Seasons of the Limberlost

  Wildflowers in the woods at White Oak Cemetery Photos and words by Melissa Fey Not all wildflower woods are created equal.  The woods surrounding the White Oak Cemetery are  contain superb wildflowers.   The woods here abound with wildflowers that are not found at other Limberlost properties.  Especially with not such abundance.  The woods are just starting to bloom and will be even more beautiful in the next couple of weeks.  This is the time to visit the White Oak Property. There is a trail that circles the perimeter of the White Oak property.  It starts from  the road where you enter the property.  The best way to hike is going west and then walking north where the trail then heads east and finally south back to the road.  Trail on west side of woods Trail on East side of Woods The west side of the property has the most variety and abundance of wildflowers. This swampy low area is just west of the parking lot. Then you come across a wildflower meadow covered with Shooting Stars. 

  Bird Sanctuary – Saturday, April 15   Pictures and words by Melissa Fey   Towards the end of a beautiful Spring Day, I decided to make an excursion to the Bird Sanctuary . This small woods is on the south side of the County Line Road, just east of Highway 27. The parking lot is on the far east side of the property marked with a sign. This little gem is often overlooked for the larger portions of the preserve. My hike today was at the woods on the Original Bird Sanctuary.     I took the left (east) side of the trail and was greeted by a group of Common Blue Violet . They lined the trail all through the woods .     The north portion of the woods is new growth and does not have the diversity that the Old Growth woods at the back (south) end of the woods has . However, the quarter of a mile hike to the back of the woods is well worth the effort . This is where the wild flowers blanket the forest floor.   Lots of deer tracks on the trail  Trail on East side of Bird Sanctuary