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Notes On the
Limits of the Sacred Precinct on Scovell's |
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Notes On the Limits of the Sacred
Precinct on Scovell's Knoll (Oak Hill), by Patricia M. Eckel Among
the various significant ecological communities that exist in the Artpark
complex at
Scovell's Knoll is an
inconspicuous feature on USGS topographic maps (click here). The
actual maintenance of Artpark is or has been outsourced into the public
sector. The primary focus of State Parks at Artpark is to maintain buildings
that support musical and dramatic entertainment in an arena-type setting.
Other thematic objectives include or have included public programs in art
education - as commented on previously - graphic, theatrical, craft and other
arts. Associated
with the entertainment arena are several large asphalt-topped parking areas
on ground adjacent to the arena and associated buildings and also on a series
of ascending tiers or terraces developed on masses of rubble (the
"spoil-area") deposited on the ground at the base of the
escarpment. This rubble probably also supports part of the incline of the
Robert Moses Parkway as it descends over the face of the escarpment parallel
to the road that preceded it: State Rte. 104 (an extension of Lewiston Road
running above the escarpment). The
constituent of this rubble derives from excavation, during the mid 20th
Century, of the bedrock for the reservoir and forebay just upstream at the
Robert Moses Powerplant, a structure built into the face of the Niagara River
gorge and extending west into the town of Land use
practices at the debouchment of the Lower Landing Archeological District has been designated a
National Historic Landmark. This site possesses national significance in
commemorating the history of the The base
of the escarpment at Railroad
service connected the lake traffic. There are three railroad beds, two within
Artpark descending from the upper bank to the lower along the face of the
gorge, and one close to the base of the escarpment but along its north face
(not in the gorge). Two
bridges across the river on the lake plane between In spite
of centuries of activity in the Artpark area, there are still two remnants of
pre-colonial ecological habitat to be found within its boundaries. One is an
apparently intact forest on the north-facing escarpment on its talus,
overlooking the arena buildings on the lake plain (see http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/ResBot/niag/Misc/ArtParkNotes.htm). Another
is the rocky outlier or knoll on the lake plain just above (north) of the
escarpment and just east of the banks of the It is
the flora of this knoll, and its significance, that is the subject of this
essay. Although
the Artpark area is the site of various historical human activities
acknowledged by the National Park Service, there is only one aboveground
historic element that is actually present and visible (except, perhaps, the
old bridge piers). Exposed as it is, it deserves the most attention from
preservation agencies and their agents. This is the Indian burial mound
located on the southwestern side of the knoll, and at its base on the lake
plain. This is perhaps the oldest representative of all the human activities
at the heart of the "Lower Landing Archeological District" and
appears to be the only extant artifact existing in the district only a
hundred feet or so from burial under the excavated rubble of the spoil areas
just south of it.
The Indian Mound at the
southwestern side of Scovell's Knoll occurs in a lightwell formed by the
removal (absence) of the native trees that once surrounded it and covered it
in shade. The greenery on its present surface is composed of mostly weedy species,
rather than the native plants that once covered it. It is possible these
plants were removed during excavation in the 1960's and no protocol exists to
restore them. Ritchie
(1965) wrote in 1965 that the Indian mound at Lewiston was "recently
discovered" and that at the time of writing it was still being excavated
by Richard L. McCarthy of Lockport, New York, "and associates of the
Ondiara [Ongiara?] Archeological Society." (p. 215-216). The burial
mound contained the remains of several human beings interred in both bundle
and cremation burial types. "Since these exist in all quarters of the
tumulus, and from the floor to within a foot or so of the surface, they seem
to have been interred over quite some period of time and the mound to have grown
by accretion of soil and rock placed over the progressively added human
remains." This type of pattern is associated with a similar structure to
the west of Radiocarbon
date of charcoal excavated from the Rather
than viewing the mound as the memorial of a single person, it may be viewed
as a cemetery where numerous individuals were chosen for burial. Scientific
excavation at the burial mound indicated, from the artifacts identified, that
the age of this feature is around AD 200-400 (Kevin Smith, pers. comm.).
