The Chesapeake, The Shannon, and the North River Boys Who Got Between Them

The HMS Shannon.

On June 18, 1812, US President James Madison declared war against the United Kingdom. Trade conflicts had heated up, due to the Napoleonic Wars and the UK’s attempt to block the US from trading with France. Impressment of Americans into the British Navy was also a serious concern. “Press gangs” would search American ships and seaport taverns to find men who were unable to prove their citizenship. From 1803 to 1812, such schemes forced or coerced about 10,000 men into the British Navy.

The first major naval battle of the war took place on August 9, 1812, when the USS Constitution defeated the British ship HMS Guerrierre off the coast of Nova Scotia. The Constitution earned its nickname “Old Ironsides” that day -- cannonballs fired at it seemed to bounce away without causing damage.

In the early days of the war, Britain had focused its martial efforts in places other than Massachusetts, perhaps hoping that ambivalent New Englanders would eventually throw their support its way. By the spring of 1813, things had changed. The British established a blockade along the Massachusetts shoreline, and threatened to destroy coastal towns. Many communities were attacked. On Cape Cod, some towns paid extortion fees to avoid invasion.

On June 1, 1813, the British blockade was very much in place off the coast of the South Shore. Meanwhile a more personal marine enterprise was on the minds of three local boys -- Perez Hatch and Thomas Mitchell of Marshfield’s “Two Mile,” and Thomas Stetson, from across the river in present-day Norwell. With the help of an elder Hatch, the three boys, ages 12-14, had constructed a sturdy boat. Employing a team of oxen, they hauled the vessel to the water’s edge, and launched it on the North River.

They had planned an all-day excursion, intending to fish until their boat was full. After rowing several miles downstream to the mouth of the river – remember, the mouth back then was at the southernend of Humarock– they continued up the coast to Scituate.

A heavy fog set in as they arrived at a favorite spot. They proceeded to fish for cod, and hours later when their boat was full, they prepared to turn toward home. It was then that the fog began to lift. Imagine the boys’ astonishment when they observed the British HMS Shannon only a few hundred yards away!

This was frightening to behold. If the boys were spotted, they might be subject to impressment, as had been the case for their neighbor Hatch Oakman and other local fishermen. Some not much older than them had been forced to serve in the British Navy.

They rowed away quickly, hoping not to be noticed, and continued even when they heard someone bellow “Heave to!” Escape remained their priority until a shot rang out over their heads. Terrified, they decided it would be best to pull up alongside the Shannon. Beckoned aboard, they presented themselves to Captain Brock, and were relieved when he received them kindly, asking them questions about their families and what they were carrying in their boat.

When the boys responded, “Fish,” Brock ordered that it be brought up and laid on the deck. Brock offered to pay the boys for their catch. They demurred, insisting that he take it for nothing. But Brock handed each boy a shilling. 

Before departing, the teenagers warned the Brock that Captain Lawrence and the USS Chesapeake would be arriving soon from Boston. The British captain knew this already. He had invited Lawrence, by letter, to battle that day. Soon after, they spotted a ship coming down the coast. As the men on the Shannon prepared to fight, Brock advised the boys to clear out. They did, and from a distance they witnessed the battle between the two ships.

The Chesapeake and its inexperienced crew were no match for the better-equipped Shannon. Eighty men were killed in the battle, and 252 wounded. The British captured the Chesapeake and piloted it to Halifax, Nova Scotia, imprisoning all on board.

The war continued for another year and a half, spreading north to Canada, west to the Great Lakes, and south to Louisiana. There were significant victories on both sides, and significant losses. In the end, frustrated by the prolonged disruption of trade and increased taxation, both nations wanted out. The war officially ended in stalemate, with no boundaries changed, on February 17, 1815.

Whathadchanged was how Americans obtained everyday goods. An industrial revolution had begun. The long-term blockade turned the nation away from sea trade to more home-grown sources. There were already mills to cut timber and grind grain, but after the War of 1812, domestic milling and manufacturing grew exponentially. Pretty much every stream with sufficient power became home to a mill and a dam.

Well before the war, Perez Hatch’s family had established a grist mill in Marshfield on Two Mile Brook, a tributary to the North River. They would soon build three other mills on the same stream – saw, satinet/coffin and boxboard. There were similar efforts all over the South Shore. Nails and tacks were forged. Carding and fulling mills processed fiber into cloth. Wood was sliced into shingles and boxboard. Agriculture had already transformed the local landscape from forest to field. Now rivers and streams would change as well, with dams creating ponds, altering the course of the water’s flow, and preventing native fish like river herring from migrating up and downstream. But that’s a topic for another day.

by Kezia Bacon

December 2018

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

120 Years Ago: The Portland Gale

Looking toward the South River in the Rexhame Dunes (2018).

