Category Archives: The Landscape

The Wilder Side of Menokin

“There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.” – Aldo Leopold

GUEST BLOGGER: Maeve Charlesworth

Menokin is most recognized for its cultural and historic significance. What many people don’t know, however, is that this historic landmark is nestled within a pristine natural setting with so much to offer. The trails and kayak launch allow you to explore the property and experience the natural heritage in addition to its rich cultural heritage. And, the site is dog-friendly!

Connecting with this wild side of Menokin allows for a better understanding of what the site’s original owners witnessed on a daily basis.

On a morning in late June, my fiancé Joey and I, along with our beagle, Gypsy,  took one of our monthly birding trips to Menokin. As we entered the gate, Joey and I rolled down the windows to listen. Across the field and echoing from the trees beside us rang out the songs of Ovenbirds, Hooded Warblers, Yellow-throated Vireos, and Eastern Bluebirds. Up ahead over the trees we saw Turkey Vultures riding the thermals, getting their day off to a start.

At 9am, it was already warm, but nonetheless a beautiful day. We slowly made our way down the gravel road towards the visitor’s center, and on the way we saw a pair of Eastern Bluebirds taking food into the nest box behind the Menokin sign.

Juvenile Eastern Bluebird

We also heard the distinctive “bob-WHITE” call of a male Northern Quail bouncing off the trees from across the wheat field. Eager to hear what else was at Menokin today, we hurried to park the van.

At that point in June, bird migration was over, but that didn’t mean the birds that breed here were a disappointment! Our goal for the visit was to document as many confirmed breeders as we could.

Joey and I are active volunteers in the 2nd Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas. (More information can be found at http://amjv.org/vabba/the-atlas/). The Eastern Bluebirds were our first confirmation for the day. Carrying food into a cavity or nest box indicates there’s either an incubating female or chicks inside!

Right away we found our second confirmed breeder: Barn Swallows! Several nests were tucked up under the eaves of the building, and many swallows were seen and heard chittering over the cornfields as they swam through the air gulping bugs to bring back to their young. As we made our way past the office toward the tree line by the Remembrance Structure, Brown Thrashers, Chipping Sparrows, White-eyed Vireos, and Indigo Buntings sang from the small trees and corn. Once we hit the woods edge, we saw flashes of coral flying out over the corn as both Scarlet and Summer Tanagers were fly-catching insects in the sun.

Scarlet Tanager

As we made our way toward the overflow grass parking lot, we stopped to take in the change of landscape. We were about to enter old, mature hardwoods that stretch all the way down to Cat Point Creek. We heard Wood Thrushes, Eastern Wood-pewees, and Hooded Warblers down the gravel road.

A pair of Northern Cardinals was acting very strange; they moved around frequently, constantly vocalizing, and we heard what sounded like recently fledged young. We watched and waited, but unfortunately the vegetation was just too thick for us to know for sure. So on we went into the canopy of the towering hardwoods, on either side of us two male Hooded Warblers battling out the boundaries of their territories with their voracious songs.

On the edge of the road was a large patch of our native Spicebush shrubs, host plant of the Spicebush Swallowtail. We look for signs of munched on leaves, and rolled up leaves where caterpillars like to hide. We couldn’t find any, but maybe next time. 

Farther down the road we stopped at our favorite bench to just listen. Red-eyed vireos flitted amongst leave above us, a ruby-throated hummingbird whizzed by our heads, and in the road was a female Eastern Box Turtle.

Eastern Box Turtle

Females are differentiated by their brown eye, rather than the red eye of the male. We started the descent toward the creek, and above us sang Yellow-throated Warblers, Acadian Flycatchers, and

Eastern Wood PeeWee

Ovenbirds. When we reached the fork in the trail we stopped at thesecondbench for another listen. CarolinaChickadees chattered in the trees beside us, and way up in the canopy were Tufted Titmice flitting around erratically, accompanied by what we thought were fledglings, judging by the noises they made. Another confirmed breeder? Unfortunately they stayed too high to see and moved on from our location.

As we made our way toward the kayak launch, something hopped under Gypsy’s paws. What appeared to be a young Fowler’s Toad was in the middle of the trail measuring only about half an inch in size. We came across a few more on our way towards the water.

Fowlers Toad

Right at the parking lot we stopped to observe what could potentially be our native Turk’s Cap Lily! It was about 6 feet tall and the flower buds were still green; everything about it indicated that may be what we found. Neither of us have ever seen one outside a garden setting, so we made a mental note to plan our next visit to see it in bloom, to know for sure what species of lily we found.

