Naturally Wild

The Greenville Zoo nature club had a blast this past Saturday on our Bunched Arrowhead hike! The weather was perfect for hiking, not too cold and not too hot. We had a wonderful guide, Ms. Cat, who pointed out some awesome discoveries along our way. Bunched Arrowhead Preserve is a pocket of protected land, home to the endangered Arrowhead plant.

                                                              Arrowhead Plant

                                                         Bunched Arrowhead Preserve

  On our hike we first ran into a prehistoric plant called Lycopodium. This plant has been around since the age of dinosaurs! It has also been used traditionally in Austrian medicine. 

                                                                            Lycopodium

 

 

We also found a plant that kind of smells like fruit loops when crushed in your hand; sassafras. The roots of this plant make a great up of tea. We ran into a teeny tiny black rat snake and even saw a bat house! Ms. Cat also pointed out a plant called lamb’s ear, it is super fuzzy and soft. She told us how it was used as toilet paper long ago before toilet paper was invented.

I highly recommend this short hike to families who are looking for a quick and close by outdoor adventure. See if you can spot any of these species found in the preserve: http://www.clemson.edu/public/naturalist/2014_umnp/pdf/bahp_species_list_2014.pdf

Even if you don’t have a guide to lead your hike, you still get out there and explore!