Signage at the mound site indicates there is a radiocarbon date for it of 140
AD, and that it is identified as a "Middle Woodland Hopewell-style"
mound. The
purpose of this essay is not to detail the archaeological interpretation of
the site but to discuss the significance of the surrounding vegetation
relative to it. The question should be asked: is there a vegetational
precinct associated with the cultural and religious significance of this
ancient structure that is integral to the preservation of its historical
significance? Other
questions arise, such as to what extent does the entertainment and
recreational focus of the present State administration conflict with the
national importance of the district? Note also that the national designation
is directed to the colonial period, occurring nearly a millennium (1000
years) after the construction of the Indian mound. If anything, the mound's
existence is a testimony to the interaction of aboriginal peoples on the
North American continent back when most of It may
be important to ask why, if all the colonial and postcolonial evidence has
perished, did this humble trace of human activity survive? Also why did it survive in the midst of the
transportation stream, which is the main character of the activity focused on
in this historic district? It is
conceivable that the mound survived as it did because of the natural
character of the immediate environment in which it was originally constructed
at what is now Add to
this the admirable presence of an outlier of the tableland stretching south
of the crest of the escarpment and the lower lake plain - Scovell's Knoll, an
elevation that had survived the leveling effects of the last glaciation and
the subsequent drainage patterns as the glaciers retreated north. The bedrock
cap of the knoll is unusually resistant to erosion, which is the geological
basis for its existence, and the knoll is apparently the only feature of its
kind in the surrounding region. Add to
this the unusual hydrologic conditions that once obtained at this site. The
bedrock of the tableland stretching south of the crest of the escarpment is
riddled with fissures, as can be seen all along the Swampy
conditions surrounding the knoll can be imagined from the present impoundment
of water within a few yards of the Indian mound on its southern side,
comprising a boggy area on the eastern side of the mound. A plaque at the
site indicates there is a cold-water spring there that flows into the pond.
Year-round flow of groundwater that may derive from an artesian condition
where water from above the escarpment now finds its way onto the lower plain
through fissures in the bedrock and pours over the lower banks of the Niagara
River. It supporting a curious and unusual ecological community of saturated
masses of vivid green moss, dominated by Didymodon
tophaceus, the epithet referring to the tufa, the stony deposits left
behind as a respiration product of these tiny plants. This moss forms a thin yellow-brown
calcareous curtain under the moss carpets and over the vivid red-green of
exposures of the Queenston shale on the lower plain at the river's edge. Evidence
of a more saturated condition to the soil at the escarpment base at Artpark
may be seen in the concrete drainage structure at the northern property
boundary. The river bank in the Artpark property is stripped of its natural
verdure - the shalely bedrock is exposed. There is also, however, an
interesting stony layer of nearly unconsolidated sediments on the riverbank
that merits further study. The more natural riverbank just north of the
Artpark property may give some semblance of its aboriginal botanical
conditions. This is where calcareous sheet seepage over moss communities can
be observed. The
Indian mound occurs within this striking combination of natural factors. Government
preservation agencies may take their mandate from the human behavior of the
communities that have existed in the area adjacent to the mound and its knoll,
for the mound and the knoll seem have a sibling relationship to one another.
This relationship apparently created a moving force in the spiritual and
historical imagination that stimulated people to naturally and voluntarily
preserve the extraordinary setting of knoll and mound throughout the
centuries. This
natural inclination to preserve this setting on the part of the communities
adjacent to it may be detected in the extraordinary degree of preservation of
the native forest community surrounding the knoll and mound. If the observer
factors out the monumental activity of government in the construction of the
hydroelectric plants and the necessity to transport a mountain of debris in
the shortest distance possible, and the compensatory erection of a
spectacular entertainment complex with ascending tiers of parking lots to
serve it, such spontaneous protection is manifest. One must
also factor out the erection of a stone mansion on the knoll's summit by
Seymour Scovell in the pre-1860's, the servicing of which probably accounts
for the weedy invasive forest on the knoll's eastern side. The house stood on
the summit from the 1830's until the 1960's.
This image of Scovell's house was
on an interpretive sign provided by State Parks at
the site. Scovell
carefully preserved the knoll's western face, at the base of which lies the
Indian mound. The architectural hubris that dictates a mansion be constructed
on a summit overlooking the lower domain apparently stimulated Scovell to
build his house in this important context. It is an
interesting cultural contrast that the mound was built on the base of the
knoll, and not its summit. Perhaps the fact that the mound faced the western
sun is also significant. A stone
wall built on the western side and mentioned by George Clinton in his journal
(see notes on the flora below) seems to have functioned to contain the
domestic activities of the household and keep them to the back, or eastern
side. This stone wall is still extant, although the house has been demolished.