On the edge of the water I heard what sounded like baby birds crying. We sat and waited patiently (Gypsy not so much), and soon enough a Chipping Sparrow appeared in a nearby tree with a mouth full of food. It looked around, checking for any threats, and flew into the pine tree when it felt the coast was clear. The begging babies got very loud, then suddenly silenced, and the adult left. Chipping Sparrow: confirmed!

Along the water’s edge we look to see what flowers we recognize. Swamp Milkweed, a host for the Monarch Butterfly, is growing in a small patch. No signs of caterpillars here. We need to make sure to check again in the fall when they’re migrating back through. A few young Pickerelweed plants are also sprouting. Hopefully next spring they will be mature enough to bloom their beautiful purple flower spikes. There’s only one way to find out for sure!

Gypsy and I head back up the road and take the trail that follows the creek. A nice hedgerow of Sweet Pepperbush lines the trail, and soon enough it will be blooming. A wide variety of pollinators love to visit this shrub. After meeting back up with Joey at the bench, he tells me he heard the loud rattling call of a Belted Kingfisher around the trees. We make our way up the hill and I catch movement in the huge Spicebush patch low to the ground. We stop, wait, and finally see movement again. It’s a Hooded Warbler – but not just one. Fledgling-type noises are coming from a few feet away. We watch and wait for about five minutes when we are finally rewarded with seeing not one, but two Hooded Warbler fledglings! It’s so exciting, especially because many birds are deceived by nest parasites like Brown-headed Cowbirds that lay their eggs in the nest of others. We had already seen several pairs of them flying around so we had to make sure.

Overall it has been a wonderful and successful birding trip to Menokin. There’s something about visiting that takes you back in time, aside from the historic structure. The natural heritage of the area is evident through the birds, animals, and plants that inhabit the fields, woods, and creek surrounding the home. Our native flora and fauna have been doing the same thing year after year long before the house was even built; breeding, raising young, blooming, bearing fruit. It’s important to step back and realize that there is more history to this place than the house alone. History is more than important dates, artifacts, and stories told from one generation to another. It’s seeing nature doing what it’s designed to do before we came along. We are lucky that a unique location like Menokin has so much to offer.

For a full list of the birds we observed and heard, follow this link: https://ebird.org/atlasva/view/checklist/S57534881

Roof Systems of Virginia Fixes Remembrance Structure

We’d like to thank Roof Systems of Virginia for fixing the Remembrance Structure for us!

The structure sustained damage from strong storms that swept through the Northern Neck in 2018. It is now wrapped in FarmTek PolyMax curtain, which is typically found in agricultural structures like barns. It’s durable and does not absorb moisture, making it the perfect option for the Remembrance Structure. Below are some before, during, and after pictures that illustrate the process, which included removing the damaged transparent Tyvek that was originally wrapped around the structure.

We encourage you to check out Roof Systems of Virginia’s website for your commercial and residential roofing needs.

Menokin’s recreated slave dwelling wins award for architectural excellence

  • This article is copied in full from the Free Lance-Star
  • The Remembrance Structure, an outdoor classroom on the grounds of the Menokin Foundation near Warsaw, has won an AIA Virginia 2018 Award for Excellence in Architecture.

    AIA Virginia is a member of the Society of the American Institute of Architects. Its Awards for Excellence in Architecture honor Virginia architects’ works that are no older than seven years, contribute to the built environment, and are clear examples of thoughtful, engaging design.

    Architect Reid Freeman based what was originally called the Ghost Structure on archaeology, 18th-century timber framing techniques, and examples of similar slave dwellings in the region that still survive. The framework is covered only by a transparent fabric that diffuses shade. At night, solar-powered lighting creates a paper lantern effect.

    A crew of professionals, students and volunteers built the simple structure during a five-day workshop last May. It sits directly over its footprint of the late 18th-century slave dwelling that it re-creates.

    Besides serving as a classroom, the Remembrance Structure is intended to be a memorial to the enslaved workers who worked on Menokin plantation for Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The Menokin Foundation’s African American Advisory Work Group recently renamed the building the Remembrance Structure in honor of the enslaved people who built the original and lived there.

    This year’s Awards for Excellence in Architecture included two Honor Awards, 13 Merit Awards and one Honorable Mention. Award categories include Architecture, Contextual Design, Residential Design, Interior Design and Historic Preservation. Freeman’s design was one of two Contextual Merit Award recipients. The other was Stemann I Pease Architecture’s design for the Historic Farmstead at the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown.

    The awards for contextual design are chosen based on outstanding architecture that perceptibly reflects the history, culture, and physical environment of the place in which it stands and that, in turn, contributes to the function, beauty and meaning of its larger context.

