BMWS Station

STATION XI Betty Matthiessen Wildlife Sanctuary To the right of the trail is a grove of American beech, a tree easily recognized by its smooth gray bark, shallow spreading roots, and long, sharply pointed buds. Dull green, oval, toothed leaves turn yellow in autumn and may persist on the branches

STATION X Betty Matthiessen Wildlife Sanctuary Dwarf dandelion grows in the dry soil at this station overlooking Island Pond. Relatively few species are capable of withstanding the environmental extremes of fluctuating salinity and temperature typical of brackish water environments, and those that can adapt may occur in large numbers. Two

STATION IX Betty Matthiessen Wildlife Sanctuary This station, perched above the small freshwater pond, marks a high point with distant tree line and water views. A patch of evergreen club moss or “princess pine” carpets the ground. Clubmosses are primitive, spore-producing vascular plants more closely related to ferns than mosses.

STATION VIII Betty Matthiessen Wildlife Sanctuary This station offers an excellent view of the outer pond, barrier beach, and the channel that links Island Pond with Beach Pond and Block Island Sound, where distant windmills can be seen on a clear day. After the Hurricane of 1938, a pump was

STATION VII Betty Matthiessen Wildlife Sanctuary Along the trail, fallen leaves, logs, and branches provide a good example of how nature recycles. Trees on islands are subject to stress, perhaps more so than their mainland counterparts. High winds and salt spray can weaken trees, making them susceptible to pathogens. Sometimes,

STATION VI Betty Matthiessen Wildlife Sanctuary As the trail turns inland, away from the pond and up the hill, you may see and hear migrant and resident songbirds that nest in the sanctuary during the breeding season between late April and July, including Gray Catbird, Eastern Towhee, and Black-capped Chickadee.

STATION V Betty Matthiessen Wildlife Sanctuary The path leaving the freshwater pond intersects the outer trail loop along the northern edge of Island Pond. This site provides an opportunity to see shorebirds and raptors that frequent the pond and feed on marine fauna. Depending on the time of year, possible

STATION IV Betty Matthiessen Wildlife Sanctuary This little pond (0.4 acres) contains fresh water rather than the brackish water that surrounds the sanctuary peninsula and therefore attracts a distinctly different biota. Green frogs, pickerel frogs, spring peepers, snapping turtles, and painted turtles, common residents of inland ponds, are found here,

STATION III Betty Matthiessen Wildlife Sanctuary At the trail junction, notice a grove of tall pepperidge (also known as black gum, sour gum, or tupelo), a member of the dogwood family that often forms pure stands in coastal forests. Pepperidge has a distinctive branching pattern, with horizontal or declining lower

STATION II Betty Matthiessen Wildlife Sanctuary Away from the pond edge, dense shrubby thickets border the trail. The shrubs include an interesting mix of species, with those more tolerant of wet conditions occurring at lower elevations. Here, we find sweet pepperbush, a deciduous shrub recognized throughout the year by persistent