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terrain May/June 2021
field notes
BLUFF VIEW BUILD-OUT
Construction has started on a new directional "gravity" trail at Bluff View Park in Wildwood, Missouri. The 0.75-mile addition to the existing 12-mile, multi-use system will be one-way, with berms and other natural- surface features that allow mountain bikers to flow 185 feet downhill. The current Bluff View Trail, which is open to hikers, bikers, and equestrians, will remain unchanged. The new trail is a project of the local nonprofit organization Gateway Off- Road Cyclists (GORC). Since 1998, this all-volunteer group has built and maintains more than 100 miles of multi-use trail throughout the Greater St. Louis area. The full conceptual plan for Bluff View Park also includes the creation of a dirt pump track and a 0.25-mile "family trail" suitable for young kids and beginner mountain bikers. These will be near the existing trailhead/parking area. Construction on phase one of the project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
DOGWOOD CANYON WELCOMES TAKODA
A rare white American bison has joined the herd at Dogwood Canyon Nature Park in Missouri's Ozark Mountains. Named Takoda, a Sioux word meaning "friend to everyone", the bison can be seen during the Wildlife Tram Tour, a two- hour guided ride through the canyon and nearby ridgetops where herds of bison, elk, and deer reside. According to traditional Native American teaching spanning thousands of years, the white bison is a sacred animal and is a sign of peace and good fortune. "Welcoming a remarkable white bison like this to Dogwood Canyon Nature Park allows us to expand on the important message that Native Americans live out an unwavering conservation ethic," said Bob Ziehmer, senior director of conservation for Bass Pro Shops, which owns Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. "Their wisdom and understanding about the vital balance between land and people inspires our core conservation principals, even today." Dogwood Canyon Nature Park is located 15 miles west of Branson in Lampe, Missouri, and offers a variety of ways for people of all ages and abilities to connect with nature year- round through scenic walking and biking paths, horseback riding, fly fishing, and more.
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