    It’s Good To Have Friends

    The Northern Neck Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists are unsung heros. Just because we have been long remiss about giving them credit, that does not mean that we appreciate their dedication and service any less.
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    At long last, these friends of Menokin are getting the recognition they deserve.
    Our butterfly garden at Menokin has blossomed (pun intended) into a smorgasbord of color and pollen. Every year there are new varieties on the menu for our hungry customers, including bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, ants, birds, and other crawly critters. The sign was installed in the garden today and the crowd barely noticed me as they gorged on nectar. Next time you come for a visit, be sure to stop by the garden and say “Thanks!” to these tireless volunteers who make our landscape more beautiful.

    Summer’s Sour Secret: Sumac

    I often stop along the lane into Menokin to take pictures when a flash of color catches my eye. Such was the case earlier this week when a cluster of red berries I’d been noticing were finally too beautiful to pass by.

    Now, here are the confessional and teaching moments of the story wrapped neatly in a bow.

    Confession: I wasn’t sure what they were. I suspected sumac but fell into the immediate trap of thinking sumac=poison. But what kind of poison exactly. Rash? “Eat me and die” poison? Or was it sumac at all? Was it the insidious invasive, tree of heaven?

    Teaching Moment: Obviously it was not safe for me to be out of doors with my sketchy knowledge of what was or wasn’t sumac. And I did touch one berry so it was crucial to figure this out straight away before symptoms started appearing. So I fired up Google and went to work.

    What I learned was this:

    • It was sumac. Staghorn Sumac to be precise.
    • I wasn’t going to die.
    • I wasn’t even going to itch.
    • As a matter of fact, people all over the world use this very same berry as a spice, a medicine and to make lemonade.

    The Farmers Almanac did the best job explaining the whole wonderful story so follow this link if you’d like to learn more.

    Now, if I could just figure out what kind of bug this is that I saw crawling along the stem…

    This little guy was so tiny, about the size of one of the grass seeds on the plant.

    Kayaks Ready to Rent

    It’s hot outside! And Menokin is the cool place to be kayaking out on Cat Point Creek!

    Our friends at USF&W loaned us their trailer to get all the new boats down to the creek. Silas, one of our summer interns, painted the rack and set up all of the boats. He’ll be ready to teach you how to paddle and assist your launch. Be sure to bring a hat and sunblock.

    Now it’s easy to learn how or just come explore. Free lessons are available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-12pm, just call or email Alice at 333-1776, afrench@menokin.org to reserve a boat. Come meet our new ACA trained kayak instructors Silas and Erin.

    Already know how to paddle a boat? Menokin has rentals available now, too! Sit-on-top singles rent for $10/2hours; or paddle together and save in a tandem (two-person) kayak for $15/2hours. Rentals are available Tuesday through Saturday, 10am until 6pm, and include a US Coast Guard certified life jacket, paddle, and kayak.

    Got your own paddle boat or board? You can come out anytime until 7pm, every day of the week and use our launch free of charge.  Menokin is a Chesapeake Bay Gateway and also part of the Captain John Smith National Historic Trail. You can access the flat water of Cat Point Creek from our soft landing.  After your adventure, take a minute to add notes about your adventure in the waterproof log book we keep nailed to the tree.

    Download our printable paddle guide. Happy paddling!

    Community Idea Station WCVE Shines A Light On The Menokin Ghost Structure

    We’d like to thank Inigo Howlett, the Northern Neck correspondent for Community Idea Station WCVE for paying a visit to Menokin to learn more our Ghost Structure Workshop that took place in May.

    His news report aired on May 29th in the Richmond and Northern Neck areas. If you heard the story, or even if you didn’t, do one or all of these things:

    • Listen to it now online.
    • Search “Ghost Structure” on the blog to find related stories and to see more photos.
    • Visit our website to learn more about the Menokin Glass House Project and the important, innovative work taking place here.
    • Come for a visit, take part in a program, or go for a paddle on Cat Point Creek.

    If you like what you see, hear, experience, learn…make a donation!

    Here are some pictures of the completed, glowing Ghost Structure on the Menokin landscape.

    Ghost Structure Workshop Synopsis: Julia Judd

    Highlight of Day One

    On the first day over a cool cast of clouds the project for the Ghost Structure of Menokin began to create the first replica of a slave dwelling that once was built on this land. The group was split up between two groups to start cutting the wood. Both groups would contribute in building the base of the structure. In order for the base of the structure to connect the joists must be cut into the wood. The joists are made up of horizontal timber and in our case, oak is being used as the base because this type of wood particularly is harder and will hold up the best support. In creating the joists each end of the timber must measure 4” x 4.5” in the shape of an ‘L’. A japan saw is used to cut off the unwanted piece in 4 sections. Next, a chisel and mallet are used to break off the sections to create the final joist.  Pictures below show the process of creating the joist.


