A Woodsy Reprise

Having hiked this trail just a few weeks ago, why return so soon?

Volunteer naturalists from the local open space authority would be leading the hike: that's why.

I was glad I mustered enough enthusiasm to show up; there were three naturalists and three hikers. I was looking forward to learning on this outing, but certainly didn't expect one-on-one time.

I think I earned some trail cred early on, when I called out “columbine!”after the group breezed right past it.

We had a slow and casual stroll, stopping often to admire butterflies and identify plants. It became clear, once one of the leaders pointed it out, that invasive plants colonize the disturbed areas (e.g., adjacent to the trail), gradually crowding out the natives.

Elsewhere, the native plants—like this dense patch of (native) deerweed—are better able to stand their ground.

As we returned to the start, one of our naturalists spotted a flower that was new to me—the cardinal catchfly. She shared that it's in the same family as carnations, another surprise. How had we managed to overlook those bright red blooms poking up through the brush?

Well-worth the (admittedly minor) effort it took to join this hike today. Looking forward to more!