Mother Nature: Best form of amusement

Posted 7/16/14

Now that we have spent a number of years sorting out who the stakeholders are at the former Rocky Point Amusement Park, we are happy to report that one of its primary claimants, Mother Nature, has …

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Mother Nature: Best form of amusement

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Now that we have spent a number of years sorting out who the stakeholders are at the former Rocky Point Amusement Park, we are happy to report that one of its primary claimants, Mother Nature, has robustly staked her claim among the ruins and asserted herself with an abundant display of creatures small and smaller that make the park a permanent home.

Now, as in the past, the woods and waters around the park will continue to offer future generations a glimpse of the literally thousands of species of insects, mammals and reptiles that were once found in abundance just outside the doors of our homes before development and chemical pollution drove most wildlife from suburban backyards.

A team of more than 140 naturalists documented every species of plant, insect and animal that could be found at Rocky Point within a 24-hour period. The total exceeded the 973 average count for the past 15 annual “BioBlitzes” and was more than expected for an area as small as Rocky Point, especially surrounded by hundreds of years of development.

The Point’s 124 acres is a “functioning little ecosystem” according to the coordinator of the blitz, Dr. David Gregg, the director of the Rhode Island Natural History Survey.

Gregg was especially excited by the discovery of an Eastern box turtle and a smooth green snake, species that were once plentiful but have been largely displaced with development.

A full list of the species and a report will be released early next year, but the counts reflect a diverse environment; including 20 types of fish found in the bay; six species of amphibians and six reptiles; 152 types of moths; 14 mammals other than humans; 68 types of birds; and 282 varieties of plants.

The big surprise was the absence of salamanders, which were either in hiding or not among Rocky Point’s regulars: Only one was found, along with some eggs, but more may appear before the summer is out. But the mostly good news is a very good thing for our children.

We are in danger of raising children who only encounter other creatures in zoos or pet shops; boys and girls who will be deprived of the joy of finding toads and salamanders under foot. We can only hope that they return in such numbers that the unlucky few who are sneaked into suburban homes by children, only to be flushed out to sea by practical parents, will not mean that they won’t have any left to annoy their parents with the following year. Such collecting wouldn’t be fun if it didn’t have the power to irk grownups, which is a major source of amusement for most children. Which is why we agree with Dr. Gregg when he said of Rocky Point:

“Just because it’s no longer an amusement park doesn’t mean it can’t continue to be [a source of amusement].”

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