It is probable that this wall existed to preserve the western side of the
knoll. This
spontaneous motivation to protect the mound side of the knoll may also be
seen in the unusual quality and kind of the forest draping this face of the
knoll. The forest has many if not all of the elements of old growth. That
this is true mirrors the extraordinary length of time during which the
environment of the Indian mound was preserved from development by the
surrounding community and the transportation and other industries associated
with the "Lower Landing" area. The
Power Authority itself seems to have been involved in both protecting the
knoll and the mound as the stone building was removed in the 1960's and the
mound itself must have been discovered not long before. Its excavation may
have been instigated by the Authority in its deliberation whether to
overwhelm the knoll area by the spoil area, which embraces it today on its
southern side. THE
KNOLL FLORA Botanical
Notes from the 1860's (For
additional information see http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/ResBot/Hist/Diary/1DiaryContents.htm) Scovell's
knoll was known to George Clinton, a Superior Court Judge, a mayor of On
October 2, 1862, On April
25th of the following year "Near the stone house Dr. Scoville [sic] once
used in flower Saxifraga virginiensis,
Dicentra cucullaria, Claytonia
virginica, Ulmus fulva [= Ulmus
rubra Muhl.]." The woods surrounding Scovell's knoll possessed some
components of the type of woodland wildflowers visible on Goat Island today (Dicentra and Claytonia), indicating that the woods perhaps on the eastern
side, now absent, was milder than the arid woods on the western side, with
perhaps Beech (Fagus grandifolia) and Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum). The
Saxifraga is today only found on rocky ledges in the gorge. Slippery Elm
(Ulmus rubra) is associated more with slopes and valley crests and low, open,
rocky woods. On June
5th (1863), after leaving the village of Lewiston, he "Cut by Scoville's
[sic] old place to the railroad, Ranunculus
scleratus very abundant. Picked a few specimens of Houstonia caerulea." That there was another low area, now
filled in by the spoil area, may be seen where In 1864,
on May 12, Note
that on February 1, 1864, the bridge to the Canadian shore, at THE
PRESENT FLORA: LATE 1990's-2004 1.
Alien species: *Acer
negundo, Box
Elder *Acer
platanoides,
Norway Maple, east and north woods *Aesculus
hippocastanum,
Horse Chestnut *Alliaria
officinalis,
Garlic Mustard *Arctium
sp., Burdock,
moist disturbed base, west-facing. *Arrhenatherum
elatius, Tall
Oat-grass *Berberis
thunbergii,
Japanese Barberry *Bromus
commutatus,
Brome-grass *Campanula
rapunculides,
Creeping Bellflower *Capsella
bursa-pastoris, Shepherd's Purse, all
degraded areas *Convallaria
majalis,
Lily-of-the-Valley, eastern side *Cymbalaria
muralis,
Kenilworth Ivy "upper abandoned homestead with other escaped
ornamentals, over old rocks." Note lovely displays of this species
sprawling over talus just upstream of the old Schoelkopf Power Generating
plant below the *Erucastrum
gallicum,
Dog Mustard, "parking lot above
Scovell's Knoll." *Glechoma
hederacea,
Gill-over-the-ground. *Hesperis
matronalis, Dame's
Rocket *Hypericum
perforatum,
Common St. John's Wort *Lapsana
communis,
Nipplewort *Leonurus
cardiaca,
Motherwort, summit *Ligustrum
vulgare, Privet *
Lonicera sp.,
Honeysuckle, moist disturbed base of knoll *Lonicera
tartarica,
Tartarian Honeysuckle, east side of knoll *Lysimachia
nummularia,
Moneywort, moist upper slopes *Morus
alba, White
Mulberry *Nepeta
cataria, Catnip *Ornithogalum
nutans, Nodding
Star-of-Bethlehem; this old planting on the
knoll summit matches populations at the "old Fleming place,"
the riverside parcel (old homestead) just to the left of the vehicular bridge
going over to Goat Island. *Philadelphus
coronarius, Mock
Orange "abandoned settlement above, with other old horticultural
plantings" *Picris
hieracioides, Hawkweed
Picris *Polygonum
cuspidatum,
Japanese Knotweed, thicket at entrance from parking lot, mid-western face. *Prunus
