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Black Gum Woods'
Old-Growth Forest
The year 2002 marked the beginning of a series of acquisitions along a new region of the Rocky Fork Gorge -- located four river miles upstream from the heart of our current holdings. We refer to this section of the gorge as the Hózhó Canyon region. Hózhó Canyon is incredibly wild looking, with unusually steep ravines shadowing the narrow water course. Here the Rocky Fork rushes along a rock-bottomed canyon, bordered by unusual rock formations, and bountiful wildflower displays in the spring. The riffles along this stretch have the highest diversity of fresh-water mollusks to be found anywhere along the Rocky Fork. There is something about this wild, rocky region that feels like it belongs in the North Country. Even the birdlife contributes to this overall ambience. Several sightings of bald eagles and ospreys have been seen, flying above the winding river. Barn owls have also been recently recorded in the nearby fields, which is a state-listed species. Their odd squeaking screech is a common sound along creek’s adjacent fields in the early night. Two contiguous tracts were purchased in the Hózhó Canyon region early in 2002 to protect over a quarter of a mile of gorge frontage – the strikingly beautiful Hózhó Canyon Preserve, and the adjacent Mockingbird Hill property.
Black Gum Woods, just three properties north of Hózhó Canyon and Mockingbird Hill, first came to our attention when a FOR SALE sign showed up in front of a fine sturdy home built in the 1960’s’. For many years the residence was inhabited by the Superintendent of one of our local school systems. Because the property was situated on the gorge and was one of the important puzzle corridor pieces we were trying to re-connect, we decided to take a look at the property. We found the house to be unusually warm, comforting and spacious; with a pleasing setting. But when the Sanctuary’s board members toured the back forest that eventually ended at a cliff on the edge of the Rocky Fork, we were all dumbfounded. Here was an incredible old-growth forest including gigantic towering tulip trees, ghostly beech groves, and a rich scattering of twisted black gum trees. Standing in the shadow of these towering giants was a stirring experience, particularly so as our tour of the forest was interrupted by an usually intense April downpour and thunderstorm! Whether it was the profusion of spring flowers, the warm fresh rain, or the giant trees—or the combination of all three—we ended our tour unilaterally convinced that somehow this forest needed to become a permanent part of the Sanctuary.
Black
Gum Woods, with its impressive old-growth trees, was botanically inventoried
in April of 2002. It has a particularly fine understory and herbaceous
layer—with carpets of spring wildflowers strewn beneath the towering old trees.
Common wildflowers included white grandiflorum trillium, blue cohosh, mayapple,
wild geranium, spring beauties, trout lily, true and false Solomon’s seal, dwarf
larkspur, celandine poppy, dutchman’s breeches, hepatica, and
jack-in-the-pulpit. The prized medicinal plants of goldenseal and the
increasingly rare American ginseng were also recorded. The fall-sprouting
orchids, Puttyroot Orchid, Aplecturm hyemale, and Cranefly Orchid,
Tipularia discolor, are common sights on the winter woodland floor. Black
Gum Woods is an exemplary model of an old-growth forest community that was once
common in pre-settlement Ohio—and is now becoming increasingly rare.
This Property is Now Purchased in FULL!!