Lighthouse Sycamore Walking Stick

Stick # 1

Walkabout Talk About Stick Project

Location:  Upper Schuylkill Valley Park Trail Along Schuylkill River

1615 Black Rock Road

Royersford, PA 19468

Naturalists often refer to the American Sycamore tree as the “lighthouse tree”. The tree has grey dappled bark that peels off in sheets. But on the tip top of the tree, the bark is sparkling white! Because these trees grow so high, the bright white treetops can be seen from a distance – shining like a lighthouse!

The Lenape indigenous people of this area knew that sycamores grew along waterways.  While traversing their land (which they called “Lenape Hoking,” which translates to “Land of the Lenape”) they would look upwards for the white-topped sycamores knowing it would lead them to a water resource - a good place to drink, fish, bathe, and travel by canoe.

These tall trees are important members of the riparian zone (river bank zone). The deep roots hold the streambank soil in place helping to prevent erosion during storms and high water events.   The roots also filter out toxins from surrounding water moving through the watershed.  The trees provide shelter for many woodland animals. The leaves (that grow to look like very large maple leaves by autumn) provide a rich source of food and substrate for animals and insects that reside on the banks and in the water. 

Look around and up! Can you find a sycamore tree shining like a lighthouse?