avium, Bird
Cherry, western entrance *Ranunculus
acris,
Buttercup, moist western base and throughout. *Rhamnus
cathartica,
Common Buckthorn *Ribes
sativum, Red
Currant *Robinia
pseudoacacia,
Black Locust * *Rumex
crispus, Curly
Dock, east side *Setaria
glauca,
Pigeon-grass, Indian mound with Echinochloa
microstachya. *Tussilago
farfara,
Coltsfoot *Viburnum
opulus var. opulus, Guelder Rose *Vinca
minor,
Periwinkle, horticultural plantings on summit. 2. Native species: Acer
nigrum, Black Maple,
base of knoll. A common species in the Agrimonia
gyrosepala, Tall
Hairy Agrimony Arisaema
triphyllum var. triphyllum, Jack-in-the-Pulpit Asarum
canadensis, Wild
Ginger Bidens
frondosa,
Beggar-ticks, moist west end, base of slope Boehmeria
cylindrica,
False Nettle Carex
rosea, Rose
Sedge, one of the most characteristic woodland sedges. Carpinus
caroliniana,
American Hornbeam Carya
ovata, Shagbark
Hickory, stony slopes, with Sassafras Chenopodium
hybridum,
Maple-leaved Goosefoot Convolvulus
sepium, Hedge
Bindweed Cornus
florida,
Flowering Dogwood Cornus
racemosa,
Panicled Dogwood, margin of rich woods. Desmodium
glutinosum,
Sticky Tick Trefoil Dryopteris
carthusiana,
Wood-fern, weedy area eastern side of knoll Echinochloa
microstachya,
Small-spiked Barnyard Grass, Indian mound, with Setaria glauca. Erigeron
annuus, Slender
White-top Erigeron
strigosus, Daisy
Fleabane Erythronium
albidum, White
Adder's Tongue. This white-flowered species is infrequent along the Niagara
River; some plants found upstream at Fagus
grandifolia,
Beech Fraxinus
americana,
American Ash, summit. Galium
aparine,
Cleavers, moist base, west side. Geranium
maculatum, Wild
Crane's-bill, east side beside path. Geranium
robertianum,
Herb Robert associated, with Sambucus pubens Juglans
nigra, Black
Walnut, rich western woods Geum
canadense, White
Avens, moist base, west side Glyceria
striata, Nerved
Manna-grass, moist eastern side Hamamelis
virginiana,
Witchhazel Hydrophyllum
virginianum, Virginia
Waterleaf Onoclea
sensibilis,
Sensitive Fern Osmorhiza
longistylis,
Long-styled Sweet Cicely Ostrya
virginiana,
Hop-hornbeam Penstemon
hirsutus, Hairy
Beard-tongue Penthorum
sedoides, Ditch
Stonecrop Physocarpus
opulifolus,
Ninebark Phytolacca
americana,
Pokeweed Poa
nemoralis,
Meadow Grass Podophyllum
peltatum,
May-apple Potentilla
canadensis,
Dwarf Cinquefoil Prunella
vulgaris,
Heal-all Prunus
serotina, Black
Cherry Prunus
virginiana,
Chokecherry Quercus
alba, White Oak Quercus
borealis var. maxima, Northern Red Oak Ranunculus
abortivus,
Small-flowered Crowfoot Rhus
typhina,
Staghorn Sumac Rubus
sp., Raspberry Rubus
odoratus,
Purple-flowering Raspberry Sambucus
pubens,
Red-berried Elderberry Sanguinaria
canadensis,
Bloodrot Sanicula
marilandica, Black
Snakeroot Sassafras
albidum,
Sassafras Scrophularia
marilandica,
Maryland Figwort Smilacina
racemosa, False
Solomon's Seal, eastern weeds area Smilax
herbacea,
Carrion-flower, south end Solidago
flexicaulis,
ZigZag Goldenrod Solidago
juncea, Early Goldenrod Thalictrum
dioicum, Early
Meadowrue Typha
angustifolia,
Narrow-leaved Cattail, rimming pool, southwest base of knoll. Verbena
urticaefolia,
White Vervain Vibernum
acerifolium,
Maple-leaved Viburnum Vibernum
lentago,
Nannyberry Viola
spp. (Violets),
abundant on the western slopes. Vitis
aestivalis var. argentifolia, Summer Grape, southwest
side, also found on Vitis
riparia, Frost
Grape, talus rubble The
forest on the western side presents a pleasing appearance to the visitor
approaching it from the parking area. Here, in the moist base of the knoll,
are Oak-dominated woods: huge Red Oak and White Oak trees whose acorns are
abundant in the early fall to collect for germinating and Black Cherry (Prunus serotina). Here is also, on the
southwestern side, the Indian mound can be located in its Oak-Hickory
setting. The base of the knoll is moist, the soil black, where Geum and Galium grow, Solidago
juncea and Hydrophyllum virginianum,
and the Maryland Figwort so well developed on Navy Island (Scrophularia marilandica). Native
