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Denning's Point Musing 4 - Winter on the Point over the years
With the Denning’s Point trails closed for the winter to protect the American Bald Eagle foraging, perching and roosting habitat, I have been pondering what changes people living on the Point would have experienced during this season over the past 6,000 years. The present winter-time closing takes the high road of environmental conservation … but what about the other years? Let’s pass a few of our own blustery weeks thinking about winter as experienced on Denning’s Point over the years, one era at a time.
Traveling back 6,000 years places us in the midst of the Point’s prehistoric period. The Native Americans then populating the Point were hunters and gatherers. The Point’s rich resources included nuts, game, waterfowl, shellfish and other fish and provided bountifully for the people of these prehistoric tribes. However, as the weather grew colder, the Hudson River froze over so the shellfish, fish, and waterfowl were no longer readily available. The frozen river also diminished the protection afforded by being able to sight the approach of enemies by water from three different directions. Enemies were able to run across ice much more quickly than they had been able to approach by paddling during the other three seasons, so the inhabitants lost the important advantage of preparation time when defending themselves. And, as we in modern days find ourselves shivering in the winter chill, consider the effect the change in temperature would have had on nomadic tribespeople; the bitterly cold winds whipping along the length of the Hudson were fierce, and with the loss of foliage there was little available shelter. Attuned to nature, these Native Americans changed their habits with the changes in seasons moving with nature’s rhythm inland for protection from the elements and in hopes of better hunting grounds. The Native Americans followed this pattern for the next five thousand years.
The current winter closure of the Point most closely resembles the decisions made by the Native Americans; we modern-day people move off the Point for the winter, but look forward to returning in the spring. In the meantime, over the course of the next few blogs, let’s move through (relatively) more recent eras remembering winters on Denning’s Point.
Jim Heron, author of Denning’s Point - A Hudson River History and Project Historian of Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries.
Traveling back 6,000 years places us in the midst of the Point’s prehistoric period. The Native Americans then populating the Point were hunters and gatherers. The Point’s rich resources included nuts, game, waterfowl, shellfish and other fish and provided bountifully for the people of these prehistoric tribes. However, as the weather grew colder, the Hudson River froze over so the shellfish, fish, and waterfowl were no longer readily available. The frozen river also diminished the protection afforded by being able to sight the approach of enemies by water from three different directions. Enemies were able to run across ice much more quickly than they had been able to approach by paddling during the other three seasons, so the inhabitants lost the important advantage of preparation time when defending themselves. And, as we in modern days find ourselves shivering in the winter chill, consider the effect the change in temperature would have had on nomadic tribespeople; the bitterly cold winds whipping along the length of the Hudson were fierce, and with the loss of foliage there was little available shelter. Attuned to nature, these Native Americans changed their habits with the changes in seasons moving with nature’s rhythm inland for protection from the elements and in hopes of better hunting grounds. The Native Americans followed this pattern for the next five thousand years.
The current winter closure of the Point most closely resembles the decisions made by the Native Americans; we modern-day people move off the Point for the winter, but look forward to returning in the spring. In the meantime, over the course of the next few blogs, let’s move through (relatively) more recent eras remembering winters on Denning’s Point.
Jim Heron, author of Denning’s Point - A Hudson River History and Project Historian of Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries.
Comment
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Comment by Ben Royce on February 1, 2010 at 6:29pm - sounds like a plan ;-) i'm there once a week anyways in the warmer months for my weekly jog. funnest moment so far was almost stepping on a large well camouflaged snapping turtle in the middle of the marshy part of the trail. what he was doing at least 500 yards from water is anyone's guess. man they get big! my advice: don't go barefoot to dennings point
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Comment by Jim Heron on February 1, 2010 at 4:30pm - Thanks again Ben, I appreciate your research which all is directed at doing the right thing. Keep me in the loop as to what you find out. Would love to have you along on any of our Spring "walk & talks" on Denning's Point. The schedule will be posted on the Beacon Institute web site. (www.BIRE.org)We have about 10 scheduled so far, sometimes I do it solo and sometimes with Dr. Lucy Johnson an archaeologist from Vassar and a personal friend. She adds a lot of anthropological and archaeological color and is a hoot to hike with. Best Regards, Jim
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Comment by Ben Royce on February 1, 2010 at 9:53am
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jim:
i did a little digging to clarify
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/guidelines/index.html
Bald Eagle Management Guidelines and Conservation Measures On August 9, 2007, bald eagles were removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species and, therefore, they are not protected under the Endangered Species Act. However, bald eagles remain protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act). The Eagle Act prohibits anyone from “taking" bald eagles. Among other actions, "take" includes disturbance of bald eagles.
"Disturb" is the form of take that is most likely to occur and is the most ambiguous. Therefore, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prepared National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines. These Guidelines are voluntary and were prepared to help landowners, land managers and others meet the intent of the Eagle Act and avoid disturbing bald eagles.
frankly, i thought the dennings point sign was historical as of 2007!
the sign needs updating, it's language is outdated. i'll try to ferret out the proper state/ national contact and call them/ send them an email
cheers,
ben
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Comment by Anne Lynch on January 31, 2010 at 5:29pm - That post was very interesting and I look forward to the next.
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Comment by Jim Heron on January 31, 2010 at 3:51pm
- Hi Ben, thanks for your comment on my recent blog. You are quite right in noting the removal of the Bald Eagle from the endangered species list and share your joy in that wonderful story. I would note however it is still on the NYS and Federal threatened species list, and I believe that is why Parks still keeps the trails closed. I don't speak for Beacon Institute (who has no authority to open or close trails anyway) nor for Parks. I suggest you contact Parks directly if you have further questions. Hope this helps, and thanks for sharing your love and concern for Denning's Point, it is indeed a wondrous place. Jim Heron
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Comment by Ben Royce on January 31, 2010 at 12:20pm
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i think i need a minor point of clarification: the closing of denning's point over the winter precedes the bald eagle losing its endangered status in 2007 (which is a wonderful story of recovery, by the way)
the sign closing the point was put up before 2007, and the language on the sign alludes to the bald eagle's endangered status as justification for the point's closing. therefore, since the bald eagle isn't endangered anymore, shouldn't the point be open now over the winter?
and even if it should still be closed, someone at the state or federal level needs to update that sign, because its language is outdated and in my mind means the point's winter closing is only a historical status, the sign is obviously outdated
someone needs to take that closing notice down, or update its language. something saying that even though the bald eagle isn't endangered anymore, we're still going to close the point over the winter for recreation, based on some other legal justification
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