A walk in Cornwall’s Cathedral Pines

A walk in Cornwall’s Cathedral Pines
Peter del Tredeci, center left, discussed regrowth in Cornwall’s Cathedral Pines Park on Saturday, Aug.  27. 
Photo by Riley Klein

CORNWALL —The tornadoes that decimated Cathedral Pines Park in 1989 continue to shape the development of the forest to this day. On Saturday, Aug. 27, Peter del Tredici led a nature walk entitled “The Ecology of Destruction” to discuss the ongoing regrowth occurring within the park.

Del Tredici described himself as “a combination of botany, horticulture and ecology all in one neat package.”

His expertise on the area’s plants and trees, as well as decades studying Cathedral Pines Park, made for an informative morning in the woods. A group of more than 20 people attended the educational hike to learn about the dynamics of forest succession.

The tornadoes did considerable damage to the pine and hemlock trees 33 years ago, uprooting many within the park and taking the tops off of those still standing.

“This is no longer a forest of pines,” del Tredici explained. “New pines require wide-open space.… We would need to clear the land to create an empty seed bed for pines to regrow.”

What was once New England’s largest stand of old-growth pines and hemlocks is no more. Today, new growth is arriving in the form of black birch trees.

Black birch is not an invasive species here. In fact, del Tredici’s studies have shown that there are virtually no invasive species within Cathedral Pines Park.

The black birch saplings seen throughout the park represent the next generation of life.

“Black birch is the tree of the future in Cornwall,” said del Tredici.

New growth shows how resilient the forests truly are and their ability to recover from destructive events such as a tornado. There are other disturbances, however, that are not as easily overcome.

“Climate change is a high-stress disturbance that will never end,” he said.

Del Tredici said that a rapidly changing climate means it is no longer possible to make predictions for what will happen in our ecosystems. Rather, he advised we must trust that the forests are adapting to the changes of our climate.

“True ecology,” he said, “is letting nature run its course.”

 

Related Articles Around the Web

Latest News

Rhys V. Bowen

Rhys V. Bowen

LAKEVILLE — Rhys V. Bowen, 65, of Foxboro, Massachusetts, died unexpectedly in his sleep on Sept. 15, 2025. Rhys was born in Sharon, Connecticut, on April 9, 1960 to Anne H. Bowen and the late John G. Bowen. His brother, David, died in 1979.

Rhys grew up at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, where his father taught English. Attending Hotchkiss, Rhys excelled in academics and played soccer, basketball, and baseball. During these years, he also learned the challenges and joys of running, and continued to run at least 50 miles a week, until the day he died.

Keep ReadingShow less

Kelsey K. Horton

Kelsey K. Horton

LAKEVILLE — Kelsey K. Horton, 43, a lifelong area resident, died peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, following a courageous battle with cancer. Kelsey worked as a certified nursing assistant and administrative assistant at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, from 1999 until 2024, where she was a very respected and loved member of their nursing and administrative staff.

Born Oct. 4, 1981, in Sharon, she was the daughter of W. Craig Kellogg of Southern Pines, North Carolina, and JoAnne (Lukens) Tuncy and her husband Donald of Millerton, New York. Kelsey graduated with the class of 1999 from Webutuck High School in Amenia and from BOCES in 1999 with a certificate from the CNA program as well. She was a longtime member of the Lakeville United Methodist Church in Lakeville. On Oct. 11, 2003, in Poughkeepsie, New York, she married James Horton. Jimmy survives at home in Lakeville. Kelsey loved camping every summer at Waubeeka Family Campground in Copake, and she volunteered as a cheer coach for A.R.C. Cheerleading for many years. Kelsey also enjoyed hiking and gardening in her spare time and spending time with her loving family and many dear friends.

Keep ReadingShow less

Eliot Warren Brown

Eliot Warren Brown

SHARON — On Sept. 27, Eliot Warren Brown was shot and killed at age 47 at his home in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a random act of violence by a young man in need of mental health services. Eliot was born and raised in Sharon, Connecticut, and attended Indian Mountain School and Concord Academy in Massachusetts. He graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He and his wife Brooke moved to New Orleans to answer the call for help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and fell in love with the city.

In addition to his wife Brooke, Eliot leaves behind his parents Malcolm and Louise Brown, his sisters Lucia (Thaddeus) and Carla (Ruairi), three nephews, and extended family and friends spread far and wide.

Keep ReadingShow less

Randall Osolin

Randall Osolin

SHARON — Randall “Randy” Osolin passed away on Sept. 25, 2025, at the age of 74. He was born on Feb. 6, 1951, in Sharon, Connecticut to the late Ramon (Sonny) and Barbara (Sandmeyer) Osolin.

He was a dedicated social worker, a natural athlete, a gentle friend of animals, an abiding parish verger, an inveterate reader, and an estimable friend and neighbor. He was a kind-hearted person whose greatest joy was in helping someone in need and sharing his time with his family and good friends.

Keep ReadingShow less