Barn Island Color Slide Collection of Wendy Blake-Coleman, Smith College, Northampton, MA

Wendy Blake-Coleman was a graduate student at Smith College when she conducted her field studies of the natural marshes of the Barn Island Wildlife Management Area (field years 1976 and 1977). The primary study areas are Palmer Neck Marsh, Headquarters Marsh, 'lower' Brucker Marsh and Davis Farm Marsh. Wendy has granted permission to post digital copies of her slides on this website.

August, 1976

Slide #1: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Maintenance of mosquito ditch, Palmer Neck Marsh

Slide #6: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: View of Palmer Neck Marsh - looking south from Dike 1.

Slide #18: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: View from Headquarters Marsh across tidal creek towards Palmer Neck boat launch ramp. Panne vegetation in center of photo.

Slide #20: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: High marsh levee on Headquarters Marsh.

Slide #21: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Ditch on headquarters marsh, Iva frutescens growing upon old mosquito ditch spoil pile. View towards the western end of dike 1.

Slide #35: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Photograph of upland marsh edge; Panicum belt in background; darker vegetation is the former Juncus belt that has eroded and is in the forb-panne phase. Spartina patens (?) in the foreground.

Slide #36: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: East side of Headquarters Marsh looking towards the upland along a mosquito ditch.

September 1976 - spring high tide series

Slide #1: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: View south from east end of dike 1 across the western edge of the Palmer Neck Marsh

Slide #2: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: View is SEE along the east edge of dike 1 across the northern portion of Palmer Neck Marsh. Colonial ditch parallels the dike.

Slide #3: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: View is SE from east end of dike 1 - across the Palmer Neck Marsh.

Slide #4: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Similiar view/location to slide #1.

Slide #5: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: View down the slope of dike 1 looking at the northern half of Palmer Neck Marsh.

Slide #6: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: View from mid-dike 1 across Palmer Neck Marsh towards the upland. View across colonial ditch on the south side of the dike. Note the Panicum belt is narrow or absent, grading into the Nyssa forest upslope.

Slide #7: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: View from dike 1 along the eastern boundary of Palmer Neck Marsh - view down the main creek. The 'indentation' in the shoreline corresponds to the mouth of a natural tidal creek located at the north end of this marsh.

Slide #8: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: View from the intersection of the tidal creek with dike 1 towards the Palmer Neck uplands. Narrow Panicum belt along the upland edge.

Slide #9: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Pan left of slide 8, looking across Palmer Neck Marsh to the boat launch ramp. (Today the view of parked vehicles would be obstructed by tall shrubs along the upland border.

Slide #10: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: ~mid section of western dike 1 - photo of marsh at the base of the dike

Slide #11: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view to the east from ~middle of western dike 1 - view of marsh parallel with dike; view across tidal creek - HQ marsh/HQ upland in the background

Slide #12: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: location east of slide #10 on western dike 1- captures near dike vegetation and view is across tidal creek - HQ marsh in the background.

Slide #13: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: same as slide #12.

Slide #14: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view of marsh near dike base

Slide #15: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view to the east of slide #11 from the western dike 1 - looking across tidal creek - HQ marsh/upland in the background. Notice how the size of the boulder changes

Slide #16: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: panning to right from photo 15 location

Slide #17: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: panning to right of photo 16

Slide #18: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view south along the western edge of Headquarters Marsh; main creek on right and eastern edge of Palmer Neck to the right of the creek.

Slide #19: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view south from eastern dike 1; in the center is the remnant of a secondary tidal creek that originates to the north and a portion lies under dike 1.

Slide #20: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view of the western portion of the Headquarters Marsh from the eastern side of eastern dike 1. Creek seperating Headquarters and Palmer Neck Marshes in the upper right and the boat launch ramp beyond.

Slides 22 - 24 are taken from the south end of the Headquarters Upland island - these pan across the Headquarters Marsh from west to east.