Friday morning, November 25th, 1898: sunny and clear. Thanksgiving now over for another year, the citizens of Marshfield and Scituate begin their days. Not too cold, not too windy, it is the kind of weather in which people are glad to be outside, soaking up a last few warming rays of sun before the biting chill of winter sets in.

Friday evening: a low pressure area is noted to be moving northward from the Gulf of Mexico along the eastern seaboard. Other reports show a similar weather system moving eastward from the Lakes Region. As these are not unusual conditions for a seaside New England town at this time of year, no special precautions are taken. 

Saturday morning, November 26th: a gray day, strangely quiet. 

Saturday evening: the temperature drops. Snow flurries begin, and there is talk of an oncoming squall. 

The gale comes on quickly and severely, and lasts through Saturday night, its winds churning the waters, bringing on floods that destroy ships and houses, bridges and roads. The eye passes over Marshfield and Scituate around 6 o'clock Sunday morning, offering temporary relief from the relentless snow and winds. After another 24 hours of storming, the sun of Monday, November 28th rises to reveal death, disaster, and drastic change.

Under normal circumstances, the Portland Gale would have gone down in history as another characteristic Nor'easter, its fierce winds and waters causing the usual damage along the coast. However, in the towns of Marshfield and Scituate, a storm surge washed away the land between Third and Fourth Cliffs, at Humarock. This cut in the beach created a new outlet to the sea, redirecting the course of the North River, and adding three miles to the length of the South River.  

Until the Blizzard of 1978, the 1898 Portland Gale was known as the most intense storm ever to pass through New England. Its fierce, icy winds blew throughout the weekend, generating huge breakers that pounded the shore steadily, day and night. Cape Cod was hit the worst, but there was destruction up and down the coast. From Maine to Massachusetts, 141 shipwrecks were reported. A total of 100 bodies were found along the South Shore, from Nantasket to Plymouth. 

Along the South Shore, electric and telegraph poles lay among fallen fences and uprooted trees. Many houses displayed toppled chimneys and broken windows. Brant Rock resident Carrie Phillips wrote, “Sea walls are all gone. There is hardly room to drive a team. . .  the bank has washed away so. . . . The roads are full of wreckage of all kinds, lobster traps, boats and furniture, I can look out my window and see a nice bed lounge and stoves, etc. scattered around.”

The steamer Portland, which had set sail from Boston on Saturday evening, was wrecked at sea, sparing not a single passenger. Clothing, cabin furnishings and merchandise -- boxes of tobacco, cheese, and oil, barrels of whiskey, tubs of lard --  were among the salvage found up and down the shore. 

In earlier times, the town of Marshfield was known as Missaukatucket -- "At the large mouth of the river." The North and South Rivers flowed together and emptied into the sea at what is now Rexhame Beach. Until the Portland Gale, the peninsula of Humarock ran south from Scituate's Third Cliff, extending far past Fourth Cliff to the river mouth. What is now the mouth of the river, was then a narrow shingle beach connecting the cliffs. 

A 2018 view of the Rexhame Dunes, the former location of the mouth of the North River.

When the new mouth of the river broke through, three miles north of its original inlet, Humarock was suddenly detached from the mainland. It became, if only for a few years, an island. Despite the efforts of a group of divinity students, armed with shovels and determined to keep the mouth open, the inlet at Rexhame filled in with sand, and Humarock was once again a peninsula, attached to Marshfield now, instead of Scituate.

It may not have been entirely nature's choice to cut a new river mouth. In 1831, Samuel Deane, in his History of Scituate, observed, “The beach between the third and fourth cliff, is composed of sand and pebbles, . . . it is slowly wasting, and the river probably will eventually find its outlet between these cliffs.”

This was likely music to the ears of North River shipbuilders. The river was so shallow that large ships could only be brought downstream during high tides. It often took a full week to navigate a newly-constructed vessel to the sea. 

An attempt to relocate the mouth of the North was made in 1843. Citizens drew up a petition requesting a cut between the cliffs. After a local hearing, the state decided against the proposal, concluding that such a cut would damage the meadows upstream. Despite the state's rejection of their plea, proponents of the cut set out one night with picks, shovels, hoes, and axes, driving ox and horse teams, using only dim lanterns to light their way. 

Working through the night, they managed to dig all the way across the beach, only to discover a rock-hard meadow bank beneath the sand, dense enough to prevent the completion of their mission. Water flowed through the newly-dug channel temporarily, but the beach soon filled back in. There is speculation, however, that because of this initial effort, the land between Third and Fourth Cliffs was weakened, and thus more vulnerable to the Portland Gale’s tidal wave. 

The mouth of the North River in the 1990s.

