Rines Preserve in Unity, Maine (Unity College) Preview

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Light at Rines Preserve

One thing to be aware of while walking along this trail is the light! When you start in the old field you notice there are no tall trees creating a canopy, only open skies. This increased light allows these herbacous and grassy species to thrive without competing against canopy species such as mighty oaks or large maples. As you progress farther back into the trail you'll notice some saplings or shrubby species before you reach the established canopy. Canopy openings may stimulate growth of potentially competative plant species such as intolerant trees, grasses, sedges etc. Light availability can also affect regeneration of wetland plants.

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Rabbit-foot clover (Trifolium arvense)

Flowers are dense and fuzzy and come from leaf axils at the tips of branching stems. White to pale-pink in color. Leaves are compound and in threes, mostly toothless and tapered at the base. The leaf surface has fine hairs all around the edges. The annual growth cycle does well in part shade or sun, dry sandy soil, and disturbed sites. Greens and leaves can be eaten by wildlife such as rodents and small mammals. This plant can also be used as a natural remedy for some stomach issues in humans (according to minnesotawildflowers.com).

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Northern red oak (Quercus rubra)

There is a Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) sapling at the start of the trail. Note the large, simple leaves that are arranged alternately on the branches. Leaves have 7-11 waxy lobes, and turn red in the fall. Northern red oak is found in forests and occasionally wetlands which means its presence here is common. It is a very useful product for fuelwood and lumber. The oak attracts songbirds, ground birds, mammals, and insects, some of who will eat parts of the tree such as the leaves and acorns. We included this species in our tour due to its importance for various wildlife species and its iconic shape and structure.

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Vegetation Structure

While walking through Rines Preserve, we can identify different layers of a forest. These layers include forest floor (root and moss layers), herb, shrub, understory, and canopy layers. The canopy layers at Rines were mostly made up of different birch, maple, and oak species. The understory was made up of some younger trees and smaller species, including young birch, beech trees, and aspen trees. Shrubs included winterberry holly and lowbush blueberry. Herbs were primarily different fern species such as the lady fern, bracken fern, and sensitive fern.

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Common winterberry (Ilex verticillata)

Going off the trail into the wetland, we came across a shrubby species with red berries on it. This species is known as common winterberry or winterberry holly. The leaves on this plant are usually wide and dull with distinct coarse teeth. Leaves may or may not have hair underneath. The bright red fruit begins to show in September or October and stays present throughout the winter.This shrub can be found on the shores of rivers, lakes, swamps. and wetland margins. Its red berries provide a critical food source during the winter for birds and nesting habitats in the summer. It can be used as an ornamental plant but also benefits insects such as honey bees and butterflies. Regardless of this tour is done in the winter or the summer, this ecologically important is surely a sight to see.

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Cherry birch (Betula lenta)

Also known as sweet birch, cherry birch grows best in moist, acidic, sandy, or rocky, well-drained areas in full sun to partial shade. It is native to eastern North America and is commonly found in forests of both low and high elevations. Cherry birch has brown or black bark and young trees are marked by thin horizontal stripes. It is a popular tree to be used for fuelwood or lumber products. Its sap was once used as an ingredient in birch beer and in wintergreen oil which was used as a preservative and medicinal rub. It can be a food source for white-tailed deer, moose, and cottontail rabbits as well as grouse who like to eat the seeds and buds. This unique find makes for an interesting stop!

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Small water-plantain (Alisma subcordatum)

Going off the trail into the wetland area we noticed numerous aquatic species. Water-plantain species grow in water, swamps, on muddy banks, or occasionally in wet sand. Leaves are long-petioled and in a clump with a long flowering stem rising above them. Flowers are very small and in widely branched clusters. The small water-plantain blooms in the late spring and can be propagated by seeds and bare roots. The roots were actually traditionally dried and eaten by Indigenous tribes.

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Wetland area

Going slightly off the trail, you can come across some wetland areas with different vegetation. Some vegetation found here includes bracken fern, small water plantain, and different mosses. We also came across a small frog in the water as well.

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Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis)

Sensitive fern varies in height from a few inches to more than 3 ft. Its sterile fronds, which wither early, are light to brown-mottled green and deeply cut into long lobes which almost reach the stem. Twice-pinnate fertile fronds appear in late summer and, though dead, remain upright through winter. Fiddleheads appear in the spring in shades of pale red. The roots colonize but are usually shallow, though hefty. (LBJ Wildflower Center, 2017). Found in moist woodlands, floodplains, stream banks, swamps, and marshes.The sensitive fern has coarsely lobed leaves and is medium to large in size. Its name comes from American settlers that it was sensitive to frost, as it would die quickly when first touched by it.

