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| Ruth and Joe joined hikers at
Buffalo Creek Preserve trailhead, 7911 Malibu Road, by 9:00 a.m. for
a 2-hour hike into the 393-acre tract of land in the town of Mount
Pleasant, Cabarrus County, that BB&T donated to the Catawba Lands
Conservancy in 2011. It was placed in a permanent conservation
easement, making a wonderful combination of farmlands and forested
areas that lies adjacent to Dutch Buffalo Creek and Adams Creek. During our 2-mile hike on the Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail, which opened to the public June 1, National Trail Day, we learned a lot from Catawba Lands Conservancy stewardship associate Andy Kane, who led the hike, e.g., a savannah is like a prairie with trees, and about plant families, like sumac is in the cashew family, along with mango and pistachio, and also, that swallowtail and other big butterflies stay out of the scorching sunshine, as they will overheat. The temperature was in the low 70˚’s when we left home, also when we returned, rather unusually low around here for late July; it was overcast with the forecast is calling for scattered thunderstorms when we left, and it rained on our car on our drive back home, never reached 80˚F all day. We were thankful we didn’t get rained on during our hike! Cloudy skies along with previous plentiful rainfall allowed us to enjoy lots of butterflies. We took some pictures and here are ones we thought you would enjoy: Joe, Ruth, swallowtail butterflies on thistle blossoms, various flowers blooming along the savannah trail. This 393-acre preserve, an amazing and magnificent natural area, fulfills several roles, with active agricultural use of a portion of the property, as well as wildlife habitat, stream buffers, and the new Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail, a 2-mile segment that is part of the regional Carolina Thread Trail Network. The trail weaves through a young pine forest and oak savannah and features a natural surface trail and gravel road overland connector for walking, hiking, running, and mountain biking. Visitors to Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail first walk through a restored piedmont oak savannah, then along farm fields where a local farm grows hay and grains. The trail then enters a young forest and follows along a bluff above Adams Creek. The trail ends in a lovely forest along the banks of Adams Creek. The highlight of this section of trail is the view from a high bluff over Adams Creek that looks back towards the town of Mt. Pleasant. Adams Creek is a tributary of Dutch Buffalo Creek; a swinging bridge is planned for completion in a couple months. American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day is the country’s largest celebration of trails. The organization designates June 1 of each year to celebrate trails across the country through volunteer workdays, stewardship events and trail openings. The Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail is a scenic natural surface built with help from Corporate partners like Duke Energy, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, REI, and Husqvarna. The oak savannah was created by a prescribed burn conducted by CLC last fall. Today, native wildflowers and grasses are sprouting, providing cover and food for insects and birds. |
And in addition to the photos of us, butterflies, and twisted stump, etc., these:
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