A Glimpse of Nature from the Late Pleistocene Era-Big Bone Lick State Park in Kentucky
Group of Bison, Big Bone Lick State Park
The Big Bone Lick State Park in Kentucky is an interesting place where we can still connect with the Pleistocene Age and wilder times in the state’s landscape and history. It is said that this area is the birthplace of paleontology, as many megafauna including woolly mammoths, mastodons, giant sloths, and ice age bison were drawn to the salty springs. Unfortunately, the land was mushy around the springs and many animals got caught and died, which is why so many fossils have been found here. Discovered by French Captain Charles LeMoyne de Longueui in 1739, Thomas Jefferson sent William Clark on America’s first paleontology expedition here in 1807. Native Americans, early British and French Explorers, and trappers all passed through here regularly. It is really surprising to me that the site is not more well known and celebrated. Today, bison are cared for in several large fields to maintain a connection with the lands historical significance. Given how wilderness has been overtaken in the anthropocene, the survival of bison and other animals depends on protected habitat like this.
Cedar Run Trail, Big Bone Lick State Park
When I got to the campground, which is excellent and very well-maintained, I decided to go for a hike along the Cedar Run Trail. I didn’t encounter another soul. It was so peaceful as the late afternoon light danced through the woods to the accompaniment of songbirds. I really did feel like I was living in another time. The area is home to foxes, deer, wild-turkeys, red-tailed hawks, and several species of woodland and meadow songbirds. I saw numerous cardinals darting in and out of the branches.
Salt Springs, Big Bone Lick State Park
After I watched the bison for awhile, I went in search of the salt springs that had attracted so many animals and later people here. The bedrock is about 450 million years old and below that are other layers containing deposits from the ocean and tidal flats that once covered this area. Salt and sulfur rise to the surface through the cracks in the bedrock. In 18380, the Clay Hotel (named after Henry Clay) was opened here so that people could come and take the waters for their health. Later in the century, other springs became more popular and this one was forgotten. The area went down until land was purchased in 1959 to make it into a state park.
Natural Still Life, Leaves and Shadows on the Surface of the Salt Springs
There are bubbles and algae and leaves on the surface, but looking at it I also felt the layers of history below. I am always captivated by springs, both salt and freshwater ones, because they are windows to what lies below the surface of what we normally see. Algae is fascinating to me as well, as it is both a source of life and can lead to the destruction of life when it decomposes. This spring functioned as both as well, drawing animals here for salt, sulfur, and other minerals, but also trapping them and causing them to die nearby.
The Rhythm of Light on Wild Grasses, Big Bone Lick State Park
There is one area in the park where native grasses still exist and are allowed to flourish unmoved. Much of Kentucky was once covered with these grasses, which are an excellent source of biodiversity, habit and food for many animals, including the bob white quail and the eastern cottontail rabbit. In the last 200 years, 98 percent of these natural grasslands have disappeared. This is not good for the environment, as grasslands protect and improve the soil as well as filter ground and surface water. Ecosystems are always healthier when native vegetation is allowed to thrive.
Wild Teasel
The image above is of common wild teasel, which is actually an invasive that was brought over for Europe, probably as an ornamental and for its use in textiles, in the 1700s. This weed, which grows on the edge of wastelands, ditches, and in other disturbed areas across North America is sometimes still used in floral arrangements. Though it is an invasive and can take over certain areas and squeeze out native plants, when controlled it can also help diversity return to old fields and plots that are converted back to grasslands. When I think of plants such as this, I am reminded that we can’t just go back to some romantic notion of how nature was before the hand of man interfered. Non-native plants can also play a beneficial role in the conversion of land to a new natural state. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies are also attracted to these flowers, which bloom for one day and then die afterwards, underscoring how ephemeral life truly is.