http://blogs.umb.edu/suzannahduffy001/2014/03/24/nantruckin-around-stump-pond/

Nan”truckin” around Stump Pond
March 24, 2014 by suzannahduffy001 | 0 comments
Today was the start of the last week of our second to last class here on Nantucket. Time is flying by! There are just four weeks left before we complete this island adventure. Speaking of island adventure, today in our Natural History of Nantucket class with Peter Brace, we explored a piece of the island that we had not been to yet: Stump Pond!
The beautiful view that is Stump Pond and Peter’s dog Kizmit
The beautiful view that is Stump Pond and Peter’s dog Kizmit.
In the distance there is a dome of trees all grouped together. That is a stand of Tupelo trees, they are very common here on island. An interesting fact about Tupelos is that all the trees in the stand are actually clones of one another. Every single tree in that stand is connected at the roots!
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Before entering the trails in the forest we walked along the cranberry bogs. We were completely surrounded by fields of red berries and streams that seemed to go on for miles!
Darren hoped to find a salamander or snake under one of the snake boards that are left on the side of the trail
Darren hoped to find a salamander or snake under one of the snake boards that are left on the side of the trail
Along the trail at Stump pond are wooden boards called Snake Boards. Once it starts getting warm out snakes and salamanders like to hide underneath these boards for shelter. Even though it was warm today, it wasn’t quite warm enough to find any 🙁
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Today was the perfect day for a hike! It was a little brisk at first, but once we made our way into the forested trails the trees and shrubs that surrounded us acted as a shield from the wind. We were all dressed for arctic conditions, but by the end of the trail everyone was taking off their extra layers and embracing the cool breeze. The sun was really smiling down on us today. Hopefully there will be more warm, sunny days in the near future. Its always fun to be outside exploring everything that this island has to offer us. We still have alot of ground to cover before the semester is over!