Yesterday, I held a nature journal workshop with 2 other naturalists at Glen Alton Recreational Area about 20 miles from my home. The previous week I went on a pre-hike and that's where most of these photos were taken.
Glen Alton was a 300 acre hunting and fishing retreat for a doctor. When he died, the Forest Service bought the land because it is in the middle of the Jefferson National Forest. It's a great place for birding and easy hiking.
My favorite place is the wetland area which is about a mile hike through woods to get there. The dead trees with the pond lilies is so peaceful.
Some of the wetland was created by this beaver dam.
The reflection in the beaver pond is a native St. Johnswort which I had not seen before. It's my favorite photo of that day.
For the workshop, we did not go on the wetland area hike since we had several families with very young children. We ended up going around the small lake which worked out better (snakes, dragonflies, whirlybugs!). But, I certainly don't regret my hike the previous week.