Wye Island NRMA

Wye Island NRMA

Monday, April 7, 2014

Spring on the Jones Falls

Shortly after I posted my last entry at the end of last week, the daylong deluge of cold rain became a mix of snow and ice. Undoubtedly, it was one of the worst days for running in 2014, a year that thus far is marked by harsh weather. On Monday, however, I encountered a positive indicator that winter is relenting. As I ran with my training partner, Nate, westward along the Wyman Park Drive bridge toward Druid Hill Park, I spotted a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron perched in a tree far above the Jones Falls. While Yellow-crowned Night-Herons are common denizens of the Jones Falls watershed, I had never seen one of these shorebirds so high in a tree.

We quickly discovered that this was not a solitary bird; its partner was roosted nearby. As we focused our vision closely on the many layers of branches in the canopy beneath the bridge and above the stream, we noticed other pairs of herons and at least two nests, carefully constructed safe havens far from the reaches of the predators who prowl the shoreline - a rookery of Yellow-crowned Night-Herons! These beautiful wading birds are characterized by their distinct yellow crests, or crowns, which, as I discovered in my recent observations, they flare when interacting with others of their species.


Yellow-crowned Night-Herons

Such seasonal occurrences are easily missed in twenty-first-century urban America.  Few of us engage the non-human world with the frequency that our ancestors did. The developed world's conveniences allow us to continue the rhythms of our lifeways largely unaltered by seasonal changes. We may bemoan temperature extremes, but our diets, work, and sleep patterns change little, if at all, over the course of a year. Running, however, has helped me become far more attuned to the seasonal cycles of flora and fauna. When one's days and ways entail traversing familiar landscapes in all weather conditions, it is much easier to perceive even minute environmental changes. With heightened senses, I especially delight in running during the transitional phases of the year, as one season blends into the next.

Wetlands and wooded waterways are fascinating environments to explore during times of seasonal change for their abundance of biodiversity, particularly migratory birds. During my six-years in Baltimore, I have been fortune to live along the southern-half of the Jones Falls, a stream that played a significant role in the city's growth and prosperity. This wooded stream snakes for nearly 18 miles from central Baltimore County to the city's heart, where it meets the harbor near the National Aquarium. Compelled by warm temperatures and blues skies, I set about this past weekend to look closer, listen carefully, and absorb the Jones Falls' environments during my runs. 

The Jones Falls was one of the city's principal arteries for agricultural and industrial production. To follow the stream's course from the Inner Harbor northward to its source is to trek backwards through time, passing antiquities from various stages of the city's economic and cultural development. Mills that are composed of local field stone and chunky bricks baked from Maryland's ubiquitous red clay line the falls between Mt. Vernon, where the stream disappears into subterranean tunnels, to Woodberry. In the early to middle decades of the nineteenth century, these mill complexes housed the production of textiles, including fabric used for the sails of Baltimore's merchant fleet that enriched the city through global trade. As sails gave way to steam power in the later half of the nineteenth century, the textile mills converted their production but continued to hum, manufacturing a variety of cloth and yarn products. In recent years, developers, with the aid of government funding and support of community groups, have revitalized these remarkable but once derelict structures. The restored mills now house a diverse array of new businesses, reflecting Baltimore's vibrant cultural and economic life. The preservation and restoration of these landmarks - a process called adaptive reuse - has accelerated during my short tenure in Baltimore, significantly transforming and redefining the landscapes of the lower Jones Falls.


Looking north upon Mt. Vernon Mill

The ecology of the watershed also has undergone improvements in recent decades, though it is still recovering from two centuries of industrial use and degradation. The Yellow-crowned Night-Herons' rookery and the multitudes of bird species that populate the stream's shoreline and canopy, however, are signs of progress and the potential for a richer future. The presence of these birds, who sustain themselves on crustaceans and other aquatic life, are evidence of a complex ecosystem and improving water quality. These natural and historic resources, unique to Baltimore, are best enjoyed and explored on foot along the Jones Falls Trails, where I run a considerable portion of my mileage.  After a bleak winter of short days and inclement weather, now is the ideal moment to seek out these spaces and gaze upon them with fresh, perceptive eyes. As runners, we benefit greatly from the conservation and restoration projects that are revitalizing the Jones Falls' built and natural landscapes. Take advantage of these resources and participate in the remaking of our city.  


Postscript

I emphasized the places where I run in this entry, with scant mention of my actual training. I am happy to report that I am progressing well. I will post again midweek after my next interval work and devote the entire entry of the last phase of my training cycle, which culminates at the end of this month.

2 comments:

  1. My crest went up when reading about the rookery!

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  2. Great blog! Critters, history and running...

    ReplyDelete