On the way to the state Park we were all amazed at the sheer number of migratory birds that filled the skies and fields. Not being from this part of Arkansas, it was a real treat to see all the birds including the Canadian Geese, a large variety of ducks, meadow larks, and lots of hawks.
Well, here we are at another Arkansas State Park and Brayden was up for the adventure. This park is really neat, especially if you would like the opportunity to explore a swamp without getting your feet wet. Located just 20 miles south of Brinkley, the Louisiana Purchase State Park features a short, nicely maintained, boardwalk trail into a cypress, water tupelo swamp. The boardwalk was a couple of feet above the ground that was only partially underwater the day we were there. The trail ends at the famous marker from which all the initial surveys were taken of the 900,000 sq. mi. Louisiana Purchase. Although President Jefferson made the $15 million dollar purchase in 1803, it was President Madison who ordered its survey to begin here in Arkansas in 1815. I guess I had forgotten just how big a purchase this really was with land stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada.
On the way to the state Park we were all amazed at the sheer number of migratory birds that filled the skies and fields. Not being from this part of Arkansas, it was a real treat to see all the birds including the Canadian Geese, a large variety of ducks, meadow larks, and lots of hawks.
Well, here we are at another Arkansas State Park and Brayden was up for the adventure. This park is really neat, especially if you would like the opportunity to explore a swamp without getting your feet wet. Located just 20 miles south of Brinkley, the Louisiana Purchase State Park features a short, nicely maintained, boardwalk trail into a cypress, water tupelo swamp. The boardwalk was a couple of feet above the ground that was only partially underwater the day we were there. The trail ends at the famous marker from which all the initial surveys were taken of the 900,000 sq. mi. Louisiana Purchase. Although President Jefferson made the $15 million dollar purchase in 1803, it was President Madison who ordered its survey to begin here in Arkansas in 1815. I guess I had forgotten just how big a purchase this really was with land stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada. 
Brayden loves bridges, so this was right up his alley.
Cypress "knees" as they are called around here are actually part of the root system that allows these trees to get air even when growing underwater. While we can't see it here, these knees have tiny tubes for the air to pass to the roots. Sort of like a snorkel for the tree roots.
The wide bases of these trunks allow the trees to have as much stability in these soggy soils as possible. Some call these specialized structures "prop" roots because of this stabilizing action. I just think it looks neat.
Feel free to click on the pics to enlarge the image in order to read the writing for yourself. Below is the original western baseline still visibly cut through the swamp forest. The red at the end of the line is our car in the parking lot.
1 comment:
Perfect timing, Uncle Troy! Colton is reading about the Louisiana Purchase/Lewis and Clark this week. I will bookmark this post, I'm sure he'll love it!
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