Rice Creek Field Station Special Publication No. 2: Natural Areas of Oswego County

Abstract

Foremost among the goals of Rice Creek Field Station is the promotion of environmental awareness. This has been a theme in college courses, school programs, summer courses for children, and programs for the public offered at the station. Knowledge about the environment for every citizen is more important today than ever before. In 1743 John Bartram, a colonial amateur botanist visited Oswego and observed a wild plant the local residents called Oswego Tea. This beautiful plant is rarely observed growing wild in Oswego County today. In John Bartram's time Globeflower, another native plant, was fairly abundant; today it is an endangered species. These are but two of many possible examples of native species that have been influenced by human induced environmental changes. We obviously cannot return the environment to its 1743 condition. Since Oswego County became a political entity in 1816 the number of residents has increased steadily. The projection is that this increase will continue into the future. As the size of the human population increases the environment will become correspondingly less hospitable for wild species. The Natural Areas Handbook gives a brief description with a guide to the major natural areas in Oswego County that are open to the public. Rice Creek Field Station has produced this handbook to acquaint visitors and residents with areas of natural beauty in Oswego County. It is hoped the users will remember that these are the last refuges for many wild species. Help us preserve them for future generations. Donald D. Cox, Director Rice Creek Field Station