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Eastern spicy-wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)

Along the trail's edge in the beginning we found some wintergreen. We identified this plant by its short plant height, waxy type leaves, and leaf shape. The leaves are dark green which turn reddish in winter and there are three to a plant. When flowering, the plant produces bell-shaped nodding flowers.Eastern spicy-wintergreen is found in a variety of habitats and is usually found in carpet-like patches along forest edges, forests, meadows, and occasionally in wetlands. An interesting characteristic of this plant is when you take a leaf and break it open, it has a distinct 'minty' wintergreen smell! This plant was also used by Indigenous tribes as a cold remedy and analgesic. Species of wildlife that utilize this plant are chipmunks, grouse, mice, birds, and deer who all eat the leaves during the winter. This fragrant plant has cultural history and ecological significance which makes it an important stop on our tour!

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Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)

A little off the trail there is a young Quaking aspen sapling. Leaves are rounded and triangular with small teeth on the margins. They are arranged alternately on the branches. When older the bark is mostly smooth to chalk-white or yellow-green.This tree species is found in forest edges forests, meadows, fields, shrublands, and occasionally wetlands. It can hybridize naturally with other species such as bigtooth aspen and white poplar. Most importantly, it attracts a variety of birds, mammals, and butterflies. It has high palatability for deer.This species was added to the tour due to its unique characteristics and ecological importance.

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White goldenrod (Solidago bicolor)

On the left side of the trail, we spotted a long plant that looked like common goldenrod, but its flowers were shaped differently and were white rather than yellow. White goldenrod has an elongated spike of short-stalked flower heads with white and yellowish rays. The leaves are alternate and can have teeth, but are majority simple in appearance. The stem on this goldenrod species is hairy.White goldenrod can be found in disturbed habitats, meadows, fields, and woodlands. This plant supports various pollinators such as native honey bees and butterflies. Due to their importance to pollinators and unique color, we decided to add this to our tour.

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Wildlife at Rines

At this point in the trail, we found some scat, a field mouse, and some tracks which hint towards the variety of wildlife that can be found in this preserve. Due to the various tree, shrub, and herbaceous species found we can conclude that mice, deer, and fox can be found within this preserve.

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Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)

Near an access point of a wetland area, which was also near the paper birch noted previously, we found a young eastern white pine. It was about 2-3 feet in height and slightly narrower than it was tall. The needles on an eastern white pine are two to four inches in length and come in bundles of five which is a unique characteristic of this tree. The needles have a bluish-green tint and the buds are cylindrical, thin, and reddish in color. This tree is very popular as a lumber product, a Christmas tree product, and used for various other products. This pine can be found in disturbed habitats, forest edges, swamps. woodlands, and occasionally wetlands. You can tell a pine apart from spruce by rolling the needles in between your fingers. If they are round and roll it is most likely spruce.

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Common hair moss (Polytrichum commune)

This evergreen species was found throughout this study site both on the side of the trail and near trees and shrubs. It grouws to about 1inch in height with yellow-green colors. The base of this plant is often darker than its top. American Robins have been seen using this plant to help build their nests each year.

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Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)

Next to one of the wetland areas, there was a paper birch tree that was growing at a tilted angle. This tree overlooked water plantains and reeds. Paper birches can be identified by their characteristic white peeling bark and heart-shaped toothed leaves.These trees can be found in forests and forest edges, especially in low wet areas, hillsides, and stream banks. Songbirds, ground birds, butterflies, and mammals benefit from this tree for cover, food, and nesting habitat. This stunning and charismatic tree makes a perfect addition to the tour.

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Broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia)

Going further into the wetland area, there are several species of tall grasses, sedges, and rushes. The broadleaf cattail is a grass perennial that is often found in dense clumps. Its defining characteristic is the dense, brown, cylindrical flowering spike that is around through early fall and then becomes a white mass.Broadleaf cattails can be found in disturbed habitats, fens, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, or wetland margins. The species is native to the New England area and Indigenous tribes used it for medicine, food, and crafts. The broadleaf cattail also provides nesting sites for red-winged black birds, geese, ducks, and fish. Animals eat the shoots and roots while others eat seeds.

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Common reed (Phragmites spp.)

Common reed, also known as Phragmites, is a perennial reed. There are two main species of common reed - Phragmites australis which is an invasive species and Phragmites australis americanus which is native. The invasive species is an aggressive grower which outcompetes native vegetation. The visual differences between these two species are hard to determine which is why we made a generalization here.

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Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)

The Canada mayflower is a short plant with small, dense clusters of tiny white star-shaped flowers and 1-3 ovate leaves. This plant is native to deciduous and mixed woods, floodplains, and bog margins. This plant does not have noteworthy importance to wildlife, but it does attract some bird species. In folklore, the roots of this flower were used as a good luck charm and Indigenous tribes have been reported to use the plant for headaches and sore throats.Be on the lookout for this tiny little plant!