Pat’s Wildways: An autumn walk in the woods

There’s not a whole lot of fall color here in north Florida — at least compared to the brilliant oranges and reds of the autumn leaves further north But that doesn’t mean the seasons don’t change here. Of course they do!

Recently I dragged Bucko along for a walk on my now-favorite trail on Amelia Island — the rustic bike trail in the north section of the Greenway beginning off Jasmine Road. The trail starts right after the spillway, heading north into the woods.  Check it out!

This trail is maintained by the trail bike riders in our community who have installed rocks and cut palmetto leaves over muddy patches and kept a small bridge in repair, but be forewarned, there are lots of roots and some things to climb over if you are a senior like us. Best to bring your walking stick.

Believe me, though, it is worth the effort to experience it. Some of the trees along this section are tall, mature, and old growth — having survived the widespread tree cutting that established our island human population over the many decades since only Native Americans lived here. Just a simple walk through this patch of protected woods can be awe-inspiring. When you look up, you see tree canopies of magnolias, live oaks, and pines, with some surprising sights within the branches. Did you know that saw palmettos, a common plant here, can actually grow up in the treetops? Or that there is a native orchid, the greenfly orchid — one of the few orchids that can withstand our occasional freezes.

And looking down on the ground, there is much to notice too. Fall is an appropriate name for this season. Lots of things fall to the ground this time of year. Looking at my feet, I see a plethora of acorns, pine cones and magnolia seed pods that all produce high-calorie food for squirrels, raccoons and other ground foragers — providing them with an energy reserve for the upcoming winter. No doubt lots of mammals live on ground level and in holes that are evident under the trunks and large roots of the mature trees but we didn’t see any recent tracks or activity there, just burrows somewhat obscured by fallen leaves.

I was eagerly looking for any sight of red leaves, the fall signature color of up north. And yes, finally on the trail we spotted a couple of deep red ones. I happily picked them up, photographed them, and used Google Lens to identify them. And, uh oh, after all my handling of these leaves, it looks like they are either from poison ivy or Virginia creeper — two plants I am highly allergic to. Oops.

It wasn’t until we exited this woody path and got back on the main road through the north Greenway that I really saw bright colors. Out of the shade of the forest some flowers really shine this time of year. Long spikes of yellow goldenrod lined the path. These bright flowers are sometimes blamed for seasonal allergies, but most often ragweed, which invisibly produces airborne pollen this same season, is the culprit. Goldenrod pollen is heavy and sticks to the plant, and it's unlikely to cause any problems unless people actually rub their faces in it.

Another flower I never noticed before caught my eye on this walk too. Small clusters of white flowers sprung from pointed, serrated-edged leaves. And, wow, square stems really distinguished this plant. And what did Google tell me? These are commonly called snow squarestems or even cat’s tongue, referring to the serrated edges of the leaves — perfect names for this native pollinator-friendly flower.

Although Bucko and I were drawn to the little details along this walk it was fun to run into first time Greenway visitors near the entrance. This couple was looking for a “hanginga” or some such special bird they had been told about. We finally figured out they meant an anhinga, a regular but interesting bird of the Greenway. And as they talked to us we heard the distinctive call of one nearby and sent them off in that direction to look for it.

Too bad for them. They might have found that bird, here’s hoping, but just maybe their change in direction caused them to miss the large alligator hanging nearby at the spillway that we found a couple of minutes later.

There is always something of interest out in nature, if you just look around. And now with the weather cooling, it’s a great time to do just that!

Pat Foster-Turley, Ph.D., is a zoologist on Amelia Island. She welcomes your nature questions and observations. patandbucko@yahoo.com