I recently completed a two-part training on the Leave No Trace Seven Principles — a meaningful program that encourages us to be more mindful of protecting the places we visit and hike. For those unfamiliar, the seven principles are: Plan Ahead and Prepare; Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces; Dispose of Waste Properly; Leave What You Find; Minimize Campfire Impacts; Respect Wildlife; and Be Considerate of Other Visitors. Together, they form a practical framework for responsible outdoor recreation, and the training reinforced habits I want to carry on every trail.
The in-person component was organized by our county, and as a reward for completing the course, each participant received a pass granting access to private preserves in our area. I hadn’t realized how many preserves in Williamson County and the surrounding region are otherwise off-limits to the general public. Thanks to this training and my volunteer work in the area, I can now hike in places where wildlife is more abundant and far less disturbed by foot traffic.
Last week, I visited one of those preserves about 30 minutes from home: Twin Springs Preserve. I had no idea what to expect, which is always a bonus. I love being surprised by what I find.
The first thing I noticed was the generous shade along the trail. Ashe Juniper (Juniperus ashei) lined the path, providing canopy cover for most of the 1.75-mile (2.8 km) loop. Photo opportunities were everywhere. I heard several birds but couldn’t spot them through the dense foliage, so I turned my attention to the flora and fauna at ground level. Dakota Mock Vervain (Glandularia bipinnatifida) was by far the most abundant wildflower on the trail (see the photo above). In several stretches, Annual Saltmarsh Aster (Symphyotrichum divaricatum) (see the photo below) competed for space alongside it. Together, these blooms created a dreamlike scene — splashes of lavender and purple against an otherwise simple palette of greens and browns.
The second half of the loop brought more variety to the flora. I came across several types of cacti, Texas Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis), Common Hedge Parsley (Torilis arvensis), Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), and much more. It was along this stretch that I began noticing more insects — though I’m sure they had been present the whole time. I simply hadn’t taken the time to look for them. Here are two finds that stopped me in my tracks.
(Wild Onion Mirid)
(Common Whitetail Dragonfly)
As I paused for a break near the end of the hike, I took a moment to absorb the beauty that had been there all along. There was something especially wonderful about being the only person on the trail that afternoon. Twin Springs still has more to offer — I’ll definitely be back to explore another section of the preserve.
Fun Fact: Nature has a way of hiding gemstone colors in plain sight. Looking back at the photos from this hike, four quartz color families quietly showed up along the trail. The purple of the Dakota Mock Vervain (Glandularia bipinnatifida) is an almost perfect match for amethyst quartz, the violet variety of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) colored by iron impurities. The pale, washed-out lavender of the Annual Saltmarsh Aster (Symphyotrichum divaricatum) belongs to the same family — a softer, more diluted tone reminiscent of lavender quartz. The vivid amber-orange of the Wild Onion Mirid (Metriorrhynchomiris dislocatus) mirrors the warm glow of citrine quartz, another iron-tinted variety. And the chalky powder-blue of the Common Whitetail dragonfly’s (Plathemis lydia) abdomen echoes the muted tones of blue quartz. Four minerals, four creatures — all found on a single afternoon loop in the Texas Hill Country.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Annual Saltmarsh Aster, Common Whitetail Dragonfly, Dakota Mock Vervain, FlowerHour, Landscapes, Macros, One Step, Prairie Verbena, Sunday Stills, Texas, Twin Springs Preserve, Wild Onion Mirid, Wildflowers, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour # 26: Lucky Flower Shots.
Posted for Terri’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: April’s Sparkling Diamonds and Quartz.
Posted for Pepper’s One Step at a Time # 5.
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philosophy through photography
Detailed walk through nature. Nice to see the training put into practice on a real trail, Egidio. The wildflower shot, especially that purple bloom, is beautiful.
Felt like being on that trail, noticing the little things along the way 😊
Egidio Leitao
Thank you for this detailed comment. Much gratitude!
philosophy through photography
Welcome, Egidio.
margaret21
I suspect you already knew about and practised much of the content of that course, but what a great reward! Thanks for sharing pictures. Particularly those macros. And well done on your ‘graduation’!
Egidio Leitao
Margaret, you and I and others we follow are the die-hards. We know those principles merely by common sense. Thanks for the feedback.
Steve Schwartzman
When you previously mentioned a “private preserve” I’d wondered what you meant. Now I know. I fount out more on the website of the Williamson County Conservation Foundation:
https://www.wilcotx.gov/275/Conservation-Foundation
Egidio Leitao
Glad you found out the answer.
Toonsarah
What a great reward for participating in the training, access to places others cannot visit! I love your insect macros in particular, especially ‘The Trail Inspector’ 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Sarah. Those tiny discoveries are wonderful.
Pepper
Looks and sounds like a wonderful preserve. The photos are wonderful, especially the dragonfly. 😊
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Pepper. There is so much to enjoy in a simple and short walk.
Anne Sandler
Beautiful florals and woods Egidio. It certainly is an amazing private preserve. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest!
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Anne. I hope to return to that preserve as time allows me.
Terri Webster Schrandt
Thank you for linking to both my challenges in one go, Egidio! I’m glad you explored the various colors of quartz. The floral you share are stunning and of course the beautiful insects.
I’m glad there are trainings available to teach (re-teach) basic outdoor recreation skills. I feel people over 50 naturally grew up in the outdoors and kept these components close to their hearts. As kids, my brothers and I spent countless summers in ranger-led hikes in the national parks, learning how to respect our natural lands and wildlife. It’s sad to hear about forest vandalism and the endless stupid things people do, like teasing or trying to feed wildlife, arson, or injuring themselves for a selfie. Don’t get me started.
Well done, Egidio! Kudos for seeking these trainings and being able to visit trails and areas that are inaccessible to the general public. 🙏👏
Egidio Leitao
Terri, I hope you don’t feel cheated. There was so much overlapping in the photos I selected that I decided to piggy-back on three challenges in one post.
Thank you for the feedback.
The concerns you bring up regarding outdoor responsibility are essential these days, especially because social media leads to bad behavior.
Terri Webster Schrandt
Not at all, I am all for double-dipping, Egidio! Please do not hesitate to do so (I do it all the time) 🙂 And I would love to take a wilderness safety class!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Terri. As for the wilderness class, you can likely to the Leave No Trace class on their site. It covers the basic principles, which you likely already follow.
Terri Webster Schrandt
Thank you!