods, and then headed north back to the parking lot. It was a short walk. Floodplains are better studied in the spring and perhaps I can return next spring, 2006. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.
PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = plants blooming on field trip, 9/21/2005
Trees:
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)
Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory)
Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus sp. (ash)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pyrus malus (apple)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Sassafras albidum (sassafras)
Tilia americana (American basswood)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)
Ulmus rubra (slippery elm)
Shrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush)
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Corylus sp. (hazel)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel)
Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly)
Ligustrum sp. (privet)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus hispidus (swamp dewberry)
Rubus alleghaniensis (common blackberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Sambucus canadensis (common elderberry)
Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)
Viburnum acerifolium (maple-leaf viburnum)
Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum)
Vines:
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (porcelainberry)
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Dioscorea villosa (wild yam root)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis labrusca (fox grape)
Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Arisaema triphyllum (Jack in the pulpit)
Aster divaricatus (white wood aster) *
Aster spp. (small white aster) *
Bidens frondosa (beggar ticks) *
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle)
Callitriche sp. (water starwort)
Chelidonium majus (celandine)
Chelone glabra (white turtlehead) *
Circaea lutetiana (enchanter's nightshade)
Commelina communis (Asiatic day flower) *
Cryptotaenia canadensis (honewort)
Epilobium coloratum (purple-leaved willowherb)
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pileweed)
Eupatorium fistulosum (trumpetweed)
Galium sp. (bedstraw)
Geranium sp. (geranium)
Geum canadense (white avens)
Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket)
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed) *
Iris sp. (blue or yellow flag)
Lemna sp. (duckweed)
Ludwigia palustris (water purslane)
Lysimachia nummularia (moneywort)
Mentha arvensis (wild mint)
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel)
Pilea pumila (clearweed)
Plantago major (common plantain)
Polygonum arifolium (halberd-leaved tearthumb)
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose smartweed) *
Polygonum sagittatum (arrow-leaved tearthumb) *
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed)
Rumex obtusifolius (broad dock)
Smilax herbacea (carrion flower)
Solidago flexicaulis (zig-zag goldenrod) *
Solidago rugosa (rough-leaved goldenrod) *
Solidago spp. (goldenrod) *
Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage)
Thalictrum pubescens (tall meadowrue)
Trifolium pratense (red clover)
Urtica dioica var. dioica (stinging nettle)
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York ironweed)
Rushes:
Juncus effusus (soft rush)
Juncus tenuis (path rush)
Sedges:
Carex laxiflora type (loose-flowered type sedge)
Grasses:
Glyceria sp. (mannagrass)
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass)
Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail grass)
Ferns:
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)
Osmunda claytoniana (interrupted fern)
Osmunda regalis (royal fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)
Thelypteris noveboracensis (New York fern)
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