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Walking With The Green River

By Green River Preserve on July 10, 2017

This morning, a group of happy campers embarked on a grand expedition. This expedition came with a constant and reliable companion, the Green River. After playing the animal name-game with their lead Mentor and counselor, they set out from Green River road onto the River Trail. This trail is very steady and is always within either line of sight or within earshot of the beautiful Green River.

Along the trail the group took several moments to admire and discuss the different natural biological wonders found around a river ecosystem. They stopped to learn about a pine that had been used by a Sap Sucker, a species of woodpecker that will peck a hole into the bark of a tree, such as a pine, and use the sap that trickles out as bait. This bait will draw insects that are looking for a sugary meal, which are then trapped in the sap making an easy meal for the woodpecker.

After a few more stops and hip pocket lessons about nature the group finally arrived at Hemlock Shelter, which sports a convenient trail right to the Green River. There the campers got to don their water shoes or Chacos and walk around the calmer area of the river. In this time many campers decided to participate in some time-honored traditions here on the Green River Preserve, such as head dunking, salamander crawling and Polar Bear plunging. All the while smiling and laughing as they entered the crisp mountain spring water.

After the campers left the mysteries and splendors of the river, they headed back to the Hemlock Shelter to retrieve their gear, where they found a Green River trail crew who were working on a part of the trail in the area. It was one of the trail team who clued the campers in to both a mouse nest in the shelter and a young Eastern Rat Snake hiding up above, in the rafters, possibly relaxing in the mid-morning heat or perhaps waiting for an easy meal.

Having found their gear, the campers head out on the trail to Hemlock Field where they found the trail heading back up to the Green River Road where a bus was waiting to take them back to base camp and a hearty lunch.

Theodore Nuss

Green River Preserve
Green River Preserve

Green River Preserve is a non-competitive, coed summer camp connecting children with nature. Located on a 3,400 acre private wildlife preserve in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, this extraordinary natural setting inspires campers to have a greater understanding of themselves, their environment, and their fellow man. Designed for bright, curious, and creative children, our program nurtures character development and fosters skills like perseverance, curiosity, communication, optimism, creativity, and GRIT.