Please join me for a walk to commemorate the 120^thAnniversary of the Portland Gale. We will meet at the Rexhame Beach parking lot (at the end of Standish Street in Marshfield) at 11am on Saturday, November 24^th, and spend some time touring the riverbank and dunes. I’ll discuss the storm, how it received its name, and the damage it wrought, and also talk about what life was like on the South Shore in the 1890s. No dogs please. The walk is free, but please register by visiting http://www.nsrwa.org/nsrwa-events/the-1898-portland-gale-the-storm-that-changed-the-rivers-mouth-walk/

by Kezia Bacon

November 2018

A trail through the Rexhame Dunes.

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Should We Ban Plastic Bags? (updated)

Have you heard about the colossal gyres of plastic trash in our oceans? The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, off the coast of California, is estimated to be 1-2 times the size of Texas! To date, we have not found an effective way to eradicate these monstrosities. Which unfortunately means that sea animals are dying in great numbers – about 100,000dolphins, seals, turtles, porpoises and whales per year – plus another 2 million birds – all from ingesting, or becoming entangled in, single-use plastic bags.

This sort of news makes me think twice about the disposable plastic products I use regularly – things like sandwich bags, drinking straws, and food wrap. There has to be a better way.

So let’s talk about the ubiquitous single use plastic shopping bag. Even those of us who bring our own bags to the store sometimes forget, and end up carrying our purchases home in plastic. I generally repurpose those flimsy bags for trash disposal. But even when I’ve doubled the life of a single-use bag, it still ends up in the garbage, contributing to the ongoing global problem.

One way to address this issue is at its source: to ban the use of single-use plastic bags, like they’ve done in Europe, China, and California, as well as cities like New York, Los Angeles, DC, Boston and Chicago, . . . and small towns too. Right here in Massachusetts, there are 83municipalities with restrictions on plastic bags, including Plymouth, Duxbury, and Marshfield. Pembroke and Scituate will consider town-wide bans of single use plastic bags at their Town Meetings this fall.

When I first began reading about these bans, I shrugged. How could they succeed? People are reluctant to give up their conveniences, and getting into the habit of always having a shopping bag with you is a lifestyle shift. But after delving a little deeper into the research, I now see how effective such bans can be. Here’s what I learned.

How Many Bags?

Every year, Americans discard 100 billion single use plastic bags. In Massachusetts, that’s about 51,000 plastic bags per week for the average market. These bags are our third largest source of litter, behind cigarette butts and bottle caps. 

Where Do They Go Next?

What happens to these bags when we’ve discarded them? They don’t just disappear. Plastic can be recycled, but it doesn’t biodegrade. Instead, over time, it breaks down into increasingly smaller fragments, eventually into microplastics that can do grievous harm to animals, the oceans, and our environment in general. 

Why Are Plastic Bags A Problem?

• From the start, single use plastic bags cause trouble. The oil or gas required to produce them, and the greenhouses gases released during production, simply do not justify their very short period of use. We’re depleting non-renewable resources in order to make bags that continue to do harm in their afterlife.

• Many communities are unable to recycle them, due to repeated issues with machinery jams. In the past, we could send our recycling materials to China, but not anymore.

• It takes 200+ years for a plastic bag deposited in a landfill to decompose. During this time it releases methane gas and carbon dioxide. If incinerated, it releases, toxic fine particles into the air.

• In the oceans, where many of these bags ultimately end up, tiny fragments of plastic are consumed inadvertently by fish and other sea animals. These toxins move up the food chain, eventually appearing -- imperceptibly -- in the fish we eat.

What Kinds of Bags Get Banned?

Plastic shopping bag bans are becoming increasingly popular because they significantly decrease waste while encouraging the use of more sustainable (often cloth) shopping bags. These bans don’t prohibit heavier plastic bags, nor the ones used for meat or produce, newspapers or dry cleaning. The only bags banned are the thin plastic disposable type most commonly found at grocery store checkouts. 

How Can I Help?

Scituate resident Kate Glennon, who has helped bring a plastic bag ban to the town’s upcoming own Meeting Warrant, puts this all in perspective. She writes, "Now more than ever, we are seeing how small local choices, personal choices, can effect change on a larger scale. That's how we started polluting, and that's how we can abate the damage we've done. Changing our consumer habits to become less dependent on conveniences like single-use plastics creates a ripple effect visible to manufacturers and retailers, and visible in shorelines and waterways—not just in Scituate but all our interconnected communities." Scituate’s Town Meeting takes place November 14^th. If you’re a Scituate resident, please vote to support the ban of single use plastic bags.

Pembroke residents have a similar opportunity, taking place at Town Meeting on October 23^rd. In support of the ban, resident Stephanie Hagan writes, “Although a plastic bag ban could be an inconvenience to some, the economic and environmental inconveniences are greater. I believe most consumers are unaware they’re paying 4 cents a bag, built into their commodities. At 9 million bags a year in Pembroke alone, that’s over $350,000 and about $30 a year per family. . . The mere inconvenience of bringing your reusable bag or choosing paper does not outweigh the importance of this issue.”

