Fun Facts
- The name of the park comes from a Native American word meaning “the place of bad noises”. Noisy rumblings and echoes were witnessed by the Pequot, Mohegan and Narragansetts, and the name persisted through the two following centuries. In 1981, geologists declared that “micro earthquakes” were the cause of the rumblings and that a local cave echoed the tremors loudly.
- Although there are native lily pads in CT, most found here now are invasive.
Some of the plants mentioned on this walk.
Sweet Fern is an aromatic, deciduous shrub that looks like a fern, but is actually a member of the bayberry or wax myrtle family. It is native to the eastern U.S. and has scalloped leaves. It has traditionally been used as a treatment for poison ivy rash. Of note, Poison Ivy never grows where Sweet Fern grows!
Common Mullein is a biennial, living for two years. In its first year, it grows leaves in a basal rosette, and in its second year it sends up a flower stalk and produces seeds. It is known to be a good fire starter.