Field Trip: Hoover’s Moss Rock Preserve

April’s first half-day field trip takes us to beautiful Moss Rock Preserve, located in the heart of Hoover, Alabama. The preserve’s 349 acres are home to forests, sandstone-glade outcrops, streams, waterfalls, and other interesting features—not to mention records for at least 143 bird species. (If you need even more reasons to visit, how about rare plant species like Georgia Oak, Pineweed, and Nuttall’s Rayless Goldenrod, or rare ecosystems like the preserve’s Little River Canyon Sandstone Glade? Moss Rock has a lot to offer naturalists of all inclinations…)

This field trip will visit two of the preserve’s trails, the White Trail and the Powerline Trail, strategically chosen to maximize the number of bird species we encounter. We’ll look for resident songbirds and raptors, but also for the numerous neotropical migrants that should be passing through the area that week.

Hope you can join us!

The details

Meetup is at 7 a.m. at the Hoover McDonald’s on U.S. Route 31, across from the Galleria. From there, the group will carpool/caravan to the Boulder Field trailhead parking lot, 617 Preserve Parkway in Hoover. As always, be sure to bring water, snacks, and weather-appropriate items (e.g., rain gear, sunscreen). Also, this trip will entail a fair amount of walking, so please wear sturdy shoes appropriate for uneven terrain.

Trip leader

Greg Harber (208-807-8055; please contact on the day of the trip only)