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Forty Acre Rock and Flatcreek Preserve Photo Tips |
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Forty Acre Flat Rock is a small part of the
Flatcreek Heritage Preserve natural area. In addition there is a stream, a
waterfall, a beaver pond, a flood plain, a hard wood forest, a pine forest as
well as the diabase dike.
The granite outcrop -- The rock surface is home to several plants. The small vernal pools provide a micro world for the pool sprite, Amphianthus pussilus, stone crop, Sedum smallii. The plants are small, circa 1-2 inches tall, and require macro equipment for full frame images. The Pool Sprite resemble a tiny water lily and, petal to petal, is about 3/8" across. The actual flower is about 1/8" in diameter. The Stone Crop resemble small succulent plants and vary in color from pink to bright red. The small pools can be very impressive. Both bloom in late March - April. Hardwood forest edge -- Look for trout lilies, Erthronium americanum (Feb), hawkweed, mosses, Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquifolia, Yellow Jessamine, Gelsimium sempervirens (March - May), Trumpet Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens (March-June). Waterfall and stream -- Liver leaf, Hepatica americana (March), blood root, Sanguinaria canadensis, grape fern, Botyrchium dissectum, trout lily, Erthronium americanum, May Apple, Podophylum peltatum (March) and Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides. Beaver pond -- Resurrection Fern, Polypodium polypodiodes, river cane, heart leaf, Hexastylis arifolia. The rock out crop slopes east and is largely open. Early morning light on the small flowers is better than late afternoon. The upper entrance off Conservancy Road is a 0.5 mile hike on a graded road to the rock. The lower entrance off County Road 27 has about a 1.5 mile hike to the rock outcrop. The trail passes through several transitions from the sand hill, to the beaver pond flood plain, the hard wood cove, waterfall-stream up to the granite out crop. There is an additional trail that goes around the beaver pond and exits onto the power line right of way. The trail around pond is muddy, thick with river cane and difficult in dry weather. Equipment -- 100mm macro, extension tube, 1.4x (2x better), flash, bean bag, 75-300mm, 24 mm, tripod. Film -- Velvia, Kodachrome 64.
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Please note that the images and the articles on these pages are copyrighted by Angelo Sciulli. Reproduction or use in any manner without permission is prohibited.
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Maintained by Angelo Sciulli
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