Thanks to a generous grant from the Vivian J. Palmieri Charitable Trust, we have beautiful signage to greet park visitors and direct them to the nature trails, funded by the same Trust.
Continue readingFrom Beat to Shnazy
Salter Grove
April 30th Temporary Playground Closure
The circular play area at Salter Grove will be closed on Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 9 a.m.–12 p.m. so that wood fiber can be spread to provide a safe play surface. FoSG members and volunteers will do the deed.
The two swing areas have already been renewed and will remain open. For the safety of your children, please keep them out of the work and travel areas.
Filling In the Gaps
All the plants in the parking area survived the winter, but there was still a lot of open space. So two dozen conifers (Blue Rug, Bar Harbor, Blue Pacific, and Nana) were added to more quickly cover the ground, which is expected to take 3-5 years.
Meanwhile, a barricade reminds visitors not to walk through the planted area until it is well established. A foot path has been provided at the northern end.
A thick layer of large wood chips has done a great job of retaining soil moisture where no water standpipe is available. Let’s keep this area clean and attractive!
Continue readingSoil Speed Bumps
A section of the wooded hillside above the vernal pond has lost all vegetative cover due to wind storms, leaving extensive patches of bare soil. This area is vulnerable to severe erosion which will silt the pond and eventually make its way into the Bay.
To forestall this, plans are afoot to drag some dead trees into the area to check downhill water flow. Once these main structural components are in place, brush will be piled between to provide additional erosion protection.
The brush piles will also serve as habitat for rodents that will hopefully serve as ‘meals on wheels’ to encourage an American Mink spotted in the area to stick around.
Not Just One Bald Eagle, But Five!
Previously, Bald Eagles seen at Salter Grove have been rare and solitary. It was therefore a great surprise to see five of them around North Cove the morning of December 15, 2021.
During 90 minutes of observations from the causeway the eagles were mostly at rest, enjoying the sunshine on the large rocks and breakwater near Marsh Island, or roosting in two very tall tree crowns above houses on the western shore. They must have dined well recently because none of the eagles bothered to steal fish from gulls busily feeding nearby. Despite their majestic bearing, Bald Eagles are well-known kleptoparasites!
Continue readingMaking a Better First Impression
A good start to improving the appearance of the parking area was made with plantings of evergreen conifers in a damaged lawn area and the addition of rocks and winterberry to the rain garden by Atlantic Lawn and Garden. We are grateful for a grant from The Champlin Foundation, which funded this project.
We are waiting on DPW’s schedule to remove the unsightly signage around the flagpole at the top of the parking area and to pour concrete pads for replacement signage and an additional waste receptacle. These components of the parking safety and esthetics project have been funded by a grant from the Vivian J. Palmieri Charitable Trust.
Come spring we’ll replace the plants that did not survive, fill in the gaps to more quickly establish ground cover, and seed the bare patches on the perimeter of the parking lot. Meanwhile, the latter are protected from erosion by jute mats.
Low plants were selected to preserve the view of the coves. Please help the plants grow healthily by not crossing the temporary barrier placed around them.
Friends of Salter Grove 