    Highlight of Day Two

    Once a 15’ x 25’ base is placed we began preparing the next steps in creating the floor of the Ghost Structure. The floorboards would be made of yellow pine and in order to align each row of the floorboards a hammer and chisel would be used to avoid any gaps in the floor. However, in the 18th century they would also use an auger that would create a small hole into the wood and another tool would be placed into the hole to wedge the pieces of wood together. An auger is a tool with a large helical bit for creating holes into wood. We know there is evidence in using an auger to wedge the floorboards together because of the circle marks left over by this tool. In our case, only a hammer and chisel were used to connect each floorboard together. Nails were hammered into the yellow pine to connect the floorboards to the base of the structure. Once a floor was established the frame of the Ghost Structure will become the next goal. Picture below shows finished floor.


    Highlight of Day Three

    On the first day the other group was creating joints in the base for base to properly support the frame. The joints are known as mortise and tenon and are adjoining pieces that connect at a 90-degree angle. On day 1, the mortise was first cut into the base to eventually fit the tenon to connect the frame to the base. Creating the main, vertical frame is what was being accomplished on day 3. This becomes the most structural support of the Ghost Structure. How would the mortises be created back in the 18th century? An auger would have also been used to create a hole for the tenon to be connected to. However, the auger would not penetrate entirely through the timber but a little over halfway through so when the tenon is created is has a stopping point. Picture below shows the joists creating the base and the main frame connecting to the base of the structure. Third picture shows how the tenon is being cut by using a japan saw that will fit into the mortise.


    Highlight of Day Four

    Hand-carved pegs were needed to be made to act as the studs of the structure for better stabilization and support. By taking a long piece of yellow pine that measures roughly 1” x 1” and carving out the shape of the peg by using a tool known as a draw blade. The tool does exactly what it is named for. When using a draw blade, you hold onto the handles on each side of the blade and pull the tool towards yourself to smoothly shave off pieces of wood. In our case, sat on a sawhorse that allowed us to clamp the piece of wood tightly so that the draw blade could easily be used. About 90 pegs were carved over the course of the week to be hammered into the Ghost Structure.


    Highlight of Day 5

    After the pegs were finished, they needed to be hammered all around the base of the structure. An auger would have been used to initially created the hole for the peg to fit into. For the purpose of finishing the structure within the 5-day mark, a power drill was used. The pegs had to fit in tightly and once hammered in the piece sticking out of the base had to be sawed off using a japan saw to fit smoothly along the oak base. Once the pegs were placed the cripples had to be attached to the vertical frame. Cripples are a type of wall bracing that rests on top of the foundation of a structure. They support the overall weight of a building and must be braced so the frame does not collapse. Both ends of the timber cripple are cut at a 45-degree angle and hammered into the frame.  Pictures below show the drilling of the hole for the peg and then using a mallet to hammer in the peg to the base. The last photo shows how the  cripples were hammered in with nails to the frame of the structure.


    SEE MORE POSTS ABOUT THE GHOST STRUCTURE WORKSHOP:

    Learning and Lounging on Cat Point Creek

    Dr. Duane Sanders, River Program Coordinator, Biology Instructor

    Students from St. Margaret’s School Outdoor Adventure program spent three afternoons in May kayaking on Cat Point Creek at the Menokin Plantation. Students learned about wildlife supported by this ecosystem and how the system can change over time. They also relaxed and had some fun!

    Menokin Ghost Structure: Playing Catch Up

    IN CASE YOU MISSED THEM: DAY 1 AND DAY 2

     

    How sad is it that the crew can build an entire structure faster than I can blog about it and post pictures? Very sad.

    DAY 3 – Wednesday

    The day was made more interesting by the arrival of two groups of horticulture and carpentry students from the Northern Neck Technical Center. Most of the students had never been to Menokin before. I was so pleased to hear many of them say that they “sure didn’t expect it to be like this!”

    In case you didn’t know, May is Preservation Month. The “This Place Matters” campaign was started by the National Trust for Historic Preservation many years ago to bring attention to the importance of historic buildings to local communities as well as visitors and enthusiasts.

     

    DAY 4 – Thursday

    Raise the Roof takes on a whole new meaning when you see it happening. All the chiseling, measuring, staging and peg making were put to the test with the assembly of the structural timbers and the crown of roof rafters. The beautiful bones of the building are a perfect addition to this vast, cultural landscape.