41: Green Antidote

Crow's Nest Natural Area Preserve, Brooke, Virginia

B R O O K E,  V A

I’m following GPS directions to Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve near Brooke, Virginia.  When it says I’ve arrived, I’m at the driveway to an abandoned mobile home.  But the pre-planning done for this trip has me aware that the right road must be very close so I just keep driving.  Half-mile later I see a newly installed entrance gate and the familiar DCR logo. 

In what is arguably Virginia’s most impressive conservation act, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) along with help from other partners including The Nature Conservancy, has secured one of the greenest spaces in the Mid-Atlantic region.  On a satellite map it’s especially dramatic – the green of Crow’s Nest stands out prominently amid a congested sea of buildings, roads, and powerlines.  Just thirty nine miles from the White House, this 3,000 acre peninsula has been carved out and cordoned off from the excessively demanding development pressures that exist in this part of the country. 

A year ago DCR completed the eight miles of trails which lace this property and officially opened the state’s newest Natural Area Preserve to the public.  This densely forested peninsula is shaped like your right hand, palm down.  From mid-wrist to the tip of the middle finger the Crow’s Nest Point Trail bisects the property.  It’s a sandy spine; elevated nearly 200 feet above the peninsula’s shoreline.  In spots, surprisingly steep ravines drop down off both sides of the spine.  Near the end, the trail itself veers down into one of these ravines – the relative flatness of the spine gives way to a roller-coaster-like ride through the woods.  The three miles to Crow’s Nest Point is simply a walking delight.   

And today, it’s an incredibly green delight.  Being early May, most leaves have sprouted but still retain that fresh, nearly-translucent color.  The morning’s bright sunshine amplifies that light-greenness… think Easter-egg green.  Coincidentally, the blazes marking the Crow’s Nest Point Trail are also a light green making them a little hard to spot as they blend in nearly perfectly with the leaves.  And even the Tiger Beetles flitting about my boot steps are a brilliant metallic green - flourishing most densely in the brightly lit patches of sun dotting the trail.  Apparently, they like the spotlight.    

Crow’s Nest Point at trail’s end is a fine reward after a long walk through the woods.  A bench offering broad views of Accokeek Creek as well as a stern cliff-warning sign awaits visitors.  But a little off-trail exploration, though not egregiously in violation of the rules, leads me to an even more impressive spot from which to enjoy the view.  Along the way, I spot the perfect piece of curled bark.  It’s precisely the shape of my ass cheeks and cups them comfortably as I sit Indian-style at river’s edge.  I transition from the full motion of trail walking to complete stillness observing my surroundings as unobtrusively as possible.   The peacefulness and relaxation that follows are intensely deep.  My pulse rate plummets as I sit in the shade at water’s edge.  The days of planning, two hours of driving, and three miles of walking that have led to this spot are now inconsequential.  The hour spent here is the reward I was hoping Crow’s Nest would bring, and it has turned out far better than anticipated.     

This peninsula’s most-impressive resident is the American Bald Eagle.  Within minutes of arriving I spot a mother and two young ones.  A fourth flies by later.  Their bright white plumes make them easy to spot even when hundreds of yards away across the marsh.  But Balds aren’t the only wildlife here.  A water snake emerges from the brown depths to briefly sun itself on a half-submerged log.  Beyond the log, I spot a turtle’s snout poking the surface.  It seems to be going nowhere – same as I - just floating about on this lovely day. 

Later, the intrusion my walking brings to the woods causes the scampering of many animals.

A bright red cardinal and its mate dart across the trail.

A toad hops out of my way, but when I spot him, I move in close with my macro lens to capture the scene.

A large Blue Jay eyes me, and then flits down a ravine out of sight.

And dozens for plump, well-fed squirrels scatter in all directions when I get too close for their liking. 

Nature rules here at this impressive preserve.  The state’s conservation efforts are easy to see and hear in on this peninsula. 

Halfway back from the point, I add another two miles to the total by veering off to Boykin’s Landing on the west side of the Peninsula – the pinkie of your palm-down hand.  It includes a similar roller-coast ride down a ravine.  Its terminus is another bench with a fine view and another stern cliff-warning.  My visit to Boykin’s is brief; just a few minutes on the bench cooling off and letting the heart rate drop a touch.  The heat of the day has hit a peak at Boykins bringing mindfulness to how little water I have left in my pack.  I notice too that my normally loose fitting wedding band is now as tight as can be - the heat, exertion, and humidity have swollen me. 

But swollen too are my senses.  It’s been a wonderful day immersed in the solitude of an amazing natural setting.  The sights, sounds, smells, and touch of such purity refreshes like few other things.  Crow’s Nest has been a wonder place to visit today.  The green of this peninsula has been the refreshing antidote I was hoping for to counteract a life mostly spent indoors.  I suspect that’s precisely what the DCR and Nature Conservancy had in mind when efforting to conserve this property.  Amid a sea of development pressures, where more indoor space is growing quickly, Crow’s Nest is a lovely green, outdoor antidote.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TNC'S WORK AT CROW'S NEST HERE.