Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Preserving the Future

Day Twenty

This morning I went on a short hike in the Fred Wolff Bear Creek Nature Preserve here in La Quinta.  The Nature Preserve is almost twenty acres of land along the Bear Creek Bike Trail that has been left in its natural state and in the future will include hiking trails, native plant life and signage to help visitors understand more about the desert. At this point, it pretty much is just a big empty lot.  

The sign at the entrance to the Fred Wolff Nature Preserve.  No explosives?  It's a good thing I left my dynamite at home. Fred Wolff was La Quinta's first mayor in case you're wondering.
A view of the Santa Rosa Mountains.  The main peak is Indio Mountain.


When they do a plant assessment, I hope they know that this is a non-native date palm.  

This is what a native California Fan Palm looks like.

Ugh.  This tamarisk is the first thing I'd get rid of.  These not only are non-native but are very destructive to the surrounding soil and plant life.  I hate these things.

I really enjoy the peacefulness of hiking alone but sometimes it is nice to have company.

There is really not a whole lot at the Fred Wolff Nature Preserve.  There are no artificial streams,  pseudo Indian artifacts, buildings or lush green pathways.  It is only a piece of desert just like it used to be.  I guess that's what makes it special.

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