Join Beth Dickson from 10am to noon on Thursday, 10 October 2024 for a leisurely walk within the Succotash Marsh State Management Area in South Kingstown, RI. The 182-acre management area is located between Potter Pond and Point Judith Pond near the village of Jerusalem. The tide reaches the salt marsh system though a connection via the Point Judith breachway. The margins of the salt marsh receive different levels of tidal fluctuations, creating zones of vegetation types.
(Hudsonia tomentosa (sand false heather, woolly beach-heather), photo DMcGrady)
We will see that the dominant species is Spartina alterniflora (salt marsh cordgrass) at the lower, more regularly flooded areas of the marsh. At higher more irregularly flooded areas, Distichlis spicata (saltgrass) and Spartina patens (saltmeadow cordgrass) predominate. On slightly higher areas, salt scrub vegetation survives, which includes Baccharis halimifolia (groundsel-tree) and Iva frutescens (maritime marsh-elder). Other plants we will see are Solidago sempervirens (seaside goldenrod), Symphytotrichum tenuifolium (saltmarsh aster), Hudsonia tomentosa (sand false heather), Limonium carolinianum (sea-lavender), and Ammophila breviligulata (American beach grass).
Be prepared to get your feet wet. There are no bathroom facilities.
This walk is free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated.DONATE
Registration Below. We will email the meet up location and directions to those who register a few days before the walk using either office@riwps.org or communications@riwps.org. (Be sure to check your spam/junk folder if you do not get this email.)
Cancellations. We always have more people who want to attend a walk than can be accommodated. If you find that you cannot attend, notify office@riwps.org as soon as possible.
As with all our walks, sturdy footwear (for this walk – footwear for wet terrain), clothing appropriate for the weather and for protection against sun exposure, ticks and other insects, briers, tree root etc. as well as a sufficient supply of water and nourishment are essential. Dogs are not permitted.