Glennon adds, "I'm not sure anyone will miss the thin plastic grocery bags. They're flimsy and we know they end up in the landfill by the millions, and in waterways. There's no shortage of other thin plastic bags (like bread bags) that can be kept for household re-use."

If you live in a town that does not presently ban these bags, you can still choose not to use them personally. You might also advocate for a ban in your own town. 

by Kezia Bacon 

October 2018

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Noteworthy North River Ships

The Beaver, one of the ships involved in the Boston Tea Party, was built on the North River.

The North River today is so serene: it can be difficult to imagine that it was once a booming center of industry. Beginning in the mid-1600s and continuing long into the 19^thcentury, this 12-mile waterway was home to a total of 24 shipyards. Between 1645 and 1871, more than 1,000 vessels were constructed along the river in Hanover, Pembroke, Marshfield, Norwell and Scituate. 

The shipbuilding industry provided jobs for all sorts of craftsmen – carpenters, caulkers, liners, sailmakers, and so on, -- as well as sawmill operators to provide lumber, and pilots to maneuver the ships downstream to the ocean – a complicated process that often took a full week. Vessels were commissioned by such entities as the US Navy, British trade companies, and whaling fleets from Nantucket, New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard. 

If you’re interested in the histories of the North River shipyards and the vessels constructed there, check out L. Vernon Briggs’ book, History of Shipbuilding on the North River, which is available in most of our local libraries. In the meantime, I’ve compiled some basic facts about some of the more famous ships.

The Beaver: One of the ships involved in the Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773) was The Beaver, a whaler constructed by Ichabod Thomas at the Brick Kiln Shipyard in Pembroke. Commissioned by the prominent Rotch family of Nantucket, it measured 85 feet in length, with an almost 24 foot beam, and a draft of only nine feet, to accommodate Nantucket’s shallow harbor. Captained by Hezekiah Coffin, the Beaver made its maiden voyage from Nantucket to London to deliver whale oil. As was customary, it took on a different cargo for its return, in this case some fine English furniture as well as 112 chests of tea from the British East India Company. After spending two weeks in quarantine in Boston Harbor, due to a case of smallpox on board, it finally docked at Griffin’s Wharf on December 15, 1773. The next day, The Sons of Liberty, a group of more than 100 men from all walks of life, led by Samuel Adams, boarded the Beaver, as well as two other ships loaded with tea -- the Dartmouth and The Eleanor. Being careful not to damage the ships, they smashed open 340 chests of tea (approximately 92,000 lbs.) and dropped them into the harbor, a significant act of protest in what would become the American Revolution. The Beaver returned to the whaling industry but was sold shortly thereafter.

Further reading:Defiance of the Patriots: The Boston Tea Party & the Making of America by Benjamin Carp

The Columbia: It is possible that the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe was constructed on the North River. Some say the ship was actually built in Plymouth, but that its keel was constructed here. But local history claims that James Briggs constructed the three- masted ship at Hobart’s Landing in Norwell in 1773. It was 83 feet long, with a 24-foot beam and an 11-foot draft. Owned by John Kendrick or Joseph Barrell, its captain was Robert Gray. Gray was active in the gold and silver trade with China. However when he found that European traders were consistently outbidding him, he began instead to purchase fur in the Pacific Northwest. In 1792, he observed the Columbia River near what is now Portland, Oregon, and named it after his ship. The Columbia River became a major venue for the fur trade. The ship itself was decommissioned for salvage in 1806.

Further reading: Columbia’s River: The Voyages of Robert Gray by J. Richard Nokes

The Essex– Another disputed North River vessel was whaleship Essex. Local records indicate that it was built in 1796 on the North River, with no exact location provided. However the town of Amesbury on the North Shore makes a similar claim. The ship – which was 87 feet long, with a 24-foot beam and 12-foot draft -- was launched in 1799; in 1804, Nantucket merchants purchased it in Salem. In August 1819, George Pollard Jr. was its commander when it departed Nantucket for the South Pacific. On November 20^thof that same year, the captain spotted a school of whales and set off in pursuit. A large sperm whale struck the ship forcefully with its head, knocking those on board off their feet. Soon after the same whale struck again, this time completely staving in the ship’s bow. The 20-man crew quickly gathered equipment, food and water, and disembarked to 3 smaller boats, then watched while the Essex sank. What followed was an ordeal that included dehydration, starvation, taking refuge on a small tropical island, and eventually cannibalism. Two men survived. If this sounds familiar, it might be because it served as the inspiration for Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. 

