Fossil Hill Hike on Saturday, May 6, 2017
Fossil Hill Hike @ Lake Amon Carter (south of Bowie) Field Trip
Saturday, May 6, 2017
8:30am – 2:00pm
*RSVP REQUIRED! There is a limit of 20 participants, with a max of 6 cars. 10 spots are already filled by attendees from Elm Fork MN and the Trinity Forks NPSOT, while the remaining 10 spots will be reserved for other groups and individuals. But for all 20 participants, 6 cars are the max on the property at Fossil Hill due to parking limitations. Once you RSVP, Jeff will try to set up carpooling.
Meet at 8:30am in Decatur at the TXDOT rest area, which is approximately 2-3 miles NW of the intersection of Highway 287 & Loop 380.
Please contact Jeff Quayle using one of the methods below. Once you RSVP, you will be emailed a Fossil Hill property description and a plant list.
Email: [email protected], Cell: 817-729-0283
Join us on this trip to this excellent example of an ancient Western Cross Timbers Post Oak/Blackjack Oak woodlands, with scattered prairie openings. The topography is hilly, with elevations from 920 feet at the bottom of the hill at the lake during normal pool, to 1050 feet at the top of the hillside.
The soils are mostly developed on Pennsylvanian strata with rocks and gravel at the surface. On slopes and along the ridges lie numerous boulders, carpeted with ferns, mosses and lichens. There are 10 different species of ferns present on the property: Mosquito Fern (Azolla caroliniana), Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron), Common Woodsia (Woodsia obtusa), Grape Fern (Botrychium virginianum), Engelmann’s Adder’s Tongue (Ophioglossum engelmannii), Star Scaled Cloak Fern (Astrolepis integerrima), Alabama Lip Fern (Myriopteris alabamensis=Cheilanthes), Wooly Lip Fern (Myriopteris tomentosa=Cheilanthes), Purple Cliff Brake (Pellaea atropurpurea) and Wright’s Cliff Brake (Pellaea wrightiana).
Hikes organized & led by Jeff Quayle. Please send an email to [email protected] or call 817/729-0283 if you plan on attending any hikes or field trips, so he will know who to expect. If there are any changes or a fieldtrip is cancelled, you will be notified.
Use of the iNaturalist app during fieldtrips is also encouraged, so you can contribute valuable data for our state and have your own personal list so you can learn more about what you observe as you go along.