species in the low, moist areas include the native Ginger (Asarum canadensis) and the Mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum), as well as Wild Bergamot (Monarda
fistulosa). Some beech occurs here (Fagus
grandifolia). Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina), old and well developed,
typical of the edges of woodlands, occur here as well, and Panicled Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) both better species
to plant in such areas than Japanese Knotweed. Trees on
the dry
upper slopes with Red Oak,
include Sassafras and very large specimens of Shagbark Hickory (Carya
ovata), Flowering Dogwood (Cornus
florida), Black Walnut (Juglans
nigra), Basswood (Tilia americana), Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya
virginiana), American Hornbeam (Carpinus
caroliniana), Black Cherry, Ninebark (Physocarpus
opulifolius). Clambering
over the stony talus, as on the talus in the gorge grows the Herb robert (Geranium robertianum), growing with
Red-berried Elderberry (Sambucus pubens),
ZigZag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)
so typical of all gorge slopes, and River Grape (Vitis riparia). Many
glacial (granitic or acidic) erratics, as on the aboriginal Red Oak-dominated
north facing slope along the upper terraces of the spoil area, grow on the
talus with interesting bryophyte cover: black mosses such as Grimmia, Anomodon attenuatus, Orthotrichum
species such as O. anomalum and
Hedwigia ciliata on granitic rocks
(not calcareous ones associated with the native bedrock). Horticultural
species clamber over the stone fence and along the path (probably recent) on
the west side of this structure over which Kenilworth Ivy tumbles, Moneywort
clambers over the moist soil (Lysimachia
nummularia) and Periwinkle (Vinca
minor). This path supports masses of recently planted liliaceous species
(Hemerocallis, the Day Lily), and
also Ornithogalum. Unfortunately
the trees on the summit, associated with the old Scovell house are mostly
invasive tree species, primarily Box Elder (Acer negundo), Norway Maple (Acer
platanoides), the noxious Buckthorn (Rhamnus
cathartica), Bird Cherry (Prunus
avium). The native American Mandrake (Podophyllum
peltatum) occurs there, Witch Hazel (Hamamelis
virginiana), Carrion-flower (Smilax
herbacea) and Early Meadow Rue (Thalictrum
dioicum). Toward
the "back" or eastern face of the knoll, where the native forest
has been completely removed, occur the weedy invasives Box Elder and Garlic
Mustard, Privet (Ligustrum vulgare),
Tartarian Honeysuckle (Lonicera
tartarica), Lily-of-the Valley (Convallaria
majalis), and Curly Dock (Rumex
crispus) occur here in deep green shade. Some
native regeneration occurs here because of the interpenetration of native
species populations with the disturbed areas. The native Wild Crane's-bill (Geranium maculatum) occurs beside one
of the paths, as does False Solomon's Seal (Smilacina racemosa), the native Woodfern (Dyopteris carthusiana), Nerved Manna-grass (Glyceria striata) and Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina). The
western, or historically and biologically significant aspect, possesses a
complex old-growth species matrix. It not only supports the relatively
depauperate but native remnant forest type of the talus on the north facing
escarpment within Artpark boundaries, but also aspects of old growth in the
two forest types upstream at DeVeaux State Park. Here the two forest types
intermingle. No other forest type in the public lands from Buckhorn Island
upstream downstream to Lewiston possesses, for example, Sassafras among its
components. The flowering dogwood (Cornus
florida) once present at the entrance to Whirlpool State Park, has been
cut to accommodate Robert Moses Parkway and other mitigations during the
opening of DeVeaux State Park in 2002 and 2004. Its presence in the forest on
the knoll is therefore likely to be the only extant population remaining on
state lands in the area. Components of the talus slope in biologically
important areas, such as Whirlpool Woods occur on the knoll, specifically
Red-berried Elder (Sambucus pubens).
