It almost sounds like the beginning of a comedian’s gag: a naturalist, a science writer, an environmental science graduate student, and two science teachers walk into the woods…
Nah. Too wordy.
But walk into the north Alabama woods, we did.
We walked among the loblolly pines and the towering oak trees, discussing the life cycle of elephant mosquitos and the way rainwater dissolves limestone to form caves.
We climbed hills of sedimentary rock that showed the record of an ancient aquatic past. Along the way we talked about the difference between shaggy and scaly tree bark, and examined Aralia spinosa, commonly known as the devil’s walking stick because of the needle-sharp thorns that cover that tree’s trunk.
We hiked among the red cedars and the red buds, shaking our heads at the difficulty of distinguishing between green and white ash trees. We cursed the presence of the invasive honeysuckles while praising our native, albeit absent-on-that-trail species, the scarlet honeysuckle.
On hands and knees, we confirmed that trillium flowers smell like bananas and examined horn coral fossils formed more than 5 million of our lifetimes ago. We traced deer tracks with our fingers and looked under the leaves of mayapples to see if they were boys or girls.
As our boots traversed miles of trail, we pondered the hybridization of white oaks, listened to the distant call of a barred owl, and discussed the merits of modern day forestry practices.
We talked of children and grandchildren, of books and teaching and writing and sharing, and we enjoyed the company of like-minded friends. We walked, content in the moment, in the foothills of the Appalachians on a gorgeous afternoon in the month of March. No joke.
Yet There is Method 
What an amazing way to spend the day! I appreciate your word play at the start and end of your post, as well as these gems-
“loblolly pines and the towering oak trees” and “our boots traversed miles of trail.” Thank you for sharing!
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You’re welcome, and thank you for your comments!
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I would have enjoyed this walk in the woods, the camaraderie, and the banter of awe mixed with educating one another. I appreciate the thought of a virtual inclusion when you wrote it! I think, on the whole, there are some very wonderful people who appreciate nature and are not afraid to marvel at all the intricacies of what it can offer us, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually. I loved that you looked under the mayapples to find the sex and that you used so many of your senses to really experience the woods – Thank you!
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The natural world is a source of constant amazement for me. I’m meeting a friend this afternoon and we’re going to hike the same trail. There’s so much to see and learn!
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Enjoy!
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I love reading your posts. I always learn a couple new words and feel like I’ve been on a hike with you.
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Thank you!
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Well, my dad was a science teacher for 31 years. I know there’s probably a lot of comedic genius in that group. What a gift to get away with fellow nature lovers.
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Jackie, it was a gift, and I’m looking forward to the next time. It’s possible that a laugh or two occurred during our time together!
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