Diversity galore on native plant hike

A handful of hikers got together for a guided hike through just less than two miles of the Back 40 trails with urban forestry expert Patti Erwin.

Erwin identified trees and other plants -- including wild blueberries, blackberries, wild ginger, paw paw, columbine, sassafras, cedar, ash, and varieties of oak and pine -- to name a few. The majority of these plants, she said, are native to the area.

A handful had stories behind their names, she said. For instance, the serviceberry was related to church service.

"Early in the spring when the minister was traveling around," she said, "it was the one that was blooming."

Erwin said she enjoyed the hike and she intends to come back to do this again in the future, particularly on different trails with different terrain and vegetation.

"Bella Vista, it has just such awesome forest," she said. "It's such a diverse forest."

Hiker Jerry Stiles drove from Fayetteville with his wife, Luna Stiles, to join the hike after learning about it on a Master Naturalist listing. It also counted as a training session, he said, which he needed to advance in the program.

Jerry Stiles said he enjoyed the hike -- particularly with the opportunity to sample some wild blueberries -- and he's interested in coming back for other Bella Vista hikes.

"I never considered Bella Vista a nice place to live but I guess it is," he said after seeing part of the trail system.