Tandy Hills Natural Area

 On Tuesday, one of my friends invited me to accompany them in their search for something that seemed out of place in the natural world. They had a project due for one of their classes, so I figured I'd take advantage of the chance to learn more about the local wildlife. We visited numerous locations across Fort Worth to take pictures for their project. The Tandy Hills Natural Area caught my attention. It's close to a residential area; I'd never been there before. You may simply park on the street and walk over because there is no parking lot. There were no other people there because we went in the middle of the day. When you initially arrive, the area has a kid-friendly park and a short walk that takes you farther back. A dirt trail starts from where the paved trail finishes. Several diverging paths split off from the main one. Just above the tree line in the first image is downtown Fort Worth. This image appeals to me because it contrasts the idea of a city with the idea of untouched nature.

As you continued the main trail, you would come across two big trees. The first one caught my attention because of the giant rocks sitting at the foot of it and the visible roots sticking out from the ground. From all the tree and plant identifier applications, none of them could tell what species of tree it is. I got mixed results; the most common answers were that it could be a Melia, an Olneya, a Tabebuia, or even a Quercus. None of them know what type of tree this is; some applications believe it could be a mix of different species. It is hard to tell from this photo, but the leaves are chalky white, and the tree is very barren, which is uncommon for this time of the year. The second tree was identified as Prosopis. Prosopis is said to be a genus of a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. Mesquite Prosopis is said to be one of the most common naturally occurring plants in Texas. 

The following two pictures show a cactus and a bed of them. The cactus in this area is what I discovered to be most distinctive. Given that this location is only a few miles from a city, it was surprising. Growing up on the East Coast, cacti are essentially nonexistent. This was also my first-time seeing cacti since I came to Texas. I like how clearly defined the elements are in the first image. The texture of the cactus may be seen by looking at the photo. It possesses protruding glochid spines that, if touched, will poke you. These sharp spines shield the cactus from its surroundings and potential predators. Since cacti are native to dry settings, their ability to trap air and store water is essential for survival. Cacti are fascinating to me since they can survive for several hundred years if given the right conditions for survival.

The final image shows a vivid purple Liatris. Liatris is a genus of flowering plants in the Asteraceae's Eupatoriea tribe. Liatris's long, purple blooming stems are well-known, and they blossom in the summer. I liked the simplicity of the blossom in this image, but the fact that it was the only non-green plant in this region made it stand out for being unique. I've learned that nature is distinctive; even if some things appear similar, a minor adjustment can alter your viewpoint. I came to understand that sometimes you had to say yes to things via this journey I took with my friend. I'm unsure if I would have accompanied them if I had not been enrolled in this class. Though unlike the majority of my past blog postings, this procedure led me to discover a hidden gem that wasn't encircled by water.