Further reading: In The Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

The Globe– A local ship with an equally remarkable story, The Globe was constructed at Wanton Shipyard in Norwell in 1815. With two decks and three masts, the ship measured 94 feet in length, with a beam of 26 feet. A successful whaler, it is renowned as being the first ship to bring 2000 barrels of sperm oil into the United States. But The Globe is best known for a gruesome mutiny in 1824. The ship was owned by C. Mitchell & Co., and commanded by Thomas Worth. After sailing from Nantucket on December 20, 1822, it arrived in the Sandwich Islands in the South Pacific on May 1, 1823, then continued to Hawaii and Japan. By then, six of the 21-man crew had deserted. The Globe continued south toward Fanning Island. In January 1824 ,after an incident during which a crewman was whipped as punishment, crewmen Samuel Comstock and Silas Payne murdered the captain as well as the first and second mates, then threw their bodies overboard. Not daring to go to port for fear of repercussions, they ran the ship aground on Mili Atoll, with a plan to take the provisions, strip the ship, and burn it, and then take up residence on the island. But there was more trouble to come. Comstock was killed by his shipmates. Crewman Gilbert Smith took charge of the ship and escaped by night with five other men, leaving the others behind. When The Globe arrived at Valparaiso, Chile, in June, the American Consul took possession of it, and sent it back to Nantucket. Most of the men remaining on Mili Atoll were killed by the natives, but two survived and were rescued after 22 months. The ship was sold for salvage in 1828.

Further reading:Demon of the Waters by Gregory Gibson.

by Kezia Bacon

September 2018 

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 22+ years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

A view of the Brick Kiln Shipyard in Pembroke.

Celebrating Our Rivers’ National Natural Landmark Status

A summer view of the South River from the Francis Keville Bridge in Marshfield.

Are you aware that we have a nationally recognized landscape in our midst? Like California’s Mount Shasta, the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, Kentucky’s Red River Gorge and Ship Rock in New Mexico, the North and South Rivers are one of our country’s National Natural Landmarks.

In 1977, the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior designated the North and South Rivers of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, a National Natural Landmark (NNL). The rivers were recognized as “possessing national significance in illustrating the natural character of the United States,” The area of designation comprised 5400 acres, including over 3600 acres of saltwater marsh.

While the designation went into effect 40 years ago, until now it has lacked a public face. However that’s about to change. On September 23, Congresswoman Nikki Tsongas will appear at a celebratory rededication of the rivers’ National Natural Landmark status. At 1pm there will be a ceremony at South River Park (2148 Ocean Street), where a plaque marking the designation will be installed. The event will also honor the late Senator Paul Tsongas’s commitment to the rivers of Massachusetts. 

Tsongas was instrumental in obtaining the designation in the first place. Efforts began in the early 1970s, when former Pembroke residents Jean & Jack Foley, Marshfield resident Bill Finn, and other members of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, nominated the rivers for the NNL program.

In September 1977, the Foleys and Finn provided a boat tour of the North and South Rivers to Dr. H. W. Vogelmann Ph.D., who had been contracted by the government to review the rivers for NNL designation. Vogelmann also viewed the area from an airplane, and at the end of the year submitted an evaluation to the Department of the Interior, recommending that the rivers receive the designation.

Vogelmann observed that, “the marshland systems of the North and South Rivers are extensive and complex,” and noted that the rivers were “classic examples of drowned river mouth estuaries.” He said, “Extensive marshland systems and relatively unpolluted rivers are a rare occurrence near a metropolitan area like Boston.”

National Natural Landmark status was conferred soon thereafter. This was especially significant because until then, the program had only accepted more nationally well-known sites. There were only 66 NNLs at that time.

“But nothing happened,” remembers Finn.

The official designation date for the North and South Rivers as a National Natural Landmark is 1977. But according to Finn, it took several years for the designation to be declared. Repeated inquiries to the National Park Service (NPS), attempting to determine whether or not the rivers would receive the designation, yielded nothing. Finally in 1979, after Tsongas was elected to the US Senate, the wheels began to turn. Theta Leonard, who worked for Tsongas, along with the senator and Bill Finn, collaborated with the NPS to tie up loose ends.

Finally in May 1980, during the second annual Massachusetts Rivers Celebration, a dedication ceremony was held at Mass Audubon’s North River Sanctuary in Marshfield. Tsongas, several local political figures, as well as representatives from the NPS and other state and federal agencies, joined NSRWA members and officials for a canoe trip down the North River. Two wooden signs were presented, but they were not the type that could be installed outdoors. With the installation of the plaque on September 23^rd, the final loose end will – finally! -- be secured.

Samantha Woods, current Executive Director of the NSRWA, recently commented, "The foresight of the organization back in 1977 to obtain this National Landmark Designation has truly helped the rivers. In fact the South River Park, where the new plaque commemorating the designation is to be placed, couldn't have been built without a $250,000 Land and Water Conservation Grant that was enabled, in part, because of this national recognition of these two rivers as being unique to the nation's natural resources."

