Saturday, May 10, 2014

Spring Wonders of the Nature Trail, including a new Reptilian Resident!

These pictures will  give you a glimpse of 
some spring highlights on the trail.  Don't miss
the ending.  Spoiler alert: Sergeant Stripes is
a legless reptile.

These dainty bellwort plants thrive at the base
of Jack, Will, and Tom.

Lady ferns were emerging in April.
See how they've thickened up by May.  But
dainty Lady Ferns will never grow as tall as a
couple of other types of ferns we have: Cinnamon
Fern and Royal Fern (the latter have not appeared yet).



Netted-chain fern

Cinnamon fern, one of the taller and more rigid
varieties unfurl their fronds.

These maroon "fiddle-tops" are new ferns and
will soon turn green.

A view of the trail's canopy, not yet filled with leaves.

Spiny smilax, or catbrier, sends up
tender new shoots.  They will harden with age
and give a painful prick.

Everyone can identify dogwood when it's blooming.
Learn to recognize it by its paired leaves and you can
find it year round.

Sweetgum sends out new shoots and leaves. This
tree recently made a top ten list of what NOT to
plant in your yard.  This is due to the spiny gumballs.
But in the wild, it contributes to the marvelous blend
of greenery.

Carolina Yellow Jasmine is one of numerous vines
apparent on the trail in spring.  Virtually all the
flowers have now fallen.

A view looking straight up at Old Man Poplar,
our leaning landmark.

In this panorama of the trail you can see Old Man
Poplar leaning at the left.  Note that the forest canopy
is only beginning to fill in with leaves.


Wild ginger, a low-growing herb, is actually only
found across the bridge, which is technically not
on our trail.

The brownish green flower, called a pignut, is quite
elusive, often found under a light layer of leaves.
Its main pollinator is ants, so it doesn't have to attract
flying insects.

This healthy ginger boasts several of the pignuts,
which I sometimes refer to as "little piggies."

Just across the old bridge, bushes of Horse Sugar
have two sets of leaves.  The old, leathery ones seem
to be bowing down to the new tender ones.  Plants
that keep their old leaves until the new ones appear
are called semi-deciduous.

Christmas fern is another plant found only on the
far side of the bridge, not on our marked trail.  It's
interesting that the stream itself seems to be a barrier
that prevents some plants from spreading more widely.

Just to the side of the footbridge is a beautiful
shrub called Pinkster Flower, or Wild Azalea. I've
located four specimens of this bush.  They bloom
only for a brief time during early spring.

Another Pinkster Flower near the stream.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit, a favorite, is a late
arrival, but is starting to pop up everywhere.

This Jack-in-the-Pulpit is shooting
skyward.  Some of the healthiest
specimens grow quite tall.



This fallen poplar branch shows both leaves and
flowers.

The yellow-orange blossom of the poplar is one
of the prettiest in our common nature trail trees.

Near Jack, Will, and Tom, the wildflower
known as Green and Gold mingles with
the five-leaved vine Virginia Creeper.

Green and Gold has been in bloom for
a full month.

This spot is off the trail.  It is where our stream
comes under Farm Life School Road in a
bubbling swirl.  The stream has not run dry this year.

Just across the stream from that spot (you may view it
from a car when passing), is this unusual tree.  Yes,
that is a natural hole in the middle, where a tree
divided into two trunks, then grew back together.
Any suggestions for a name?  I thought of The
Holy Tree.

Have you visited the trail to try out the comfortable
new benches?

It was wisely suggested that I add a center support
to the benches so adults wouldn't make it sag.
That task has now been accomplished, so have
no fear.

We love to point out how the trail is in a constant
state of change.  This moss-covered log is one of
the few remnants of a giant tree that fell near the
water's edge at least 20 years ago.  Most of it has
now decayed, enriching the soil for other plants.

Part of the same tree is now on shore.  It lay across
the stream for many years, but had rotted to the
point that heavy rains washed it into the creek.
Scouts helped give it a "permanent" home overlooking
the stream, so people wouldn't be tempted to walk
on it and be injured.  Of course, in nature nothing
is really permanent.  The rest of the log will gradually
rot away.


This is the trail's canopy in May, about five weeks
after the earlier panorama.  Quite a difference.

The trail is a shady, cool refuge now that the canopy
has filled in.  Most of the time it will feel several
degrees cooler than unshaded areas of the campus,
and there is often a breeze.

One plant that I try to control but not eliminate is
poison ivy.  I try to contain it to areas where those
sensitive to it will not accidentally come in contact
with it.  But it's a good reason not to touch every
thing you see on the trail.  Those berries remind us
that it will spread when allowed.

