| 16. Pourroy's Picnic Area | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
 Interpretive Stops
1. Along Aptos Creek Additional Information
|
Pourroy's Picnic Area Lets You Rest and EnjoyThe picnic area was originally intended for Pourroy family reunions. Mr. Pourroy was building the barbecue pit and the retaining wall with creek cobblestones in the early 1990s when his wife died. Mr. Pourroy finished his fine masonry work, but the barbecue pit was never used by the family. Some of the Puorroy grandchildren did spend time at the picnic grounds.Looking west to the hillside, you can again see evidence of erosion. Redwoods and Douglas-firs have fallen, probably during the 1982 floods, and remain lodged against each other. Redwood Forest Riparian Plant Community Seen HereStanding in the picnic area and looking across the creek, you can see trees typical of the riparian habitat found in redwood forests: big leaf maple trees, recognized by their unusually large deeply-lobed leaves; red alders that prefer growing with their roots in water; and, of course, the redwoods. In addition to these trees, you see the understory vegetation of sword ferns, chain ferns, five-finger ferns, coltsfoot (in early spring), and horsetails. During winter, California polypody grows from the barbecue pit cobblestones. Both moss and lichen are found on many tree branches, especially after the winter rains which help keep these moisture-dependent organisms alive. Retaining Wall Erected after Sedimentation Build-upA fence once stood where the retaining wall stands now. During floods, the fence trapped sediments, which increased after each flooding or heavy rain. The sedimentation eventually built up, forming a dirt terrace that is the picnic area we know today. Mr. Pourroy built the retaining wall in the early 1990s to replace the fence. Smaller Retaining Wall Helps Hold Redwood RootballMr. Pourroy also built a smaller retaining wall next to the barbecue pit and underneath the large rootball of a redwood that fell many years ago. It is unknown whether the tree was felled by loggers or if it fell during a flood. A common occurrence in a flood plain such as this one is for water to undercut the roots of the redwood, causing the tree to fall, often across the stream. Fallen trees in streams actually help creek fish by backing up water. The backed-up water creates deeper, cooler, and more sheltered pools that steelhead trout and coho salmon use for foraging and shelter during seasons of low water flow. Small winter wrens have been seen using the large rootball of the fallen redwood as a nesting area. As we've learned previously, fallen trees often provide escape cover and nesting sites for many terrestrial animals, in addition to supplying a source of dead, organic material for fungi to help decay.
|
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
Back to 
Forward to 
