by Tonya M. Williams
Recently, I drove to Millbrook, AL with a friend. Originally, we’d planned to go to Auburn – not for the football game – but to visit the forest preserve. I just did not feel like makin’ that trek by the time the weekend rolled around so we headed up I-65 North instead, to the Alabama Nature Center at Lanark.
Since the last visit three years ago there’ve been some impressive changes, namely the 23,000 square foot NaturePlex which houses the new welcome and education center. It opened in 2015, inviting folks into a state of the art facility to learn about local natural history through educational programs and other activities. Lanark, the land on which the ANC is located, is also headquarters for the Alabama Wildlife Federation.
We paid the $5 general admission fees, then toured the complex before hitting the trails. They didn’t disappoint. Just enough “wild” for me to feel as if I’ve left the city, but not too much because, you know, I’m not tryin’ to run from bears and stuff.
Barely halfway along Turkey Ridge trail I noticed movement in the treetops off to the left. Carefully, we eased our binoculars in place to search the canopy for an opening. And there it was, a slender long-tailed bird with a soft, white underbelly.
It flitted from branch to branch without making a sound then stopped to chomp on an insect with its curved, yellow bill. Every time it moved, we quietly shifted positions hoping for an even better angle. After about 15-minutes we wandered over to a bench near Tadpole Pond to flip through the Peterson field guide with hopes of finding our bird. When we couldn’t find anything, we clicked a few selfies on the bridge then continued around Turkey Ridge to Gum Pond Loop and finally back to the NaturePlex.
Once back home, it took a while to figure out what we’d seen. Although I carefully scanned the field guide images again there was just no definitive match. All About Birds, my favorite ornithology website, eventually helped narrow down the profile to – drum roll please – the Yellow Billed Cuckoo.
WHAT’S OUT THERE
Do I find new birds on every hike? Nope. It’s usually the same ole bunch – crows, hawks, blue jays. That’s not always the goal though. Sure, stumbling across a cuckoo bird was a huge win, (it’s one more check-mark on my lifetime birding list) but even that doesn’t compare to the heightened sense of well-being I feel when I’m outside.
If you haven’t taken a walk in the woods lately, I sincerely ask you to rethink that. I also understand if you’re concerned that it may not be a welcoming space because, in certain communities, there’s an unsettling history at the root of that which shouldn’t be ignored. There’s also an opportunity to reclaim those spaces, utilizing them as pathways for improved health and healing. ‘Cause they can be. I’ve experienced it.
A few minutes quietly strolling among trees with a gentle breeze at your back and dappled sunlight illuminating the path could be just the encounter needed to refresh your spirit. And let’s face it, in light of the most recent tragedies, some of us could use a refreshing.
FUN FACT:
Don’t have time to drive to the Alabama Nature Center? Then go to the closest park. There are 37 listed on the city of Montgomery parks and recreation website. And while you’re out there enjoying the open air, take a picture and send it to me at [email protected]. It could be featured in a future article.
About the author: See that lady out there with the binoculars? That’s probably Tonya. Follow her blog at www.thesassypuffin.wordpress.com where she shares her latest adventures and ruminations. Tonya’s a motivational speaker, birding guide, creativist, and nature enthusiast pointing folks towards health and healing right where they live.
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