WOW welcomed 18 family adventurers on a nature hike led by Rob Van Epps. We were treated to a fun day exploring and meeting some of the creatures that make West Branch their home.
This was our lucky day, we found four different types of snakes: Worm Snake, Ring-necked Snake, Black Rat Snake and a Northern Water Snake. The children learned about snake habitats and how to safely lift logs away from you, when checking underneath for snakes. They were excited to discover and hold the Worm and Ring-necked snakes. It was interesting to learn that the snakes were not poisonous, and that the Copperhead is the only poisonous snake in Mecklenburg county.
In addition to a lively snake habitat, West Branch is also home to salamanders. We were again fortunate to find Marbled Salamanders, Slimy Salamanders and even a baby Slimy Salamander that still had small gills. They
really were slimy, and surprisingly smelly too!
Next we explored the wetlands and saw beaver dams and trees stripped of bark by beavers. We also spotted a Crayfish in the water, and a Box Turtle.
We were also treated with an up close look at a Harvester Spider, commonly known as daddy long legs. Did you know that they are poisonous? Surprisingly though, their fangs are too short to penetrate human skin.
Rob pointed out different types of butterflies including the Zebra Swallowtail, and it’s host plant and food, the Pawpaw Tree. He also introduced us to the Sibley birding app, which plays bird calls we used to attract a beautiful Indigo Bunting. The Sibley guides to birds and trees can be downloaded on your smartphone.
Rob and his daughters were terrific guides and I will look forward to joining them on a future hike with WOW.