Makin' Plans; Interesting Places to Explore in the City of Lubbock
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While the Buddy Holly Recreation Area was 99.9% scraped clean of native growth in the process of converting wild canyon land to tame park (a tiny residue remains at a spot or two along the west fence line), the most interesting places lie on private land. North of Cesar Chavez Drive and west of Akron Avenue are some vacant lots and lots with houses that look like they preserve the original canyonland vegetation. [See https://www.mylubbock.us/docs/default-source/parks-rec-file-library/lake-1.pdf?sfvrsn=c8765bc9_2 ] Be interesting to get a close look. There is a sizeable property that looks as though it is a home and bird sanctuary -- one of the few properties in the city that I could covet.
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The hillside south of Berl Huffman athletic complex I have not explored. On the satellite view -- https://www.mylubbock.us/docs/default-source/parks-rec-file-library/lake-1.pdf?sfvrsn=c8765bc9_2 -- it looks bare but you never know.
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I have driven and cycled by the canyon lakes between University Ave. and Mackenzie Park. They look to be as scraped as the Buddy Holly area but you never know. Worth a closer look.
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There is an area north of Meadowbrook Golf Course that in the early 2000s was used by mountain bikers who made trails (as they have on the north side of Dunbar Lake). Think it is still city property. No idea what's there.
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The Mackenzie Park west rim I have not fully explored.
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There is still much to see in the part of Mackenzie Park that remains "wild" north of the farm implement museum. That may be the least spoiled portion of Lubbock parks.
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There is a roughly triangular wooded area SE of Meadowbrook that may be accessed off of Parkway Drive. https://www.mylubbock.us/docs/default-source/parks-rec-file-library/mackenzie-park---north.pdf?sfvrsn=17775bc9_2 Hanker to know what's in there.
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The area between Broadway and 19th west of Cesar Chavez Drive I've spent some time at but there is much left to explore. It appears the high ground to the west has been ruined by dumping but I haven't gotten that far. There is a "keep out" sign on city property next to the TV antenna, but none that I've seen to the 19th Street access.
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South of 19th, the wooded area that is now a disk golf course used to be quite wild and I explored there. In the conversion to a disk golf course it has been thinned and tamed and I haven't gone back.
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The Mae Simmons area was scalped like the canyon lakes to the northeast. Not to say there is nothing interesting growing there. Saw an observation posted recently.
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Around Dunbar Lake I have only begun to look at the rim area west of Sunrise Canyon facility, and could spend weeks tramping the weedy mesquite woods to the east. A lot of plant life is best preserved on the heights and there are heights inside the road at various points around the lake. Vegetation is so thick that I believe I'll stop tempting fate and will wear high boots. On the old Caprock Tri-Sport forum, bike riders regularly reported rattlesnakes on the trails.
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The Hell's Gate and east area looks bare and is smelly, but there are things to find there.
Posted on
May 1, 2018 04:07 AM
by
thebark
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Comments
I 'd like to have a conversation with you about this. Are you coming to the do on sunday?
I plan to attend Glenda's event at 4ORE Golf Sunday. After attending Drew Landry's birthday campaign fundraiser at 4 pm ($10 for burger and chips) at a park on 82nd. The two events ought to mesh nicely. I'll just get tea at 4ORE.
Plants, like birds and p-dogs, are where you find them. On a mown vacant lot or on the roadside or in the backyard. But I'm interested in plants that once lined Yellowhouse Canyon whose descendants may still be hiding out. The Escobaria and horse crippler cactus got me interested. And, maybe it's an argument why Lubbock's wild spaces should be left alone and not graded for parkland.
you're preaching to the choir here...we'll talk some more
As far as doing what one can to protect the rare more or less native parts of Lubbock's parks and recreational areas, it looks like all one can do is set up each area's observations in a project that is clearly labeled and can be found by any search of iNaturalist's projects. As long as iNaturalist is online they will be there for use by persons and groups opposing proposed change.
One hurdle is to define ONE area only for each project and to word the title of the project so it will come up in any search. Another hurdle is getting others to include their relevant observations in it.
Btw I took a look at the slope south of Berl Huffman Tuesday before a soccer game. Not to say it won't grow wildflowers but it looks like bulldozed dirt from the parking lot leveling was pushed off to form the slope. Nothing native there.
I think those objectives can be achieved without making a project; just do a filtered search. These are pretty powerful, and you can download the results into a spreadsheet to sort and archive as you like.
I guess a project gives you one-click access, and also supports collection of custom data (e.g. number of monarch caterpillars observed on the milkweed, number of juvenile prairie dogs in evidence) And you can set up a project so that it automatically adds all observations that meet specified criteria (it's called an aggregator). Must be done thoughtfully, because the old GIGO principle will still apply
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