by Omar Torres
On June 28th I had the pleasure of hiking along Parkers Creek at the American Chestnut Land Trust North Side Trail in Calvert County, Maryland. Upon arrival, the Stewardship Outing interns were introduced to Bob Boxwell, the leader of the event, along with Marc Imlay, a conservation biologist. Bob Boxwell led the hike for most of the way on extensive trails filled with a diversity of plants. The path was a rugged terrain but was still nice for hiking on.
As we hiked through the path we were introduced to a variety of different bird species such as the Kentucky Warblers and it was interesting to hear the different kinds of sounds each type of bird makes. Bob was able to demonstrate his experience and knowledge on the subject by identifying each bird with the sound they made. Along with birds there were also different types of snails latched onto trees as well as Eastern Fence lizards laying on trees which showed how diverse the trail was.
The interns were interested in the frogs, lizards and birds that inhabited the park, while Laurel Imlay, the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter Coordinator, loved seeing the Native Trumpet Vine flowers and the Sweetgum leaves that emitted a nice smelling aroma. When walking along the trail, Bob identified edible berries on a plant called Wine Berry. Once we learned how to spot the ripest berries, we would eat them along the way.
As we hiked along the trails we had to beware of ticks and mosquitoes as certain spots of the trail were filled with them but we were able to successfully navigate our way without too many bug bites. Upon reaching the bottom of the trail, we came across the creek and observed how beautiful the water and surrounding areas were.
The beauty of the creek and how it habitats a rich amount of species was the highlight of a wonderful afternoon hiking. The experience was not one to forget, and I would recommend anyone to taking a trip to Parkers Creek in the near future.