Unfortunately,
because of excessive path development, picnic tables, clearing for miniature
arenas (e.g. for story telling), occur many invasive and alien species on
account of path disturbance and tree removal: thorny native blackberries (Rubus sp.), and Beggar-ticks (Bidens frondosa), the stubborn
invasive Japanese
Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), Barberry (Berberis thunbergii), Ribes spp. (Currants), Burdock (Arctium sp.), Common Buttercup (Ranunculus acris), Honeysuckle
(Lonicera spp.), Horsechestnut (Aesculus
hippocastanum), Nipplewort
(Lapsana communis). PRESENT
MAINTENANCE PRESSURES AT THE SITE Overuse and inappropriate development - Inappropriate recreational use - Inappropriate horticultural development The
western side of the knoll is the most pristine of its four faces. The summit and eastern side have been the
most seriously modified, especially by the Scovell construction during the
19th century. The north aspect suffers from invasive species mixing with a
relatively robust native mix. The southern side also represents this mix,
with the additional pressure from contact with the spoil area. Natural
regeneration is occurring, especially of the native forest tree American
Basswood (Tilia americana), and
relictual or actively regenerating native species populations may be spotted in
the most seriously disrupted area. A program of encouraging natural regrowth
and inhibiting the most invasive or problematic of the alien species should
be formulated and put in place. The most
serious effect is the degradation of the most important side: that facing the
west. This deterioration appears to be directly attributable to inappropriate
management activities by Artpark administrators promoting recreational
activities inconsistent with the site's biological, historical, and cultural
value inherent in the National Historic Landmark status given it by the
national government. Threats
to the Cultural and Biological Integrity of the Site 1.
Over-development of paths: At the
base of the knoll, facing the lowermost parking lot, an extensive path network
has been established, some with hard-packed earth, others being covered with asphalt. It appears that this proliferation of
paths also occurs throughout the western face, including the summit. White
painted marks on the trees along
the summit are reminiscent of those used to indicate tree removal, but a sign
posted at the entrance to one of the paths indicates these are blaze marks to
guide visitors along the trail. Also,
old horticultural species elements on the summit, such as Kenilworth Ivy and Ornithogallum, minor and insignificant
species, have been enhanced by heavy plantings of liliaceous species, perhaps Hemerocallis or related plants, adjacent to
the summit paths. Such recent plantings form dense colonies where
regeneration is impossible and where these populations will likely expand in
area at the expense of native taxa. 2.
Culling of trees: Removal
of trees anywhere on the knoll, especially the western side, will have a
serious impact on the integrity of the native old-growth forest community.
Understory vegetation types rely on the centuries-old dense canopy to
maintain its integrity. Light wells created in the canopy by tree removal
expose the soil below and favor colonization by weedy and invasive tree,
shrub and herbaceous vegetation, especially Garlic Mustard (Alliaria officinalis)
which, in areas on top of the knoll, form broad denuded areas, and put
undue pressure on the native, shade-dependent species presently in place. Superficial
examination of areas where trees have been removed reveal massive stumps,
several of which do not obviously indicate necrosis in the heartwood to
justify their removal.