According to the NPS “the National Natural Landmarks program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of our country’s natural history.” To date, 599 sites have been designated. In order to obtain NNL status, the site must be “one of the best examples of a natural region's characteristic biotic or geologic features.”

Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall founded the program in 1962. Its primary goal is to “encourage the preservation of sites illustrating the geological and ecological character of the United States, to enhance the scientific and educational value of sites thus preserved, to strengthen public appreciation of natural history, and to foster a greater concern for the conservation of the nation's natural heritage.”

All sorts of different landscapes may be considered for NNL designation. The present sites include lands used for ranching, agriculture, recreation, nature preserves, research areas, camps, conference centers, and commercial ventures. They vary in size from a 7-acre bog to a 960,000-acre glacier. Some, like Connecticut’s Dinosaur Trackway, involve only a single remarkable feature, while others encompass large, widely diverse landscapes. Public access is not a foregone conclusion. Some NNLs may be too ecologically fragile to permit visitors – or it might be the best remaining example – in the country, or even worldwide -- of a certain, often irreplaceable, type of landscape feature. Unlike the lands in the National Park system, National Natural Landmarks are not owned or managed by the federal government. They may be privately or publicly owned.

The Natural Landmark program’s aim has been ”to encourage and support voluntary preservation of sites that illustrate the geological and ecological history of the United States, and to strengthen the public’s appreciation of America’s natural heritage.” In order to maintain NNL status, the only requirement is that the “significant natural values of the site” are preserved as much as possible. No new land use restrictions are set upon the site. The NPS does make occasional visits to verify a site’s condition and maintain good rapport with landowners.

To learn more about National Natural Landmarks, and to read a complete listing of NNL sites, visit www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/Registry/USA_Map/index.cfm.

by Kezia Bacon

August 2018

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 22+ years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Visiting the Waterfalls of Massachusetts

Quite by accident, I visited two of our state’s Top Ten waterfalls this summer. One weekend in late June, I went to the Berkshires for work. On my way from the turnpike to Sheffield, a picturesque town in Massachusetts’ southwest corner, I passed a sign for Bash Bish Falls, which I had once visited as a child. I made a mental note to return there if I had time. Then when I checked into my accommodations for the night, at a lovely little place called Race Brook Lodge, I learned that if I hiked a mile up the trail behind the inn, I would find a completely different waterfall halfway up the mountain. 

The famous Kurt Vonnegut quotation, from his novel Cat’s Cradle, immediately sprung to mind. “Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.” Neither of these side trips had been anticipated, but since I would have a few hours to myself the next morning, I decided to investigate.

Race Brook, where it flows through the Race Brook Lodge property.

 By 7:30am Saturday, I had my hiking boots laced up and my water bottle filled. The well-marked Race Brook Trail, which the public can access from a parking area on Route 41 in Sheffield, led me into a cool, shady hemlock forest, which is part of the Mt. Everett State Reservation. For the most part, the trail traced the edge of the brook, offering one idyllic view after another. After a steep but pleasant climb, I arrived at an intersection. I could continue straight, to reach the Appalachian Trail and the summit of Mt. Everett, or I could veer off to the side, to view the waterfalls.

 From there it was a short, flat meander to the falls. And oh my! What a treat to encounter such a gorgeous vista, in the middle of the quiet woods, with not a soul around. Race Brook Falls includes a total of five drops of horsetails and cascades, over 300 feet total. I couldn’t see them all at once, but from my vantage point, it was hard to tear my eyes away. 

I just stood there, watching the water pour down over the rocks until it dropped over a ledge and out of sight. 

Eventually I found a large flat boulder on which I could sit comfortably and contemplate my surroundings. Upstream was the waterfall, and downstream, a view of the valley below. 

I didn’t dare peek over the ledge to see how far the falls dropped. Instead I sat, listening to the sound of the water, meditating on the beauty of the forest, and promising myself that, going forward, my life would include more experiences like this.

After hiking back down to Race Brook Lodge for breakfast, and then driving to Great Barrington to attend to a few errands, I turned back toward Sheffield with Bash Bish Falls programmed into my navigation app. I had forgotten that there are two access points to the state’s tallest single drop (80 feet) waterfall -- one on the Massachusetts side, in Mt. Washington State Park, and another just a mile or two away, in New York’s Taconic State Park. Distracted by the lush green, rolling hills, I didn’t realize right away that I was headed for the New York entrance. Both access points offer large parking areas and porta-potties. The trail from New York is longer (0.75 mile) and more gradual, while from the Massachusetts side it’s shorter (0.4 mile) but steeper.

Bash Bish Falls was a much less solitary experience. The trail from the New York side ran along a high embankment with a view of Bash Bish Brook. Not surprising on a summer Saturday, both the trail and the brook were well populated with families hiking, wading, and picnicking. 

