Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Has it really been an hour since I posted that you should go to this blog and read about my response to this article http://www.dmagazine.com/…/2…/april/six-best-hikes-in-dallas

Good grief how Facebook makes the time fly. It is all the election, street repair, neighborhood, White Rock Lake, Trinity Project news that gets me so very distracted, steamed up and more and the time gets away from me.

So back to the great article by Bill Holston, a friend and fellow lover of all things nature. He had some great walks outlined for all of you to experience and some are my favs too, especially Cedar Ridge Preserve which was the Dallas Nature Center. Great trails and views. I walked there many times when Dr. Geoffrey Stanford was alive and was introduced to so many aspects of the environment just by listening and learning from him.
audubondallas.org/cedarridge.html

Another is the Scyene Overlook where I walked first with Ned Fritz and followed with many others. Ned was amazing. The man walked and talked so fast that you literally almost had to jog to keep up with him and hear what he was saying. amazing man who defended the GTF for years and was invaluable in saving the Big Thicket Preserve in East Texas from clear cutting.
http://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2012/may/10-top-trails-for-hiking-and-biking-in-dallas?single=1

Other places I explore are Breckinridge Park and the Spring Creek Nature Area in Richardson. Wonderful diversity of native plants to see and also after rains good wildlife tracking opportunities. Both are easy to get to and are not hard to navigate.
http://www.cor.net/index.aspx?page=39

If you have not been, you need to get down to see the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center in Cedar Hill. This is the perfect time to go, the Dogwoods are in bloom. What is so fascinating is that this is a relic population of Dogwoods that are growing out of the chalk rock. Most Dogwoods are in need of acidic soils to be healthy and grow well, not these. Plus the birding and other native plants are awesome there, a place where east meets west as far as flora/fauna are concerned. There is a fee here, but well worth it.
http://dogwoodcanyon.audubon.org/visit-us

Another fav is the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center...great boardwalk in the one of the wetland cells and  trails to Bunker's Pond too. Talk about the diversity of wildlife...wow! Beautiful place that has a lot of meaning for me. Fee here also, but go! You will be amazed!
wetlandcenter.com

Other places I walk....and you have to realize, this is not for exercise, too much distraction for me because I am always looking at plants or tracks or scat or something else that keeps me from continuing a steady pace. Anyway that other place is White Rock Lake. Off the concrete trail are some great places to really see things like the Old Fish Hatchery area, Flag Pole Hill, and Norbuck. A few other places I know of but then you would know too much and there would be more people and I will just remain quiet and let you find those places for yourself.
http://www.dallasparks.org/235/White-Rock-Lake

Enjoy the exploration.

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Becky Rader