2020 shall be remembered for more than the Coronavirus.
This is the 35th anniversary of the official dedication of
the Sandhills Farm Life Nature Trail. A future blog will
tell some of the history of how a grant from the Public
Education Foundation got it all started, but today's blog
has a different focus.
Let's begin with a quick visit to a few of our trail's icons.
Here's where the trail begins, just to the right of the ball field.
It's easy to follow to the stream and loop your way back,
always within sight of the ball field, the school, or the highway.
Let's start with Old Man Poplar, leaning more precariously
year by year, but still putting out new growth annually.
I keep having to straighten the sign, but it leans bit by bit.
The Old Man is thankful for this much younger sweetgum
tree that provides a strong trunk to lean on.
You can see that bumpy Old Man Poplar has already
shed a rotted portion of its upper trunk. Observe the
mixture of poplar and sweetgum leaves in the canopy.
The sweetgum has paid a price for trying to delay
the fall of our venerable and huge poplar. It, too, is leaning!
Here's another view of the leaning partners.
Let's move on to Jack, Will, and Tom (named from
characters in "The Jack Tales"). This new sign identifies
this most unusual three-in-one tree poplar tree.
Make sure you take a selfie when you visit.
Your view looking up is unforgettable.
The aptly named Slingshot Tree is also nearby.
But in the early stages of the coronavirus, a bigger
calamity struck our trail-- a violent spring storm
with straight line winds ripping up otherwise healthy
trees, forming a maze (or an obstacle course paradise).
I knew at first sight I'd need to be creative to preserve
the character of the trail while keeping it accessible to all.
It looked quite daunting at first sight, but I reminded
myself that the trail has seen changes greater than these
in its 35 year history. Some of you may remember when
the entire Graveyard of the Pines was clear cut for timber.
That storm wasn't the end of 2020's changes. In a
September high wind, a gigantic White Oak tree
right beside Andy Paris' boardwalk was torn up
by the roots. It was likely as old as Old Man Poplar.
Yes, torn up by the roots, but the boardwalk was
left unharmed. However, the fence around the ball
field was NOT unscathed.
A county crew will assist in removing this huge tree.
I hope someone can use the firewood.
I endeavored to do the job with my 16 inch chainsaw
which handled all the other tree clearing, but this job
would require more manpower.
However, I proceeded to "prune" the other fallen trees
so that classes and families could once again enjoy
quiet moments on our beloved trail-- without needed
a degree in rappelling!
The fine, smooth poplar trunks will make good
trailside benches. And I redid a bench at Jack,
Will, and Tom for your comfort using some of them.
Other than Old Man Poplar, this huge Blackgum tree
is my bet as oldest tree on the trail. Fortunately, it was
not uprooted when the white oak fell, because they
were extremely close neighbors.
Blackgums are among the first trees to exhibit fall
colors. These are the craggy branches which still
overhang the edge of the ball field. How do you like its name?
Big Rock was also entitled to a new sign.
Not that it was so hard to identify!
This newly-christened sweetgum tree fell across the
stream near Big Rock over two years ago. It has now
died and begun to rot, so I was obliged to "trim" it.
The new sign reads "The Diving Board."
The lichen-covered bark is a sign of decay, but makes
a nice visual effect.
This is where I've piled some of the cut-off sections
of fallen trees. It's appropriately named "Log Jamboree."
My personal connection to that name is memories of
the very first water ride at Six Flags Over Georgia in
the late sixties.
I considered cutting this white oak tree off and
removing it, but because it is still putting out live
growth and is easy to duck under, I've postponed
its day of reckoning.
This reminds me of a line from the folk song "The
Erie Canal,": "low bridge, everybody down."
Don't forget to duck!
Some clever students said this oddly-split poplar
should be called "The Alligator Tree."
And so it is!
And now to the bridge.
Years ago, we had two trails beyond the stream, one to
the Graveyard of the Pines and the other to "The Black
Lagoon" (a pond). These were off of school property, so
as the years went by, I thought it wise to contain our trail
to property owned by the county, for liability reasons as
much as anything. However, some anonymous "Robin Hoods"
contributed a bridge to "No Man's Land" unbeknownst
to me. After a few years, warping had begun to make the
bridge treacherous, and slippery when wet.
First order of business was to nail some slats between
the boards so hikers would be less likely to catch their
toes on the bridge.
I think you can see it still wasn't all right. Or maybe
leaning too much to the right.
Now to level and reinforce the bridge. I did a little
brainstorming, and decided to use materials easily
acquired. Two stumps from recently-cut trees? Check.
Three-inch nails and some fence hardware from my "stockpile?"
Check. Brute force was not going to be the answer.
I couldn't lift the bridge and place supports under it at the same
time. Neither Superman nor the Lone Ranger appeared to assist.
I went to my car to survey my array of tools. Ax maul? Maybe.
Rope? Possibly. Then it hit me. Out of sight but perhaps in my
subconscious, I suddenly thought of my car jack!
It was perfect for the job, and would be extra set of hands I needed!
I'll call it divine inspiration-- because I know God is pleased
with this trail and the joy and serenity it gives people.
Here is the finished product. As long as natural conditions
allow it to remain. There will always be more tree stumps and
nails for future trail workers (maybe I'll just be a supervisor).
I don't think you'll hurt yourself on this bridge and I hope
it will last for a few more years. Then we'll recruit an
Eagle Scout candidate for the worthy project of renovation.
Just remember, once you cross that bridge, you're on your own!
Should you happen to be drawn to visit the trail this
fall, please limit family visits to weekends, holidays,
or other off-school hours. And please wear a mask
or carry one in case you encounter other nature lovers
while walking.
You may spot the red berries of Jack-in-the-Pulpit
which guarantee a fresh bounty of these wonderful
plants in the spring.
You may see some American Beautyberry. I spotted
four separate bushes of this native shrub. A few years
ago I only knew of one!
There's always a challenge, which can be an opportunity.
Once, we would spot kudzu near the Black Lagoon.
It seemed so far away and unthreatening.
But I called it "The Plant that Wants to Take Over the World."
Starting with the principal's office (naturally-- the seat of power)!
But with construction and roadwork nearer the school
building, our enemy is far closer than we ever dreamed.
It is now encroaching on our trail from the parking area
where the dumpsters are located. It spreads up to a foot a day
in warm weather and is nearly impossible to eradicate once
established. It is already extending its tentacles, creeping
along the ground, up tree trunks, and across tree tops.
But this will be an epic battle, and I choose to fight it
with no herbicides. This winter, when its guard is down,
I hope to hack away enough of the recent growth to at
least reach a stalemate.
I have a very special video to close with, and I think
you'll be richly rewarded by watching it.
By chance (another God moment, I say),
I was at Big Rock at the precise moment when the
sun's reflection off the water became a dazzling,
iridescent light show on the side of Big Rock.
I recorded for one minute and I'm sharing it with you
to remind you of this:
You may think you've seen it all, but every visit
to the SFL Nature Trail will remind you that you haven't!
