Big Oak Tree State Park

Visited a special place today. An isolated but very old forest, a state park, Big Oak Tree State Park to be exact. Just over 1,029 acres is all that remains of a forest and swampland that used to cover millions of squares miles centuries ago. And up until the late 19th and early 20 century, covered much of what is known locally as the 'bootheel' of Missouri.

But this place isn't just special because it's ancient. It's also special because it's almost UNTOUCHED by man's influence. Aside from the metal boardwalk, a handful of structures, an aluminum can and a small parking lot at entrance, I initially saw no evidence of man during my brief journey through this forest. And I'm including the possible introduction of foreign plant species when I say this.

Some parks and preserves have a hook to attract tourists, Journey Back Through Time! or Come See How Things Once Were! Something along those lines. But when I get there I can't help but notice there is a thicket of Chinese Privet in the distance; or long vines of Japanese Honeysuckle sprawled over the forest floor; whole patches of beefsteak plants along the trail; a random Callery Pear tree taking up precious sunlight; or worst of all kudzu vines ANYWHERE. I can go on and on with this, I can copy/paste a bloody list but I'm not going to.

Those plants are signs of man's influence, those plants shouldn't be on this continent, let alone this locality and that's why they shatter the illusion of returning to a time that has long passed. It turns out I've been conditioned to see out-of-place things. So when I came here, to Big Oak Tree State Park, nothing seemed out of place at first and it was not from a lack of trying. Dare I say it truly felt like I ventured backwards. I could shoot a photo in all directions and each frame will contain 100% native flora. Until today, that's never happened before.

After a time, though, I came to the point when I stopped looking for things that shouldn't be here and began thinking of the things that should be here. Things like the Carolina Parakeet that should be feeding in the tops of the mighty Bald Cypress trees. Magnificent Ivory-billed Woodpeckers that should be drumming away on the branches of the many towering bur oaks, or the naked trunks of the decomposing dead growth. Red wolves howling in the not-to-far distance to one day being drowned out by the harsh calls and thrumming wing flaps of millions of Passenger pigeons flocking overhead. Suddenly that's where man's influence reared it's head. The forest here is special, very special, but it has holes of various sizes in it.

I will return one day, for it has changed my life forever.
I owe so much to the keepers of this park, they don't even realize it.

הועלה ב-נובמבר 21, 2021 04:41 לפנה"צ על ידי jhousephotos jhousephotos

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נובמבר 20, 2021 02:47 אחה"צ CST

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נובמבר 20, 2021 02:52 אחה"צ CST

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נובמבר 20, 2021 03:01 אחה"צ CST

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נובמבר 20, 2021 03:13 אחה"צ CST

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Last photo uploaded to show the environment in which these plants were growing in.

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נובמבר 20, 2021 01:47 אחה"צ CST

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מצליבים (משפחה Brassicaceae)

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נובמבר 20, 2021 03:16 אחה"צ CST

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נובמבר 20, 2021 03:28 אחה"צ CST

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