Sunday afternoon I joined a group for my second foray into Dogwood Canyon. It was very windy and there were threats of showers but the temperature was pleasantly in the low seventies. And once we got into the canyon the wind was no longer a factor.

The more I see of this property the more I am amazed by it. It gets it’s name due to having the only known stand of naturally occurring flowering dogwood in Dallas County. Dogwood is common in East Texas but normally does not prosper in the chalky soils found here. Some of the trees in the stand here are believed to be over a hundred years old, so it is unlikely they are runaways from someone’s back yard.

But that is really only a small part of what makes the property unique. In spite of being right outside the city limits of Dallas it is practically unspoiled. There is no sign of privet or honeysuckle or any of the other common alien invaders of the forest.

The property is being saved by the local chapter of the Audubon Society. It was actually slated to be reduced to a housing development and in fact there are houses on the perimeter of the property. Once you go a short distance into the woods though there are no visual or audible signs of civilization.

I belong to several environmental organizations but I have never been a member of the Audubon Society. It turns out that they are a lot more than just a birders club. They have an ambitious plan to develop nature centers around the country, including one on another property adjacent to Dogwood Canyon. Our guide on Sunday’s hike, who is an Audubon employee, admitted to being more interested in insects than in birds.

Unfortunately we just missed the flowers on the dogwoods this year. We saw the flowers all right, but none were on the trees. They were strewn all over the forest floor. We knew going in that it was past time for the blooms, so we weren’t disapointed.