Equestrian Trails and Conservation Awareness ~~
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[Jewels of the Trail] |
Jewels of the TrailWelcome to our presentation of “Jewels of The Trail.” This section of ETACA is being created to enhance rider awareness of where she/he is and the wonders of the landscapes on which they ride. The “jewels” will be of many kinds and include: wildflowers, plant seeds and fruits, mushrooms, lichens, butterflies, rocks, soils, streams and waterfalls. The logic driving the work that goes into this section begins with the idea that in order for someone to appreciate something they must first become aware of that something. We hope that once a rider is aware of a resource, he/she will have a natural inclination to expand their sensitivity towards it. As sensitivity develops, we expect an affection for these resources, these jewels, to develop. When one loves, one automatically respects. When one respects, he/she wants to treat ethically that which they love and respect. This love may expand to a broad array of tangible and intangible values of the landscape as a whole. Finally, we hope that accompanying this expansion of awareness and values will be an enhancement of the ecological conscience. Our opening topic will be spring wildflowers of the trails of the southern Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountains and Foothills. This region is primarily in the states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. The spring flowers presented here are only a very small portion of the array that can be seen living on the trails. However, we will build on these files in the future through our own efforts as well as those of riders who have taken flower pictures on the trail and would like to contribute them to the cause of ETACA. In addition to our presentation from the trails of this portion of the southern landscape, we want to invite anyone wishing to prepare a similar presentation for trails they ride to do so. For example, similar presentations from the Mid-Atlantic States, New England, the Lake States, the Mississippi Embayment, the plains states, the Northern and Southern Rockies, the Sierras, the West Coast and the Southwest would all be very welcome. Please contact us. Our presentation of the wildflowers is in a format that will allow the reader to view them either as a “slide show” or individually. Each picture has the subject’s name accompanied by the initials of the photographer in parentheses. Dr. Karen Hall, Naturalist and Lecturer, Dept. of Forestry and Natural Resources, Clemson University has either confirmed the photographer’s identification of the flowers or made the identifications herself. Only common names are used and they conform to http://plant.usda.gov.
Some Spring Wildflowers
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