Gummere Wood

• Property Overview
• Ecology
• Photos
• Maps & Trails

Ecology

On September 13,th 2009 George Davis of the Boston Mycological Club lead a group of 50 friends on a walk through the woods to collect mushrooms.  Over 400 mushrooms were collected, with 75 species identified by Mr. Davis.  

The property is primarily oak/hardwood forest, gently sloping toward the southeast. It is mostly dry but there are red maple and ash in wet spots. The forest is mostly red oak, with a few handsome large red oaks here and there. There is a white pine grove on a point along Lake Ripple and other scattered smaller white pine stands.

There are two intermittent streams, wet areas near the top of the property, and marshy edges along Lake Ripple especially near the Wheeler Rd. entrance. A large holding basin had been created to receive and dewater the dredging material from Lake Ripple. When that project is complete this area will remain as a marshy open area rather different from the surrounding hardwood forest.

Many early succession species are already present. There is no state-listed critical habitat on this property. There is no evidence of any past forest fires. The gypsy moth epidemic of 1981/82 severely defoliated the trees on this property. Most hemlocks were killed, along with many understory white pine seedlings and saplings. The oaks mostly survived.

Ice in Gummere Wood: Marian Hazzard