Slide #22: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view towards the southwest, Little Narragansett Bay in background. Note the narrow belt of Panicum and the return of the Nyssa forested wetland - these two communities are competing for the same non-tidal wetland habitat.

Slide #23: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view toward the SSE - forested island in background is located near Bloom's Point.

Slide #24: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view to the east.

Slide #25: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view from Headquarters upland to the east of location for photos 22-24

Slide #26: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view from dike 2 to the south; upland island near Bloom Point in background and the arcuate form of the meadering tidal creek sweeping from right to left in the center.

Slide #27: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: seaward side of culvert at dike/impoundment 2

Slide #28: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view from dike 2 into impoundment 2

Slide #29: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment:

Slides 30 - 33 are photos from the southern edge of the twin upland islands located between dikes 2 and 3. Progression is a west to east direction terminating sequence at dike 3.

Slide #30: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment:

Slide #31: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view of high marsh near impoundment 3A (?)

Slide #32: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view of high marsh near impoundment 3A (?)

Slide #33: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view direction SW along the eastern edge of the easternmost twin upland islands; forest in the background is near Bloom's Point; on right side of photograph there is a stone wall that angles in a direction of the Bloom's Point forest; it is believed that this wall once lay on the east side of an upland pasture which today supports high marsh vegetation.

Slide #34: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view parallel with dike 3, photo taken from western end of dike 3

Slide #35: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view of impoundment 3

Slide #36: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view of marsh east of the 'elbow' in dike 3

September 1976

Slide #2: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Photostation 9 on Palmer Neck Marsh

Slide #5: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Photostation 12 on Headquarters Marsh

Slide #6: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Photostation 11 on Headquarters Marsh

Slide #7: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Headquarters Marsh towards bay - possibly Photostation 18

Slide #9: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Headquarters Marsh

Slide #10: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Headquarters Marsh - view towards south end of Headquarters forested upland island showing Panicum belt - just east of Photostation 13 (?).

Slide #11: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Headquarters Marsh - view towards southeast side of Headquarters upland - distinct Panicum belt - right side of photograph looking across dike 2 into impoundment 2.

Slide #12: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Headquarters Marsh

Slide #14: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view from the east end of dike 2 in a direction parallel to dike 2

Slide #16: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: same as 14 - vertical view

Slide 18 and 19 are a panorama (right to left) - east of the forested island at the elbow of dike 3 and south of the meandering tidal creek that connects impoundment 3 to impoundment 4. Near photostation 23.

Slide #18: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Location is immediately east of elbow in dike 3 and just south of the natural creek that connected impoundment 3 to impoundment 4. View in the direction of impoundment 4. (see slide 19 - pannes to the west)

Slide #19: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Same as slide #18, pannes to the left (west) and view is toward the forest between impoundment 3 (left) and impoundment 4 (right)

Slide #23: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Photostation 25 (see comment that follows).

Slides 25, 28 and 30 are a panorama (soutwest to northwest). Location is east of the eastern section of dike 3 and south of the forested upland between impoundment 3 and 4; north of the the meandering creek that connects impoundment 3 to impoundment 4; just east of the first ditch east of dike 3. This panorama captures the forested island at the elbow of dike 3 and focuses on a series of salt pannes.

Slide #25: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: Photostation 25. View toward the forested island at the elbow of dike 3; 'linear' row of Iva frutescens in front of island lies along the meanding creek bank; towards the upper right corner - Iva along a linear mosquito ditch intersects the meandering creek (just beyond the salt panne).

Slide #28: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: View to the right of slide 25; beyond the salt panne in the foreground is the low earthen dike on the east side of impoundment 3 and beyond that is the forest upland to the west of impoundment 3.

Slide #30: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: view to the right of slide 28; notice 2 individuals walking on the eastern dike of impoundment 3.

Slide #31: low resolution jpg, high resolution jpg
Comment: View of the creek downstream of dike 3.