The Trail serves as a microcosm of the East Coast, a narrow band along highlands. Everyone was familiar with the showy rhododendrons and mountain laurels that range from North Carolina to New Hampshire. There were thousands of different wild flowers to be studied, from the alien invasive purple loosestrife, to the tiny star flower (Trientalis Borealis). It was the field trips for which Maxime was totally unprepared.

A few hours drive north of Philadelphia brought them to the Wallkill National Wildlife Preserve. They tented near the Pochuck Shelter. “Prof, this is even worse than the worst hovel back home.” There were porcupines. “Those are big rats!”

You hang your hiking boots up north. Porcupines will chew anything that tastes salty. A short hike down the Pochuck brought them to the Wallkill to survey the damage caused by the loosestrife. It was imported from Europe, probably as ballast, in the early 1800’s, and has spread. It has no natural enemies in North America, and kills most of native wetlands vegetation. They viewed the hundreds of acres of purple loosestrife and headed back up Pochuck Mountain.

Maxime, in her normal fashion, quickly became lost. After a few hours of searching, they found her backpack near a bog. “That, students, is the largest pitcher plant I have ever seen.” Normally a few inches high, this one was several feet high. “Insects get caught inside the ‘pitcher’, and are digested by the plant.” There is Maxime’s backpack, but where is she? The pitcher plant let out a large belch.