The field trip to the Anne Kolb Nature Center was very informative and a great experience. As I am also completing my service-learning component at the Anne Kolb Nature Center, I was aware of the facilities offered and was aware of where the trails were. However, I have never been on the 3 trails they have and I was dumbfounded from the breathtaking views I saw along the trails. First off, the seawater tides advance inward and mingle with inland fresh water in the transition between land and sea. Also, the mangrove ecosystem represents a very diverse assemblage of uniquely adapted plants and animals. I first walked along the Lake Observation trail which happened to be my favorite of the three. At first sight, the vegetation appeared to be a monotonous tangle of branches and roots but it means survival to many wild creatures. There were also many red and black mangroves and the red mangrove, with its broad canopy and submerged based, crosses terrestrial and marine environments. The black mangroves are well adapted to growing in saline-saturated soils and are found at elevations that are covered by high tide but exposed at low tide.
The second trail, mud flat trail had mud flats that occur along waterways that are affected by the tides. Birds were the primary users of the mud flat for feeding and resting and herons and egrets wade in the shallows. As I started walking along the third trail, there was a construction sign posted that said not to proceed as it is a construction zone. I think that I will visit more preserves like this in the future as I really had a great time and experience at the Anne Kolb nature center. My thoughts on using tax dollars for land preservation is great in a way that there are natural areas where people actually can come, relax and enjoy nature. It gives us the opportunity to get away from other things and in return our tax dollars are actually put to good cause rather than replacing or paving a road that was just done a few years ago. I think that our tax dollars are put to waste in a lot of other areas that are completely unnecessary during an economic recession but land preservation should be a requirement. This program and nature center is something good and beneficial, so I support it 100%.
I had a great overall impression of the trip and will definitely return someday in the future especially when considering its location and the benefits of the center. The lake observation trail which had 1,231 foot boardwalk was my favorite part of the trip along with the 5 story, 68 feet tall observation tower. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable walk (despite the 95 degree heat) and it was very interesting to see all of the mangroves. I am thankful for the opportunity given as without this requirement, I would not have visited the trails and would have never seen and learned as much as I did today.
Note: All photos included in this post have been taken by myself or the my brother (the person taking pictures of me).
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