Clark Reservation State Park

 Hart's Tongue Fern Hike 

at Clark Reservation State Park

6105 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville, NY 13078

Saturday, September 10, 2022

Hike to begin at 10 AM

Members who attended the NYS Parks' Plant Materials Program tour on July 23 learned about the Hart's-Tongue Fern that grows in Clark Reservation State Park.  Clark Reservation was purchased by Mary Clark Thompson in 1915 to preserve its scenic beauty and geological interest, it became a State Park in 1926.

 

Mike Serviss will lead our tour featuring many of the 27 different fern species found in the park.  The entire program will last about 3 hours and some trails may be difficult for those with mobility issues.  Mike has built in several "escape" routes on the hike in the event anyone needs to leave early or is unable to navigate the trails beyond certain points.  The wild hart's tongue ferns grow on cliff-side refugia and are the most difficult to get to.

Please contact Laura Ouimette at 

canandaiguabotanical@gmail.com 

if you plan to attend. 

 

We can meet you at Clark Reservation State Park at 10 AM on September 10, or Laura will help to arrange carpools for the journey from Canandaigua and surrounding areas to Clark Reservation near Syracuse, NY.  Hikers are encouraged to bring water, hiking poles, and snacks/lunch.

For more about Clark Reservation State Park:

https://www.friendsofclarkreservation.org/

https://www.friendsofclarkreservation.org/projects

August 21 Mushroom walk: https://www.friendsofclarkreservation.org/events-1 

Colton Ratey with Hart's Tongue Fern at NYS Parks Plant Material Program tour

On the sunny warm morning of Saturday, September 10, 2022 Mike Serviss met a dozen members in front of the Clark Reservation State Park Nature Center for a Fantastic Ferns Walk.  Mike shared extensive information about the history, status, genetics, lineage, and current efforts to protect the Hart's Tongue Fern.  Before hiking to the Hart's Tongue Fern, Mike gave us a Fantastic Ferns walk checklist and this Fern Life Cycle information:

We started in the Clark Reservation's Native Plant Garden

Sensitive fern - sensitive to first frost and drought

Christmas fern - green all year

Notice Christmas fern leaves look like tiny Christmas stockings

Northern Maidenhair fern

Maidenhair fern has black wire like stems

Ostrich fern

Fertile stalk

taking a closer look at the spores

Pause to appreciate Mildred Faust

Bulblet fern - kidney red and lays down

Marginal wood fern - twice disected

Lady fern

closer look at lady fern

Maidenhair spleenwort

Rock polypody/Rock cap fern

walking fern

American hart's tongue fern

Not in Peterson Field Guide, Ferns.  But Bruce has it in his fern field guide.

More information about American hart's tongue fern (of which Mike shared with us): 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/asplenium_scolopendrium_americanum.shtml