The trip to the Noland trail opened my eyes to the nature we have around campus. Before we entered the wooded area of the trail, we stood out in the open near the water and listened to Dr. Redick give instructions on our assignment for the day. While in this open area, there were birds swimming in the water as well as a woodpecker in one of the trees. His head was red and he did a good job of keeping himself hidden despite his bright cap and loud job.
As we entered the trail, an array of plant life was suddenly visible. There was the usual pine tree and poison ivy, but there were also some exotic looking plants as well. The floor in one area of the trail was covered in short plants that mimicked the look of umbrellas. There were hundreds of them, thin stems and wide flat tops. There was also a strange type of ivy that I had not seen before. It did not simply wrap around a tree in one vine but covered the entire bark. With no bark showing, it was inevitable that the tree would not be around for long being starved of its resources. The ivy was an amazing sight, I found it astounding that it could completely engulf an entire tree.
We continued on and came to a bridge where Dr Redick told us there is usually a large turtle swimming around. Even though we were unable to see this specimen, we did see other smaller turtle. One thing I found interesting here was the trail of bubbles that streamed up from the water. Depending on where you stood, some were smaller and slow but others were quite large and fast. It makes you wonder what is down there making the stream, how big is it, what does it look like. I figure that is just another secret of nature.
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