Ashuelot River Park
Explore the Park and its Educational Signage
Introduction
The Ashuelot River Park in Keene, New Hampshire is located within N’dakinna, the unceded homeland of the Western Abenaki peoples. Ashuelot is an Abenaki word meaning “collection of many waters” or “between two places.” In 2022 Antioch University graduate student Kyle Bradford created six educational signs for the Park. Sign themes include pollinators, invasive species, food webs, and the biology of arboretum trees. This Story Map provides online access to those educational resources and includes additional learning opportunities. Use the map to explore the full extent of the Ashuelot River and the Park's boundaries. Where does the River start and end?
Arboretum
At its southern extent, the Park features an arboretum with 95 tree specimens. Learn about three tree species in the Arboretum below.
American Hornbeam (Musclewood)
Carpinus caroliniana Birch Family (Betulaceae)
Bark of American Hornbeam.
The smooth, muscular-looking bark of American Hornbeam is distinctive. The wood is extremely dense and strong, giving this tree the nickname “musclewood.” American Hornbeam is right at home along the lower Ashuelot, preferring moist, rich soil that can be found along floodplains, streams, rivers, and near wetlands.
American Hornbeam’s distribution in the U.S. and Canada. Source: USFS (Little 1971).
American Hornbeam is native to the eastern U.S. In New Hampshire, it’s limited to the southernmost parts of the state but does extend northward along the Connecticut River.
American Hornbeam catkins.
American Hornbeam is wind-pollinated and has male and female flowers on the same plant (monoecious). Above, we see the male catkins, which produce pollen. Look for them in springtime.
White Fir
Abies concolor Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Range map for White Fir. Source: USFS (Little 1971).
White Fir’s native range is in the West where it occurs in mountainous terrain, such as in the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains. This tree is widely planted in landscaped settings in the East, like here in the Arboretum. It’s quite adaptable and provides beautiful, bluish-gray foliage year-round.
White Fir in the Sierra Nevada mountains, California.
Fir and Spruce: What’s the Difference?
Fir and spruce belong to the pine family, and there are a few easy characteristics that can help you identify between the two. 1. Firs have rounded, soft, flat needles, whereas spruce needles are sharp and more square in cross-section. 2. Fir needles are attached to a flat, disc-shaped surface. Spruce needles are attached to a projection, which leaves the twig bumpy when the needles are lost.
Figure showing the differences between how fir and spruce needles are attached to the twig.
River Birch
Betula nigra Birch Family (Betulaceae)
Bark of River Birch.
River Birch has peeling, salmon-colored bark, and yellow fall foliage. This species is relatively resistant to the Bronze Birch Borer, a beetle that can cause serious damage to birch species. River Birch’s aesthetics and pest resistance have made this native tree popular for landscaping.
Range map for River Birch. Source: USFS (Little 1971).
In New England, River Birch is native to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, though it’s commonly planted throughout our region. It’s one of New England’s most tolerant trees to urban heat, which may make it a good choice for landscapers as our climate continues to warm.
Merrimack River.
River Birch’s natural habitat is along rivers, streams, and floodplains. In New Hampshire, River Birch is listed as a state-threatened species. It’s very rare, occurring naturally only in Hillsborough County.
Pollinator Garden
Helping Our Most Valuable Wildlife
The Friends of Ashuelot River Park volunteer group has planted a pollinator garden in the northern part of the Arboretum. The pollinator garden provides floral resources and shelter for beneficial insects.
We Can’t Afford to Lose Them
Pollinators are vital to sustaining agricultural and natural ecosystems. About 80% of all flowering plants require pollination by animals. Pollinators, including managed honey bees and wild insects, helped produce 34 billion dollars of economic activity in the U.S. during 2012 . Without them, imagine what the grocery store would look like. How would our wild places change?
Did you know?
This metallic green bee is called the Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee (Agapostemon virescens). It’s common in the northern parts of the U.S. and can be readily found in urban and suburban gardens during most of the growing season.
Flies are second only to bees as the most important pollinators in the world. This is the Margined Calligrapher, a type of hoverfly.
Banded Longhorn Beetles are most commonly found on flowers with large surface areas, like the rose in this photo.
Butterflies, like this American Lady, are charismatic flower visitors whose adults feed on nectar.
The Virginia Ctenucha is a day-flying moth that frequently visits flowers for nectar.
Wasps are much less fuzzy than bees, but they still transfer pollen between plants as they forage.
A sweat bee (family Halictidae) with a visible pollen load. Bees are our most efficient pollinators.
What Can You Do?
Ditch the pesticides - they may be harming beneficial insects. Plant native, flowering plants - they provide high-quality nectar and pollen for native insects. Leave the leaves - dead plant material, like leaves and plant stalks, provide overwintering habitat for insects.
Learn More
Visit Pollinator Partnership’s website, a non-profit dedicated to pollinator conservation, outreach, and research.
Invasive Species
A Critical Threat to Biodiversity
Invasive plant species are common along the edges of the River and the Park boundary.
What is an invasive species?
An invasive species is any organism (insect, amphibian, plant, fungi, fish, etc.) that is non-native and causes harm to the ecosystem to which it has been introduced. These species are introduced by humans intentionally or unintentionally.
Why should we care?
After habitat loss, invasive species pose the second greatest threat to biodiversity. Invasive plants can create monocultures, reducing native plant diversity. This can cause impacts up the food chain affecting insect and other animal diversity. Additionally, invasives negatively affect recreation, agriculture, and other commercial interests.
Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) was introduced as an ornamental plant in the 1800s from East Asia.
Japanese Knotweed, and other invasives, can be a nuisance along floodplains and rivers, like the Ashuelot. These areas have rich soils and are disturbed through flooding and ice scouring creating perfect conditions for invasives to take hold.
At the Arboretum, there are efforts to reduce the presence of invasives using non-chemical methods. Here a tarp is being used to control Japanese Knotweed. Once it has been controlled native plants will be planted to help prevent more knotweed from invading.
What can you do?
1. Identify - learn to recognize common invasive species. 2. Choose natives - or at least non-invasive plants for your landscaping. 3. Volunteer - help a local conservation group manage invasive species in your community.
Learn More
Visit the UNH Extension website on invasive species.
It's a Connected World
Increase Natives & Reduce Lawn for Biodiversity
The Arboretum garden beds are being revitalized with native shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals to better support biodiversity.
Food web showing some of the connections between plants and animals.
Learn How to Support Better Functioning Ecosystems at Home
Visit the Homegrown National Park ’s website, an organization dedicated to helping sustain food webs where we live.
