Have you been to the upper canoe access of Prairie Oaks? You don’t need a boat to enjoy this small, grassy area. Insects like our Hellgrammites really enjoy these small riparian habitats. Bring a writing utensil just in case, and watch out for poison ivy.
With large biting pinchers, long legged bodies, hellgrammites are a large predator to many small river critters if the large fish don’t eat them first. A hooked appendage at the end of their body keeps them from being swept away in the current. The adult form, called a dobsonfly, looks equally as scary at night with their mandible pinchers. While the female with the short pinchers can deliver a painful bite, the male with the much longer ones can’t get the leverage to bite.
Putting on the GeoTrail every year takes a lot of work, and we couldn't do it without the help from the geocaching community. Thanks to Barkie & Tick Magnet for helping us look after this cache!
Be sure to check out the 20 other caches that are a part of this year’s Metro Parks GeoTrail! To participate in the Metro Parks GeoTrail go to Metro Parks to find complete instructions. Find, log and record the code word from at least 15 caches to be eligible for one of 100 limited edition GeoCoins. Find all 20 caches to unlock the coordinates to the Bonus Puzzle Cache.