Along the Jesup Path, a railing defines a small deck that overlooks the forest. A wooden bench sits at one end. A wide, angled panel attached to the top of the railing displays a wayside exhibit entitled "Wildlife Signatures."
The exhibit's title appears with seven images that stretch across this long horizontal panel.
Introductory text reads: "This wetland is full of insects, reptiles, birds, and small mammals. You may not see them, but look carefully for nests, tracks, scat, nibbled bark, and other signs of their presence."
-Delicate threads anchor a disk-shaped web to surrounding foliage. "Notice the different kinds of silky webs spiders spin to catch prey."
-A reptilian eye stares out from among coin-shaped leaves. "Camouflaged amid leaf litter or wetland plants, frogs are hard to detect."
-Two feathery tufts resemble horns on the large round head of a great horned owl. An oblong pellet appears next to the mottled brown bird. "You may not see great horned owls, but look beneath trees for bones and pellets they expelled after digesting prey."
-A fallen tree exhibits ridges from gnawing on the light-colored heartwood. An inset shows the print of an animal with long toes. "Watch for signs of beavers - felled trees, gnawed stumps, and tracks."
-A clump of brown leaves fills the space where a tree-trunk divides into two sturdy limbs. "High above in the trees, do you see a leafy nest built by a gray squirrel?"
A quote: "To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." - George Orwell
