The Sandhills Farm Life Nature Trail: Teacher Orientation and Farm Life Heritage Day

The last seven days have been the busiest on the

Sandhills Farm Life Nature Trail that I can recall.

On Wednesday, April 10, 8 hardy staff members

accompanied me for some in-depth training on the

trail. Here they are with iconic Old Man Poplar.

This guide was prepared for teachers to maximize

the resources our trail offers. The same tips are

readily adaptable for parents who wish to use the

trail for a family learning experience.

Before the teachers arrived to join me, I had a feeling

it would be a successful afternoon when this glorious

Tiger Swallowtail butterfly patiently posed for me.

This is one of my favorite nature photos ever.

Two days later was Farm Life Heritage Day and

Mrs. Kim Hilliard invited me to tour all second

graders on our nature trail. The weatherman appeared

not to know of our plans, and it was supposed to rain

all morning. WRONG! Aside from an early morning

mist, the rain held off and 120 children on six separate

hikes got to be outdoors after all!

Here's an informational sheet Mrs. Hilliard prepared for
groups that toured the campus all through the morning.

The first group began at 8:00 and strolled under

Old Man Poplar.

Look! It's a bird -- it's a plane --
no, it's Old Man Poplar making funny faces at us!

See if you detect any funny faces in these two photos.

Anyway, Old Man Poplar thinks WE look peculiar!

Old Man Poplar leans a little more every year, but his roots are
still drinking up life-giving water and nutrients. Still, in his far
upper portions, peeling bark and this dead limb are ominous signs.
I check him out after every strong storm and he's holding his own.

We will see more of Old Man Poplar a little later.

Here's the famous Slingshot Tree. Students imagined attaching
a giant rubber band to see how far it might shoot one of us!

Children are stepping up to meet Jack, Will, and Tom, our
3-in-1 Poplar tree(s). That umbrella soon closed.

This fascinating view never gets old.

Mathematically, you might think these trees would grow toward
a single point as they approach infinity.

A zoom in shows that they may grow taller, but each with a
personal space.

Later we examined Big Rock and discussed the interesting
geology of little trail.

Adjacent to Big Rock is a leaning sweetgum tree. Like Old
Man Poplar, this tree still has its roots in the ground and a sturdy
branch is propping it up. We may call it "Robin Hood's bow" or
maybe The Rainbow Tree.

Near Big Rock, I had children collect one sweetgum "sticker ball"
each to throw in a nearby Wishing Well tree. We discussed how
these are actually seed pods that "explode" with seeds when dry.

Children carefully consider their wishes before tossing.

The Wishing Well is pretty full after being visited by
120 second graders. A few teachers may have made wishes, too.
I know I did.

Now, back to Old Man Poplar.

Of course, each group that passed through had the obligatory
but futile attempt to straighten Old Man Poplar.

We may have had little success, but gave it our best.

These students are convinced they moved it at least an inch.
Maybe they did!

This young man even attempted the feat solo!

Somehow, I think the Old Man appreciates our efforts.

Here are just a few "herbal highlights" from that day.

Students loved this dainty white flower.
It may be in the violet family.

Here, some fern fiddletops are popping up beside some
lichen-covered logs.

This patch of cinnamon ferns was a little further advanced.

Here are some more "fiddletops."

Oddly, wild ginger is found only on the south side of the stream.

Its well-camouflaged flowers, called pignuts, hide beneath dead
leaves. Ants crawl in and out, pollinating as they go.
Can you find the "little piggies"?