Nature Walks

Upcoming walk

Sunday, July 13 at 9:30 AM

We will meet at the Lenoir Preserve Nature Center, see photo below. Debbi Dolan, our conservation chair, leads the walk. We’ll look for the changes summer brings to the preserve. Email Debbi to let her know you are coming. She will contact you should bad weather cancel the walk.

FYI: The walks are on level paved pathways, except for the Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden. A slightly inclined stairway leads to the garden, and the paths within are covered with wood chips. If you’re pressed for time, or have difficulty with uneven paths, you can leave the walk before we enter the Copper Beech Trail. It leads through a wooded area, on a dirt path, with some rocks and roots to watch out for, and small inclines and descents.

The walks are one and a half hours long and cover about a mile. Binoculars needed for optimum experience; loaners are available if you let Debbi know beforehand. Parking available; port-a-potties by Nature Center.

DEbbi’s Report on the June 29 Nature walk

We had blue skies and sunshine for our nature walk around Lenoir Preserve, and 19 bird species were seen and/or heard. Both the Carolina and house wrens were singing and winging. House wrens and tree swallows have claimed their nesting boxes, and were actively protecting their territories. Goldfinches, Northern cardinal, song sparrows, an Eastern wood peewee and Eastern Phoebe were some of the other birds that joined the chorus. Frances and I heard a pileated woodpecker at the very end of the walk. When I returned after lunch, American crows, tufted titmice, a chickadee and Northern mockingbird were heard, and a kestrel flew overhead. In the Butterfly Garden, James Judy informed us that a pipeline butterfly had been seen. We saw several little wood satyrs and many cabbage white butterflies. The coral bells honeysuckle, trumpet flower, coreopsis, echinacea, bee balm and butterfly weed are abloom, and the oak leaf hydrangea was quite the pollinator magnet. A cottontail rabbit bounded by.

Enjoy a few mementos of the day, and hope to see you again on another nature group walk.

—Debbi Dolan