After a half-mile or so, I passed a large sign welcoming me to Massachusetts, and shortly thereafter I reached an overlook ringed with safety rails. Not far in front of me were the falls – considerably broader than Race Brook, and captivating in an entirely different way. From the overlook, a steep set of stairs led down to the base of the cascade, where a number of large boulders offered places to stop and sit. Swimming and wading are not permitted in the area just beneath the falls, but they seem to be allowed downstream. 

In case you were wondering, it really is BASH-bish and not BISH-bash, which rolls off the tongue more easily, thanks in large part to Bobby Darin. Local lore claims that the falls were named after a maiden from the Mohican tribe who met a tragic end.

The waterfalls of Massachusetts are nowhere near Niagara scale, but they’re still impressive. I was fortunate to visit two days after a big rainstorm, so they were flowing well -- which isn’t guaranteed, especially in the summer. These unplanned excursions compelled me to research some of the state’s other waterfalls, which I hope to visit soon. Most of them are on the western side. One website I found, which rated the Top Ten, listed Bash Bish and Race Brook among the favorites, as well as Campbell Falls in New Marlborough, Royalston Falls and Doane’s Falls in Royalston, Goldmine Brook Falls in Chester, March Cataract Falls in Williamstown, Tannery Falls in Savoy, Twin Cascades in Florida, and Waconah Falls in Dalton.

Living at sea level, we don’t really have waterfalls here on the South Shore. The closest is Whitman’s Falls (aka Iron Hill Falls), on Herring Run Brook, at Whitman’s Pond in Weymouth. It’s only a 10-12 foot drop, but probably still worth investigating.

by Kezia Bacon

July 2018

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 22+ years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Rockland’s Rail Trail

Setting off from the western terminus of the Rockland Rail Trail.

 Do you know about the Hanover Branch Railroad? It extended 7.8 miles from Hanover Four Corners, through South and West Hanover, across Rockland, to North Abington, where it connected with the Old Colony Railroad to Plymouth. Incorporated in 1846, and constructed over the better part of the next 20 years, it officially opened for service in 1868. 

E. Y. Perry, who operated a large tack factory in South Hanover, was largely responsible for the creation of the railway. He also owned a general store (now Myette’s) and constructed the building in South Hanover that for many years housed a series of a shoe factories – Goodrich, Cochran, and Shanley -- and later the Clapp Rubber Company. The railway facilitated the transport of materials and finished products to and from these and other businesses, but also offered passenger serive. Amusingly, in its latter years, when the businesses along its route had shut down, it continued to carried passengers, . . . but only by self-propelled cars!

The Old Colony Railroad absorbed the Hanover Branch in 1887. In 1893, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad took over the lease. These days, many of Massachusetts’ former railroad beds are overseen by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

From Luddams Ford Park in Hanover, along the Indian Head River to the Hanson line, much of the former Hanover Branch railroad bed has been converted into a very pleasant 1-mile walking trail. Another section, which begins on the Hanover-Rockland line and extends through Rockland to the current MBTA Commuter Rail at North Abington, more recently was transformed into a mostly-paved, mostly-flat, 10-foot wide, 3-mile long walking and biking trail.

This is exciting news for the South Shore! Thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts DCR, the recent paving of the Rockland portion makes the trail significantly more accessible to the general public. Now, not only hikers and mountain bikers can use it, but also people who rely on walkers, wheelchairs, and baby strollers.

There are numerous access points to the Rockland Rail Trail. From the eastern side, you can park in the cul de sac at the very end of Circuit Street in West Hanover, near the Colby-Phillips Conservation Area, and follow a short path through the woods to the railroad bed. It’s important to know, however, that this is by far the most rustic portion of the trail. The ties and rails are still intact! So for anyone traveling with wheels, this isn’t a good option.

At the portion of the Rockland Rail trail that extends into Hanover, railroad ties and rails are still in place from many decades ago. Fascinating to see, but not so great when exploring the trail via bicycle. The trail turns to gravel a little farther down the line, so don't let this stop you!  

Eventually the vestiges of the former railroad give way to a gravel path, which continues through the woods to the Rockland Police Station. This is where you’ll encounter first of several road crossings, each marked with a yellow metal gate that permits individuals to pass, but not cars. It is also where the paved trail begins.

The trail is very easy to follow. Each time it crosses a road, a crosswalk and signage give trail users the right of way. Still, it’s important to proceed with caution through all intersections. Some of them are relatively quiet, but others involve major roadways such as Routes 139 and 123. 

Heading west, the trail continues through residential areas and eventually passes by Rockland’s Senior Center, golf course, and high school. On the day I visited, I just happened to arrive at the Abington line, the trail’s western terminus, as a MBTA Commuter train was passing by. How fun to hear a train whistle on a historic rail trail!

