Meet Andy Paris, a fine young Eagle Scout who just
completed a project to resolve a long-standing erosion
problem on the nature trail. He held a Labor Day weekend
Open House to introduce the new boardwalk and invite
guests to tour the trail.
The boardwalk allows torrential rains to be redirected
underneath and flow harmlessly beyond the trail
rather than perpetually eroding the trail itself.
Andy welcomes guests and explains briefly what his
project achieves and details the labor that went into it.
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| A photographer from THE PILOT gets names of some of the early young visitors to accompany a newspaper feature. |
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| From this view you can see both the Slingshot Tree and Old Man Poplar, leaning ominously. |
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| Our youngest visitor gets the famous view of Jack, Will, and Tom with his mother. |
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| Several brave souls sample thirst-quenching sourwood. Some even opt for "seconds." |
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| It's a taste you either love or hate. But it's free. |
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| "Try it, you'll like it!" |
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| On our walks we found not one, but TWO Luna Moth caterpillars. |
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| A view of Big Rock after overnight rain added water to a dry creek bed. |
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| Kids and parents delighted in many nature "finds." There's always something unexpected on our trail. |
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| Jack-in-the-Pulpit has now formed its brilliant red berry clusters. The leaves and flowers are dying down rapidly. |
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| Everyone, young and old, is happy with their discoveries. |
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| Looking up the tallest, straightest poplar trees in the forest. |
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| It's the view that never ceases to amaze. |
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| And of course, you can never leave the trail without one attempt to help straighten up Old Man Poplar. |
The current cool weather make for a perfect time to visit the trail. I'll be monitoring closely to see if the coming Hurricane Irma brings any major changes to the landscape. Particularly Old Man Poplar, who is "hanging on" for all he's worth!
