Eleven Vermilion Forks Field Naturalists, led by John Henry, appreciated the mild weather on Saturday, April 5, as we hiked for two and a half hours around lower Allenby and explored a variety of terrain and conditions.
We walked through patches of snow, ice, mud, long dry grass, river rock, and tailings sand. We discovered the remains of a cabin, an old cement foundation, periodic ponds, and curious areas of soil erosion where ruptures in the earth have formed large “potholes” of different sizes. Most intriguing was John’s find of a unique vertical rock wall, compiled of an assortment of layers of rock, seemingly precarious but obviously formed long ago.
We relished a short lunch break in that area and then resumed our trek, traveling through woods, meadows, and down along the river. It’s invigorating to be outdoors in early spring, the onset of which was heralded by the numerous species of birds we observed, including a golden eagle, song sparrows, swallows and red-winged blackbirds.
We are all looking forward to the many more motivating field trips we have lined up for the next few months!
Amanda Lahaie will be leading us on an easy walk around Swan Lake on Saturday, April 12, which will be a good opportunity to view the additions and improvements made by the club last year. Bring binoculars, camera, and lunch, confirm with Amanda at 295-7596, and we’ll meet at Billy’s at 10 a.m.
Biologist Lisa Scott will give a presentation on Terrestrial and Aquatic Invasive Species at next month’s meeting, Tuesday, May 13 at Riverside Centre, at 7 p.m. These meetings and our field trips are open to the public, so please join us for an enlightening and enjoyable time.
