Another flowering season for the Texas buckeyes has come and gone. The golden spires of blooms were a bit subdued this year, possibly because of a deep freeze in the fall as buds were being set. Flowers may be fickle, but the forest was glorious. Virginia wildrye was already knee-high, promising a good round of graceful arcing seedheads this fall for deer to nibble. Though there are not many bur oaks and pecans, the catkins were heavy, indicating a possible a good mast year greatly beneficial for wildlife.
Kristi Kerr Leonard organized eight weekend public walks in March and April along the Ned and Genie Firtz Texas Buckeye Trails, focusing on the soft-surface trails. Two additional walks occurred solely for the nearby Bonton/Ideal community. Her restoration teams—drawn from North Texas Master Naturalists and other groups—had spent two years widening the trails and cutting back Chinese privet under the supervision of Dallas Parks and Recreation with support from Trinity Coalition. The hard work made the hikes a pleasure, as did the new temporary signs paid for by Trinity Coalition.
“About 85 people participated in the walk and 95% of them had NEVER been on the trail before! This is why we present these guided hikes. The walkers were delighted and in deep gratitude. All promised to come back and bring their friends and family.” ~ Kristi Kerr Leonard
As walkers hiked a mile back to the buckeyes, it was a chance to get a true sense of the glories of the Great Trinity Forest and what bottomland woods are like, which can be quite muddy. The season went on, the mud abated and spring unfolded with potent fertility. Walkers were graced by a luminous glow of sunlight passing through the young light-green leaves of trees. Eve’s necklace trees were bedecked in blooms. Birds high in the canopy filled the air with song as they searched for mates and staked out nesting territory. Reptiles awakened in the warmth.
As the trails approached the Texas buckeye groves, it was clear the delicate trees were under siege from Chinese privet, an invasive landscape plant. The walks were an opportunity for people to see the monthly restoration workdays in process. Buckeyes from a few inches tall to majestic 30-footers were marked with orange biodegradable tape, with other natives to be preserved receiving yellow tape. Privet that had been cut and was awaiting follow-up treatment was tagged with blue tape.
Walkers were thrilled to be able to see the buckeye trees again after years of being drawfed by privet infestation. Trinity Coalition underwrote Trinity Prairie Company Landscaping, a naturalist-led professional landscape company, to tackle privet in an area particularly dense in Texas buckeyes, opening it up in a process that will continue over the next year. It will eventually provide a glimpse into what the buckeye grove looked like when Ned Fritz discovered it in the early ’70s while fighting the Trinity barge canal project.
Gratitude to our hike leaders: Tim Gibson… Richard Grayson… Caleb H… Kristi Kerr Leonard… Amy Martin… Eileen Fritz McKee… Michael McKee… Bob Richie… Frankie Vaca. Each brought unique insights and wisdom to the walks.
Explore the buckeye trails on your own. Start at the Ned and Genie Fritz Texas Buckeye Trailhead at the end of Bexar. Look for the picnic shelter, cross the small bridge, scale the levee, and the paved section of the trail will be visible below. Look for two concrete semi-circles with boulders along the paved trail. The soft-surface trails emerge from them. Use Google maps or a trail GPS like AllTrails or Gaia to track your location.
Being in the lowlands, the trail is very muddy after rains. Mosquitos can be fierce in warm weather and chiggers are prevalent in the tall grass. So use bug spray (Repel lemon eucalyptus is excellent) and coat your shoes, pants, and waistband with dusting sulfur (available at nurseries). Wash all exposed skin with Dawn dishwashing detergent when you get home and a shower is a good idea.
Please keep adults and children on the trail to avoid both bugs and harming the buckeyes and other sensitive vegetation. Dogs on short leashes only and must remain on the trail. After your walk, treat yourself to a leisurely farm-fresh meal at the Market Cafe at Bonton Farms. Closed after 3 pm and on Sundays.
Join the great folks in Leonard’s Ned & Genie Fritz Texas Buckeye Trail Restoration teams and help make these grand experiences available to more people.
More info:
Buckeye Trail named for local environmental trailblazers
Texas buckeye trail hikes kick off Saturday
Texas Buckeye restoration at Facebook
