STORY BEHIND OUR PHOTO OF THE WEEK:  I am always out and about, looking to visit, photograph, and then share those sites, sights and experiences with as many people as possible. Trying to introduce, educate and, thus, create a sense of value for our wonderful open spaces, park lands and historical sites!! 

These Photo of the Week articles, along with my Flickr site, Facebook posts and email messages all help me spread the word – and photos – as part of my Open Space Outreach Program as Director of Open Space at Allamuchy Township. 

My latest Facebook post was yesterday, when I did an auto tour showcasing various places I had visited while ‘looking for stuff.’  That word ‘stuff’ includes anything, anywhere and whenever regarding nature, wildlife, history or open space!  Well, I posted my photos and their stories, which included these beautiful wildflowers along with some of their ‘guests’ feeding on them.  I received my normal feedback and interactions with my Facebook friends, including a couple of messages that actually named what type of plant was in my photos!!  THANK YOU Pam Taylor, nature photographer!! 

I started to research these flowers and then it dawned on me – I can develop this into my Photo of the Week article!!  Not only showing nature’s beautiful wild plants with some visitors/guests on them, but making the point that ‘Beautiful is not always Beneficial,’ which you will read about below.

NOTE:  Over the years, my visits were normally hiking in and around places taking my photos. With this summer’s heat and humidity, along with the fact many sites are not easily accessible because of road closures, I opted to do ‘Auto Tours’ of what is available.  I have to say, I am seeing more wildlife on these auto tours than I see when hiking!!  GRANTED, I am going very slow and looking!!  BUT I am proving the point that wildlife is at these places!! 

Charlie says, “If you go – you might see”!!!  (Or go to my Flickr and Facebook sites where you will definitely see!!)

NOTE:  I also use these auto tours as a way of expanding or ‘pushing the envelope,’ trying to encourage our seniors and those with physical challenges to view the parks and open space areas from the very comfort of their vehicles!!  They can view what I present from my car AND hopefully think, If Charlie sees all this from a car, just maybe, I have the same chance or opportunity!!  Again, building a sense of confidence to get out and visit, along with a sense of hope, ‘I might see something’ followed by that all important, these Parks and Open Space Lands are of value to me!!  A sense of belonging!!

OK, let us begin learning and seeing some beautiful plants and their visiting guests!!  I use the word guests, Nature has it all set up!!  Pretty flower or smell attracts insects and wildlife to eat, the visiting insects, birds and animals then spread plant’s seeds and pollen!!

JOE-PYE-WEED:  DON’T let that word WEED, put a damper to your interest or appreciation of this plant!!!  Up close, the blooms of Joe Pye weed look fairly insignificant!!  HOWEVER, when viewed as a whole, the large clusters are stunning!!  Hundreds of tiny thread-like petals on huge stalks create wonderful clouds of blooms in late summer and remain all the way into fall.  ANOTHER PLEASING BENEFIT!!!  These clouds of blooms are extremely attractive to butterflies and other pollinators, so lots of activity around your garden will be given with Joe-Pye-weed.  Once the blooms begin to fade, the seeds will ripen and puff up even further to add more late-season interest!!  I always look forward to visiting the places where these plants are, ALWAYS BUTTERFLIES AND INSECTS TO PHOTOGRAPH!!

Better Homes & Garden has some interesting info on this beautiful, wild plant, along with tips so you can include it to your home garden!!

What you should avoid planting is PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE. Yes, it is a beautiful part of our wetlands, but SADLY, this is an invasive species. As you will read below, it constitutes a clear and present danger to not only our native wild flowers but to some of our native wildlife as well!!  The only reason I am displaying the Purple loosestrife is to educate and make you aware to the fact that in Nature, ‘Beauty is not always Native or Beneficial’

Purple loosestrife is tolerant of many water habitats and produces as many as TWO MILLION seeds a season.  This causes it to spread very quickly over large areas. Leaf size even changes to maximize light, and these characteristics allow it to easily out-compete many native plants.  This greatly decreases biodiversity, even seriously reducing populations of animals such as the rare bog turtle.

You can visit this link from the Great Swamp Watershed Association for more info about identifying and managing the purple loosestrife, as well as learn about a great place to visit.

Two of our photos were taken a couple of days ago at Merrill Creek Reservoir, just behind the visitor center is a Butterfly Garden – easy to reach and not far from the parking!

Please visit my Flickr site for more photos of Merrill Creek Reservoir and then arrange your visit by visit the Resevoir’s website!

Enjoy your open space!

Charlie

Charlie Fineran is Allamuchy’s Director of Open Space, Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission Chairman and Allamuchy Historical Society President.