Learn to identify if, whether you think you're allergic
or not.  You may be able to save a friend or yourself
from painful itching.
The old adage "leaves of three, let it be" has long
been a warning about poison ivy.  But it is not
sufficient and may keep you from enjoying other
harmless and pleasant plants.  The plant pictured
here is KUDZU (the plant that wants to take over
the world).  Though I will try to control its spread,
I cannot eliminate it. It's another example of how
man has affected nature by bringing non-native
plants into our environment, with unexpected and
unpleasant results.  Our little favorite, Jack-in-
the Pulpit, also has three leaves.  Study hard to
learn the differences.
Now to meet our new trail resident.
A new black rat snake has been painlessly removed
from a chicken house in Wedgewood to a new
home on our trail.

He had recently eaten a large hen egg, and you can
see the bulge in his middle.  As a constrictor, he is
comfortable twining around my arm.  I have a firm
grip on his head.

The same evening I captured-- or rescued--
him, I released him on Old Man Poplar.

Rat snakes are great climbers.  He uses the muscles
which line his entire length to cling to the rough bark.

I have handled hundreds of black rat snakes, and
this one, more than any other, seems to be a hybrid.
His markings resemble those of a corn snake as well
as a black rat snake.  He could be quite a rare specimen.

I decided to call him Sergeant Stripes, due
to his highly visible markings.  Here is a
40 second video of his release on the trail.


Don't let uneasiness about snakes keep you
away from the trail. Chances are slim you'll 
see one, but even if you do, it will most likely
be a harmless one.  Instead of making an excuse
not  to visit the trail, why not find a reason TO
visit the trail.  And soon.  This is prime time
on the Sandhills Farm Life Nature Trail!


Cub Scout Pack 582 is Back for Labor of Love on the SFL Nature Trail



**Note: THIS POST RECENTLY APPEARED ON MY ECLECTIC BLOG

sATURDAY, MAY 10, 2014


Cub Scout Pack 582 is Back for Labor of Love on the SFL Nature Trail


Saturday, April 12, 2014, the young men
of Cub Scout Pack 582 gathered once again
to labor on the Sandhills Farm Life Nature Trail.
They constructed three new benches, posted new
instructional signs, and got an early spring tour
of their nature trail.  It was a great morning of
work, fellowship, and learning.  They would leave
the trail in the best shape it's ever been in.

Jack, Will, and Tom is a lofty perch if you're
big enough to climb up.

Digging holes for the hickory supports for the new
benches is hard work.

The boys transplanted three clusters of a dainty
plant called Green and Gold.  Now the plants won't
be trampled by hikers coming through or sitting on the
new bench.

These things must be done delicately.

Assisted by the faithful Moms and Dads of the Pack,
each boy had his hand at digging, hauling, and
assembling during the morning.

Gloves and Phillips screwdrivers go together well
to accomplish the task.

Here will be the new Rock Cycle instructional sign.
Appropriately near Big Rock, a quartz extrusion of
the McLendon Fault, which runs deep under this
portion of Moore County.

The two new benches at streamside near Big Rock
create a natural teaching station for classrooms.

It's a good idea to take turns digging and resting.

This sign is in just the right place.
Here are the four new instructional signs.
Each is a suitable launching point for a
nature lesson on any grade level.





The finishing touches of the new bench beside
Jack, Will, and Tom.

This can serve either as a teaching station or
just a nice spot for a rest.

Scout projects are all about teamwork.

Plus patience and perseverance.

Big Rock is always a tempting destination.  And it
has been for 40 years.  Now the rain has washed this
old log onto the rock.

Who volunteers to help move the log?
I DO!  I DO!

And the team gets it done.  Now this log, which is
the only remnant of a gigantic tree which fell more than
20 years ago, becomes a teaching station in itself.


Getting over here was one thing.  Getting back and
staying dry is another matter.  But we like a challenge.

When work is done, there's time for play.  Such as
trying to climb Old Man Poplar.

This seems like a good spot to camp for the night.

As a special reward for their hard work, I take the
pack across the old bridge into "No Man's Land."

An up-and-coming Cub Scout to be likes
the new nature signs.

Ah, there's no place for a group picture than
Big Rock!

Everybody give the Cub Scout sign.

The nice new benches are built to stand the test
of time.  Come and try them out.


The benches look even better when in use by a
fine-looking crew from Pack 582.
The trail will grow more and more beautiful
as spring progresses.  Plan to come by sometime
soon and enjoy the latest improvements in a
most serene setting.
And a big salute to Pack 582 who made it all happen!