Stump of a removed tree shows the
extraordinary size of some of these old trees at the
site (and elsewhere in the public lands along the Niagara
River). Whatever
the reasons for tree removal at this site, the resulting gap has been filled
by picnic
tables and staging
areas for some sort of
performance in a "rustic" setting (both existing in light wells
from canopy removal). Such emplacements prevent native forest regeneration
either by trees, shrubs or herbs especially when extensive populations of
invasive alien species occur nearby or within the native ecological
communities and adjacent to areas experiencing repeated or pattern
disturbance (such as mowing). Dumps on the knoll of cut-tree material are unsightly and continue to erode the
surface area for colonization by native species. Such dumps are familiar to
visitors to the central forest on Goat Island. When such material is removed,
the habitat is prime for invasive taxa already well established in disturbed
areas. A plaque
by the pond-side entrance to the knoll base at its southwestern side
indicates that sculptures by George Peterson, in 2001, and placed at various
places in the knoll, were prepared "from trees that New York State had
designated for removal." Given
the high monetary value of well-developed, mature trees of the hardwood
species at Artpark and other public areas, there should be a registry of trees
above a certain diameter and their locality, especially in patches of old
growth throughout the Niagara River park system to prevent the poaching of
trees. Justification for removal of these trees should be part of the public
record. Plans to anticipate impacts on the surrounding vegetation should be
detailed and mitigations enumerated. The
extraordinary term "poaching" is used here advisedly, not to accuse
any particular administration of sanctioning such an activity, but because I
have personally received testimonials from persons associated with the
development of major public institutions in the County of Niagara as to the
removal of ancient trees from their private property by individuals using
heavy equipment while the owners were out of town. I was also personally
involved in the prevention of trees being cut down in what is now DeVeaux
State Park, which supports an old growth Oak-Maple forest on one of its
parcels; this involved an exchange in the Niagara Gazette newspaper. I also
needed to warn members of the present park's administration about similar
orange marks on the old trees in Whirlpool State Park during a time when the
old administration was changing over to the new. The old trees in question at
Whirlpool are outliers, minus the shrub and herbaceous layers, of the old
growth at DeVeaux, across the highway (the Robert Moses Parkway). 3.
Overdevelopment and overuse: Although
the author has not seen the knoll in its heaviest use as, for example, during
the summer season, evidence may be indicated in the soil compaction of the
paths and picnic areas, compaction exacerbated by the permanent moisture
inherent in the soil here. One
noted area has been set aside with a rope suspended from the lower limbs of
an old tree on the north side just below the summit. This recreational option
has created a broad circle of trampled, muddy earth devoid of vegetation
except for the noxious species Nipplewort (Lapsana communis), which is also along the weedy river-bank on
Artpark's western boundary.
The denuded muddy area under the
rope is surrounded by the basal leaves of Nipplewort, an invasive weed, and Garlic
Mustard. Surrounding vegetation has been
removed to provide additional area for groups to use this
recreational device. The
knoll base on the western side has been modified to support a small gymnasium
(tree-rope swing), "Lecture Space", a "Meeting Space" and
a "Picnic
Area." Continuation of
these exposed areas should be reconsidered and the areas reconverted back to
their natural vegetative condition. 4.
Maintenance of the burial mound.
Development of a planting or maintenance protocol: The
Indian mound today is part of this cluster of development at the western base
of the knoll. Tree cover has been removed around its periphery and the mound lies
in a lightwell surrounded by asphalt paths. There is a conspicuous sign
saying "Indian Burial Mound" which seems inappropriate as it gives
a tourist or sightseeing
image to this feature,
eliminating the sacred character of what is essentially a cemetery with a
tendency to promote inappropriate connotations to the visitor. Such
connotations might stimulate the viewer to climb on the mound or interfere
with its surroundings in a variety of ways. Surrounding the mound with
asphalt paths (roads) encourages rapid transit as though the mound was a
feature on a highway. It has
recently been informally announced that the surface of the mound is to
receive a treatment of English Ivy (Hedera
helix). Presumably, this will prevent perpetually trimming the graminoid
cover and other successional and opportunistic species from colonizing the
mound. Such trimming on the mound seems inconsistent with its sacred
character and with the sense that the mound should have and has had a more
harmonious relationship with its natural surroundings. One
image to consult is a drawing of the mound recently published in a collection
of National and State Historic Landmarks by the late historian of the City of
Buffalo where a young tree and other successional vegetation is indicated.
