Hi , I have hiked the long trails of the Spanish Camino Composteal , the Portuguese Compostatal and the Appalachian trail . All of those are excellent walks but they take a lot of time and money to do. And they are not easy to get to .
I easily discovered several state parks and even local parks that are a little piece of heaven within an half an hour of my house. My favorite nearby park is the Pinckney National Wildlife Refuge Park in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina . It is only three miles long for the entire trail and has many attractions in it . There are many different types of trees , plants, and flowers. Volunteers set up a special (small) garden area to attract, nurse and feed many different butterflies.
This park is an island thus it has both freshwater ponds and is bordered by saltwater sounds, creeks and rivers . There are many display boards explaining the different environmental areas and the different animals,fish and birds of the park. I have seen many fishermen working the waters and they are pulling fish regularly. Most fishermen catch and release their catches.I have been told that there are several types of mammals (racoons,otters and even deer) . I have yet to see one . I have been told by several people to be patient and by one fellow that I should come at sunset; that is when the raccoons and deer come out .
I also discovered that I also needed to carry a small amount of equipment for my walk. Sun block, a hat, binoculars, a bottle of water, a field guide book. It is best to try to get a field book for the particular area you are in . It is lighter and from my experience it will have more accurate information. My experience is that it is much easier to find a bird in the guide book in the field than trying to remember what birds I saw at home . And, it is much more believable when I show my findings . I have yet to need a first aid kit or a knife or a cell phone but when I do I will be happy to have them .
The one item that is needed is a contact for the Friends of the Park organization . I understand that there are volunteers working in the park (the butterfly field) . But, I have yet to see them . The Pinckney Park is part of the National Wildlife Refuge but there is no direct connection to the Pinckney Park. If I am wrong about the Friends of the Park group please connect me at brian @ fitnmeet.com or 917 416 2886. I would like to join and I will make sure it is published on this website.
