Fall is "prime time" on the SFL Nature Trail, and
after I spent the morning doing a little sprucing up,
the trail is eager and ready for visitors. Only classes
should go during school hours, but the trail is open to
the public when school is not in session. What a way
to get some light exercise and soothe your spirit.
Enter here and follow the self-guided tour with no
risk of getting lost.
I did a little trimming to make sure the path is wide
and welcoming. My Stihl gas hedge trimmer has made
the occasional trimming task much less rigorous.
Here's a recent change. One of our oldest trees, a
blackgum, is now leaning so much that it rests a
thick branch on the ground. Its days are numbered,
but as long as it's alive and its roots are in the ground,
the end is not yet here.
The sign was level one year ago, so you can gauge
how much more it now leans.
This is the stump of the massive white oak that
fell two years ago. Note how Japanese Ivy has begun
to grow over it. Such is the way of nature.
As you proceed along Andy Paris' Boardwalk you'll
that Old Man Poplar still lives.
Even with plentiful healthy leaves, you can also see
that the Old Man is leaning more than ever.
For several years, it has leaned against this much
younger sweetgum tree, and you can see the scars
as it slides further down the trunk each season.
Stay alert when you pass under these leaning trees.
There are not many Black Oaks on the trail, but
this specimen replaces a larger one that was killed
by Hurricane Florence three years ago.
Virginia Creeper is making its way up this White Oak.
Some vines can actually kill a tree, but I'll keep an eye
on this one. In the background is the Slingshot Tree.
Never pass this way without a "howdy" to old friends
Jack, Will, and Tom.
The next portion of the trail was "created" by
Hurricane Florence, during which many trees were
uprooted. "Low Bridge" is just ahead.
Whenever living things die in the forest, new growth
is allowed to spring forth. Poisonous pokeweed is
one such opportunistic plant that has established itself.
The berries are good for birds, but deadly for humans.
Royal Fern, the tallest that grows on our trail, is
bending over after a long summer and will soon
begin to die down and decay.
Netted-Chain Fern and Cinnamon Fern are still
in good health, but October will see them fade away.
Can you help identify this beautiful and delicate
flower that has sprung up along the route to the stream?
Report your findings to me for extra credit!
Here's a close-up if it will aid you in your search.
The bridge remains in stable shape after some major
"shoring-up" a year ago. It is anchored and has a
strong stump supporting its middle.
I found this old Mason jar in the stream. But it wasn't
the first time I'd found it. A couple of years ago I laid
beside a large tree at streamside. It's still unbroken after
who knows how many years, and I've placed it beside
another tree to see what happens. The stream regularly
overflows these days.
My biggest project today was not trimming the trail.
Armed with my Stihl trimmer, I undertook to get in
the stream and clear away low-hanging tangles of
catbrier (also known as Smilax-- by scientists-- or
greenbrier). It was quite a chore, and I have scratches
on my arms and legs to prove it. Though school groups
are not going to do stream-hiking, that's one of my
favorite activities. Let me show you a few still
photos of the work area from the bridge to Big Rock.
Then you can take a "virtual" stream hike with me.
Before clearing, you would have had to crawl through
the section.
This isn't just a log. It's a stump of a tree that once
stood at this very spot. No doubt the course of the
stream was different at that time, possible going
around one side of the tree. When the tree died, erosion
permitted the stream to chart a new course.
It's our latest icon to be named.
I call it "The Lone Ranger." Let's see how long it lasts.
This large log is NOT naturally occurring. It's yet
another remnant of when Duke Energy Progress
heedlessly dumped logs directly into the creek bed
several years ago. Even worse, they had unnecessarily
cut a beautiful Sweetgum tree in clearing for a
power substation near Farm Life School Road.
That's progress??
The stream is fairly cleared all the way to Big Rock.
This view is from behind "The Diving Board," which
fell across the stream several years ago, and which
has now died.
The following video was taken in the stream from
this point down to the bridge. The sloshing sounds
are not the Loch Ness Monster. It's just your friendly
videographer. All in the line of duty.
Back out of the water, let's continue our journey.
This small boardwalk is primarily to keep mud off
of shoes. This has historically been an area slow to dry
after heavy rains.
Here's the view of Big Rock from the shore. This
area is being encroached on by ferns and other plants.
That's NOT a problem, though I'll keep it clear enough
to get near the water.
For as many years as I can remember, a mulberry
tree has tried to establish itself growing right out of
Big Rock. I'll give it a fighting chance.
Proceeding on, I came to one of the largest specimens
of Jack-in-the-Pulpit on the trail.
Not only was the plant itself large, but this is the
largest cluster of berries I've ever seen on our trail.
No wonder Jack-in-the-Pulpit is more plentiful every year!
Any guesses where these dried up sweetgum seedpods
(we call them "sticker-balls") are located?
Why, they're in the Wishing Well tree, where a few
hundred SFL students have deposited them after
making a wish. There's always a ready supply on
the ground nearby, so make a wish next time you
pass by.
Nearing the end of our walk, we pass by Jack, Will,
and Tom on the upper trail. Remember this trail has
some short loops, which allows you to vary your route
as well as to adjust the distance to your needs. But the
entire trail is not so long. But to study it and get to know
the individual "residents" takes much, much longer.
When you arrive back at Old Man Poplar, you know
you're almost home. As you pass under, be sure to
give him a helpful lift. It's only through the efforts
of countless students passing by and doing just that,
that the Old Man is still above ground.
Now is the time to put a fall nature walk on your
MUST DO list. You won't be sorry!