Some other features worth noting are the “A” and “W” markers along the trail east of Union Street. In the days of the old railroad, the “A” indicated “approach,” which meant that the conductor should be prepared to stop. The “W” was for “whistle stop,” a reminder to sound the whistle while nearing a road crossing.

It took about an hour for my 12-year-old son and I to ride our mountain bikes along the full extent of the trail – from Hanover to Abington and back. This included numerous pauses -- for photos, water breaks, road crossings, and to read the information in the historic kiosk at Union and East Water Streets. Plus we mostly walked our bikes over the “rustic” section, when it proved to be far too bumpy to ride.

If you go, keep the well-posted Trail Rules in mind. The trails are open from dawn to dusk. Cyclists must yield to pedestrians. Dogs must be kept on a short leash at all times. Clean up after your pets. Horses and motorized vehicles are prohibited, as are fires, alcohol and smoking.

by Kezia Bacon

June 2018

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 22+ years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Try Yoga at the River’s Edge This Summer

A Yoga at the River's Edge class in the Rexhame Dunes. Photo by Sandy Bacon.

It is morning on the river. The sun has risen enough to bring its warmth to the day. Trees sway gently in the breeze. Fluffy clouds dot the blue sky. An occasional bird flies by. Listening closely, we can hear water lapping at the shore. This is the setting for Yoga at the River’s Edge, a Saturday morning outdoor program that resumes June 9^thfor its 22^ndseason. 

In 1997, as a newly-certified yoga teacher and board member of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, I wanted to create an event that would unite two of my favorite things: yoga and our local rivers. That summer, I led a series of six Gentle Yoga classes at various scenic spots in Marshfield, Norwell, Scituate, and Pembroke. I chose places that first and foremost offered a beautiful view of the North or South River (or a tributary), but that could also accommodate a large group of people and their yoga mats. 

Yoga as a common form of exercise was just emerging in the 1990s. Unlike today, most gyms didn’t offer it. Dedicated yoga studios were few and far between. Yoga was the kind of thing you might just as easily find in a rented church hall or community center. It hadn’t attained its present popularity. It certainly wasn’t considered an outdoor activity.

But it was summer . . . and the North and South Rivers are so peacefully inviting in summer! Especially when the marshes have turned green, and the trees along the riverbanks are in full leaf-out. What a great way to begin the day – rolling out a yoga mat in a scenic spot, spending an hour relaxing, and stretching, and breathing deeply. Would people actually attend these classes? Would they mind putting their yoga mats on the grass or the forest floor? Would they be scared off by the threat of bugs? What did we have to lose? We decided to give it a try.

We met at the Indian Head River Reservoir, on the Hanover-Pembroke line, where a large expanse of lawn, bordered on one side by woods, overlooks the Indian Head River and its fish ladder. We met at Couch Beach in North Marshfield, in a cathedral of tall pines, on an upland that offers a panoramic view of the North River and its marshes. We met at the Norris Reservation in Norwell, at a little clearing in the woods, a stone’s throw from Second Herring Brook. 

We met on the lawn of the Marshfield branch of the YWCA, a secluded spot that overlooks Little’s Creek and the mouth of the North River. We met at the Driftway Conservation Park in Scituate, both on a grassy rise, and on a wooden dock beside the Herring River. And we met in the Rexhame Dunes in Marshfield, in the sand at the edge of the South River. Luck was on our side. Not one of these classes was rained out.

Something about Yoga at the River’s Edge appealed to people. Right from the beginning, we attracted a respectable number of students – not too many, not too few. Attendees commented on how gorgeous the locations were, how they might not have ever visited them if not for this series. They also remarked on how good it felt to do yoga outdoors, in a natural setting. The bugs, for the most part, held off. And so, year after year, we continued to offer these classes. 

In the two decades since Yoga at the River’s Edge began, I’ve welcomed seven additional men and women – all certified yoga instructors -- to the River’s Edge team. We each have our favorite places to teach, and we take turns doing so throughout the season, which now extends throughout the entire summer – mid-June to mid-September. We all feel fortunate to be able to lead these classes, gathering with fellow yoga practitioners at some beautiful spots along our local waterways. Plus, it feels good to give back – to support the North and South Rivers Watershed Association with the proceeds the donation-based program generates.

On behalf of the Yoga at the River’s Edge team, I hope you will consider joining us this summer. The season begins June 9^that one of my favorite places on the North River – Couch Beach in North Marshfield (access via Couch Cemetery, 629 Union Street). 

• Join our mailing list by emailing yogariversedge@verizon.net. 

• Find our schedule online at http://www.hellokezia.com/yoga/Yoga_at_the_Rivers_Edge.html 

• Or like “Yoga at the River’s Edge” on Facebook.

by Kezia Bacon

May 2018

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 22+ years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com