Trail Talk – April 2015

That was quite a little one-day downpour we had at the end of February, wasn’t it? I was pleasantly surprised to not see trees strewn across the woodland trails following the storm. Softened soil, coupled with high winds, is a certain recipe for blowdown, but we got lucky.

Speaking of trees across trails, there were a few, but those were by choice. About two dozen dead pines at the far end of the Zigler trail were intentionally dropped last month. Having a crew come in to directionally fall them was a better choice than letting Mother Nature have her way and lay them across the highway, on top of a bridge, or wherever she wanted!

The rainfall we received, coupled with the warm, sunny weather we had immediately following, served to speed-up the rate of germination and blooming! Had you taken a hike late February or early March, you would have seen houndstongue, little yellow buttercups, and the early signs of shooting stars festooning the landscape. I’m sure by now the woods are alive with nature’s colorful palate in full splendor.

Along with all the pretty native flowers, we’re now seeing young Scotch Broom (or Scot’s Broom) beginning to sprout, too! From immediately behind the Britt Pavilion, up to the water tanks, and from the Zigler trail to the Britt Canyon trail, little 1 to 2 foot-tall sprouts may be seen shooting up (see photo). Other sprouts can be quite a bit smaller, and require a keen eye to spot.

Speaking of Scotch Broom, if you happen to see one or two of these young plants, by all means, feel free to extract it/them. Pulling straight up should bring the entire root. Just drop them and walk on, and thank you for your efforts! You see, it’s easy to volunteer!