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Gifting naturally

2011 December 15

Leading others to local natural areas like Occoneechee Mountain is a special gift. Photo by Ken Moore

By Ken Moore
Flora Columnist
Accompanying the joy of the gift-giving season is often the stress of determining what to give. Here are a couple of ideas to avoid the potential exchange of “unnecessary stuff.” Give a gift of nature.

Consider giving memberships to local conservation groups like the Haw River Assembly, the Eno River Association, the N.C. Botanical Garden and the Triangle Land Conservancy – all “necessary stuff” in conserving the nature around us.

Or consider a gift of sharing a special place in nature you enjoy exploring. Describe your place in a card and wrap it like a present. For example, your gift may be a visit to nearby Occoneechee Mountain. You’ll enjoy introducing it to special folks who have never been there.

If you want to make it a really special gift, expand the gift to four seasonal walks or 12 monthly walks. This gift will require planning and time on your part. Many of our local nature preserves like the Botanical Garden’s Battle Park, UNC’s Carolina North Forest, the Triangle Land Conservancy’s Johnston Mill and Carrboro’s Adams Tract have interpretive kiosks with trail maps to guide you along diverse habitat experiences.

A great resource is right here in town at Carr Mill Mall. Townsend Bertram is a treasure trove of many free-for-the-asking regional trail maps. Among them are a Chapel Hill Bicycle & Greenways map and a guide to Carolina North Forest. Parking areas with interpretive kiosks are located at several of the entrances to Carolina North’s 20-plus miles of trails. One special trail, reserved for walkers only, is the Nature Observation Trail, and the recently installed Tripp Farm Trail bridge provides an impressive elevated view up and down Bolin Creek.

The new bridge in Carolina North Forest provides an elevated view of Bolin Creek. Photo by Ken Moore

One of my nearby favorite big areas is Duke Forest. As described in The Duke Forest at 75: A Resource for all Seasons by Ida Phillips Lunch, there are more than 45 entrances to a 7,050-acre network of more than 75 miles of gravel roads and footpaths spread across Durham, Orange and Alamance Counties. Most are close in, stretching from east Durham to north of Carrboro. The set of two large Duke Forest trail maps are worth the cost to purchase them. With these maps in hand, you can explore the forest every week for three months before repeating a trail.

There’s still time to create your gift of nature for a special person. Consider including a hand-scribed copy of Mary Oliver’s “How I go to the Woods.”

How I go to the woods
Ordinarily I go to the woods alone with not a single friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore unsuitable.
I don’t really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of praying, as you no doubt have yours.
Besides, when I am alone, I can become invisible. I can sit on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds, until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost unhearable sound of the roses singing.
If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love you very much.

Season’s greetings, naturally, from Ken Moore

Email Ken Moore at flora@carrborocitizen.com. Find previous Ken Moore Citizen columns at The Annotated Flora (carrborocitizen.com/flora).

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