As you enter the Beaver Dam Trail, look carefully around you. This area is a favorite for many animals that live at the park, and you can usually find evidence of where they have been recently. Look for trampled vegetation, dig areas, chewed limbs, scat, or footprints. We know that mammals such as deer, fox, bobcat, raccoons, and rabbits, and reptiles such as turtles live in this area, but we also know that they will rarely be seen. Animals you may actually see include green anoles, green tree frogs, rough green snakes, many types of insects, as well as many birds.
Many of the tall trees on the left with the yellowish berries (and beautiful purple flowers in spring) are chinaberry trees. This plant is not native to the Augusta area, and is considered a nuisance species because it takes away habitat space from our native species. Non-native plants and animals that spread rapidly and replace native species are known as "invasive exotics" and are currently a world-wide ecological problem.
A little farther down the trail on the left is a prominent tree with hairy ropes climbing up its trunk. Do not touch these vines! These "furry vines" are poison ivy, as you may see by looking up and observing the leaves. The scientific name of poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans, indicates that it is a poison-producing species with roots that can grow in the air. The poison ivy berries are an important food source for many of our migratory birds. This species is prominent in the Nature Park, so please stay on the trails and watch where you walk!
As you pass the informational kiosk, look to the right for a view of the swamp. Swamps are wetlands dominated by woody stems (trees). Marshes are wetlands dominated by herbaceous (grass-like) vegetation with no to few woody stems. As you can see, beavers have heavily damaged this area as they toppled trees to feed on the inner bark, young branches, and leaves. Most of the tupelo are gone, however many of the cypress remain as beavers dislike the tough, stringy, resin-filled bark of cypress trees.
You may also notice a large piece of metal in the tree at the overlook. This is all that remains of an old school bus that was abandoned here. Most of the bus was removed, but the tree had grown around the bumper which could not be removed without damaging the tree. Many people use to believe that swamps were wastelands; evil places that were useless except for filling with trash. After losing 50% of our wetlands in the United States, we have discovered them to be extremely valuable places. Wetlands provide essential habitat for wildlife, including many endangered species. They also improve water quality, prevent erosion and sedimentation, clean toxic pollutants, and serve as flood control areas.
Soon you will come to a grassy field. To the right of the path is a wet forest containing many oak trees. In autumn this area is a favorite foraging spot for deer and wild turkeys. Fields and forests provide two different types of habitats. When two different habitats come together as in this location it is known as an ecotone. These areas are usually great places to observe wildlife. While the grassy field offers food for small birds and deer, there are limited hiding places. The forest offers shelter, but not as much food. The birds and deer like to live on the edge and move back and forth to satisfy their needs.
On the left just before the Mayor’s Fish’n Hole, you will see a small clump of trees covered with Spanish moss. Spanish moss is a flowering plant and not really a moss at all. It is actually an epiphyte (air plant) and gets everything it needs from the air. The name is a complete lie as not only is it not a moss but it is not from Spain. It got its name from early French explorers who thought it looked like the beards of old Spanish men.
As you walk next to the fish’n hole, be on the look out for turtles and a possible sighting of the resident alligator. Look on logs at the pond edges and you may see a yellow-bellied slider or a painted turtle. In the spring and summer this is also a favorite nesting area for turtles. At this time of year, you can sometimes spot a nest that has been raided by a raccoon or other animal. Look for the small, leathery discarded egg shells by the side of the raided nest. Look also at the small wetland on the right side of the trail as you go by the fish’n hole. Often the turtles will be lined up on the duckweed covered logs.
After the fish’n pond you will go to the right and approach the bridge that crosses Butler Creek. The deck off to the right is the Creek Freak deck where they conduct their monthly monitoring of Butler Creek. Check around the edge of the water and the vegetation overhanging the creek. You might get lucky and catch a glimpse of one of the many brown water snakes. Often mistaken for the venomous cottonmouth, the brown water snake is in fact non-venomous, but can still bite! On the trunk of the large oak tree, rows of small woodpecker holes indicate that the yellow-bellied sapsucker has been feeding here. They drill holes to get sap flowing out of the tree, then return later to eat the insects that have become stuck! Cross the bridge and you may be able to see a pond through the vegetation. This is the back of the oxbow lake that the Beaver Pond Observation Deck overlooks.
The trail continues along the other side of Butler Creek. At this point, Butler Creek is no longer a meandering creek but rather straight like a canal. This portion of the creek was re-directed, or channelized, early last century as part of city water flow management. The channelized creek created steep banks as well as the straight channel. Old beaver damage to the trees in this area is also very noticeable, and in the summer you may also see trees damaged by male deer rubbing the velvet off their antlers.
At the bench on the left is the junction of Butler Creek and Phinizy Ditch. Phinizy Ditch enters from the right, and Butler Creek comes straight at you and then curves to your left. Phinizy Ditch was created by the city of Augusta and used as a wastewater conduit for many years. This area no longer receives wastewater and is in a period of re-growth and revitalization.
Past the bench, the trail splits into a blue branch and a green branch. The green trail turns right and meanders through the forest along a boardwalk built by several Eagle Scouts, while the blue trail follows Phinizy Ditch further before cutting into the woods. Both trails lead to the same location, but if it has rained recently, stay on the green trail with its boardwalks.
As you enter the deeper forest, especially on a cloudy day, you may hear the call of the barred owl. It sounds like it is saying, "who cooks for you, who cooks for you allllllll." This area is also a favorite of many of our songbirds, so stop and listen for a few minutes. The thick vines that look like Tarzan could swing on them are wild grape vines. There is also lots of poison ivy, so be careful where you step and what you touch.
When you come to the end of the trail, go up the stairs and proceed to your right to reach our Beaver Pond Observation Deck, which overlooks a remnant channel of the Savannah River. The large pond at the top of the stairs is man-made and is used to hold treated wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant before it enters the constructed wetlands.
We hope you've enjoyed your trip through Phinizy Swamp Nature Park. Please feel free to ask us any questions you may have. You can reach our offices Monday-Friday from 8-4 at (706) 828-2109.