BACKGROUND:
The 21-acre Riverwoods Natural Area lies along
the Wolf River in Germantown,
just outside of Memphis in Shelby County. Situated in a dense
urban setting, Riverwoods provides an important refuge for
plants and wildlife. It represents a small biological island
that was formerly part of a larger forested area. Its
location near the river directly influences the species of
plants and animals associated with this small remnant natural
area. The topography of the site reveals that floodplain
terraces were once periodically flooded prior to river
channelization.
The upper terrace of the floodplain provides site
conditions that support a variety of western mesophytic species
while the lower terrace is wetter and tends to have more bottomland
hardwood species. There is no clear distinction, however, so plants
intermingle in both areas. Common species include tulip poplar,
white oak, cherry, elm, maple, and hickory along with willow oak,
cherrybark oak, ironwood, river birch, boxelder, and hackberry. The
red flowering shrub buckeye provides wonderful spring color along
with herbaceous plants like spiderwort, trillium, and Solomon's
seal. The lower terrace has been impacted by common privet
(Ligustrum vulgaris), an invasive species native to Asia and
a serious threat to native species throughout the Wolf River
system.
Riverwoods was donated to the Memphis
Garden Club in 1973 and then designated a state natural area
in 1978. In 2006 the Memphis Garden Club donated the property
to the Tennessee Division of Natural Areas. An agreement to
manage and open the natural area was entered into between the
State, the Memphis Garden Club, and the City of Germantown.
The Memphis Garden Club donated funds to purchase materials
to build the informational kiosk, while the Germantown Parks
and Recreation Department installed the parking area and
built the trail. Today, Germantown manages the natural area
in cooperation with the Tennessee Division of Natural
Areas.
The Riverwoods trail is slightly more than
a half-mile and can be hiked in about 30 minutes. The trail
has two loops. The upper loop has seasonal wet areas
associated with it, and features two benches provided for you
to stop and enjoy the natural area. The lower loop crosses an
easement road (be sure not to turn and walk the wrong
direction) and is closer to the river flood zone. This lower
area has been impacted by privet, and removal of this exotic
plant is ongoing.
When completed, Wolf River Boulevard will
run between Riverwoods and the Wolf River. There are plans to
have future trail access from Riverwoods to the River, where
it will connect to the Wolf River Greenway.
THE CACHE:
This is a Day Use Only area, so please
confine your search to daylight hours. Please park in the
designated parking area and stick to the trail until the last
few feet. You'll be looking for a camouflaged BioKips
Snapware container holding a logbook, a pen, and a few small
trade items. The First Finder will also discover a Civil War
Geocoin fresh from Mississippi; please admire it briefly
before passing it along to another cache.
Enjoy!