The image does represent what might be taken to be an overgrown lawn. The
tendency toward successional vegetation on the mound will always continue and
the attempt to plant Ivy or some other ground cover upon it is meant to
defeat this natural process. Clearly,
however, throughout the long existence of this feature, which has a
soil-covered surface, there has existed a flora upon it. It is and was from
its beginning, a disturbance in the natural landscape. After it was
constructed, sooner or later a flora became established upon it from native
species derived from the surrounding plant community. If left to its natural
state, a flora would redevelop on its surface from the available vegetation
in its context. This flora could be allowed to develop in a passive way, with
efforts to remove inappropriate species from becoming established, for
example, species such as Garlic Mustard (Alliaria
officinalis), Dandelions and other lawn rubbish. Native
species growing within a circle with an area with a radius of twenty or more
feet from the center of the mound might be introduced by design to cover the
mound as well. It is
safe to assume that the mound spent most of its long existence beneath a
canopy as deep as the present, undisturbed canopy. Since this canopy has been
removed over the mound, it is recommended that it be restored, specifically
by reestablishing forest species growing adjacently to it, preferably with the
same genetics, that is, from seeds, other propagules, cuttings produced from
vegetation growing on the site, not produced elsewhere.
An image showing something of the
old trees and canopy on the north side of the knoll. RECOMMENDATIONS Presently
an accommodative relationship between State Park and the Power Authority
relative to the authority's activities in the 20th century and building
activities needs to be reevaluated to restore the historic focus. The
Artpark master plan should be written to declare the knoll and Indian mound
off limits to public use for picnicking, tree-rope swinging, camping, arena
emplacements. All of these activities could be developed on the acres of
disturbed landscape that abounds at Artpark. The fact that the scrap of native
forest exists should not be construed as unused land, but land committed to
the highest use by nature. The
knoll is not to be integrated into the entertainment and recreational
objectives of the manipulated landscape at Artpark. The
knoll is to be guarded and treated for its sacred character. The surrounding
old forest is to be maintained as an appropriate ambience for a site of
unusual cultural importance for an aboriginal people that antedated the
colonial period in North America. Gardening
of any kind should be eliminated on the knoll and in any other area of native
vegetation (talus slope patch) and a protocol should be established to ensure
the native vegetation is restored at the mound and in its vicinity. Undesirable
duplication of paths should be eliminated. Under
the current relicensing procedure for the New York Power Authority, which
owns the Artpark property, it seems in the public interest that thorough
examination of current and historical natural conditions associated with the
Lower Landing Historic District be included in related studies, such as
archaeological, groundwater, geological and botanical reports. An
excellent example of the sort of habitat restoration is the cold-water
spring-fed pond and marsh at the knoll's southwestern side designed
and constructed by Peter Richards. Richards, like George Peterson, was an
artist in residence but during the period 1988 and 1989. Although the
establishment of this wet area was a design, an "environmental
artwork" as the sign by this pond indicates, it should not be construed
as a garden. Development of the
knoll's summit with garden species may be construed as an "environmental
artword" also. The pond's taking the name of its modifier,
"Richards' Pond and Marsh," may set an inappropriate precedent for
additional artifice. All
agencies along the Niagara River who have a protective, restorative mandate
for the ecosystems within the boundaries of public lands have always been
handicapped by lack of overall studies, present and historic, establishing
acceptable baselines for preservation and restoration within their
properties. This is
further handicapped by a lack of appropriate greenhouse facilities and
protocols for growing native stock from seeds or other propagules to
reintroduce into areas disturbed by natural and artificial activities, such
as tree-fall during spring winds and slope denudation by temporary
construction activities throughout the public lands, such as those undertaken
on the Niagara Reservation during dewatering of the falls during the last
century. Such resources and information could be a collective facility that
can be shared by federal, state and municipal agencies, including departments
of energy, transportation and tourism, and as these have similar if not
identical mandates, can be shared with sister agencies across the river in
the province of Ontario, Canada. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Specimens
for most or all species reported here have been deposited in the herbarium of
the Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, New York. I thank LITERATURE
CITED Greenhill,
Ralph. 1984. Spanning Niagara, the International Bridges 1848-1962.
University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington. Ritchie,
William 1965. The Archaeology of New York State. Published for the American
Museum of Natural History. The Natural History Press, Garden City, N.Y. Schuchert,
Charles and Carl O. Dunbar. 1933. A Textbook of Geology. Part II - Historical
Geology. ed. 3. John Wiley & Sons. New York. Photograph of the railroad
tunnel at Lewiston taken by Charles Schuchert. Thompson,
Gordon J., ed. The Niagara Gorge Belt Line, A Pictorial Album. Niagara
Frontier Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. North Tonawanda. Topographic
Map: Lewiston, Ont. - N.Y. NE/4 Niagara Falls 15' Quadrangle. 1965. United
States Geological Survey. |
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