Urban greenways have proliferated over recent decades in the Southern Appalachians. Here’s an up-close visit with some of the wildlife along the Kingsport Greenbelt.
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Drone view shows the Wetland Boardwalk at the Greenbelt’s Indian Trail Drive Trailhead.
The concept of the urban greenway is generally a fairly recent development.
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A rare leucistic Eastern gray squirrel (not albino because it has dark eyes) scrambles down a tree.
In our part of the country, consider the likes of these, most of which have come to full fruition during this century: Roanoke River Greenway in Virginia, the Reedy River Falls Park in Greenville, South Carolina, North Carolina’s Thermal Belt Trail, Charlottesville, Virginia’s Rivanna River loop, The Tweetsie Trail in Johnson City, Tennessee and many more.
And here in my neck of the woods we have the Kingsport Greenbelt.
These greenways have numerous benefits for the areas they run through. They create outdoor spaces that encourage physical fitness and healthy lifestyles for residents. They create new opportunities for outdoor recreation and many times a route through the area for non-motorized transportation. They help preserve wetlands, forests, creeks and other wild areas along the trails, areas that might otherwise have been developed for real estate, commercial property or left unused. They have also been proven to be economic boons for their local economies by drawing visitors and new residents to the area.
Being a photographer, I like the flora and fauna that these spaces provide habitat for, as well as the scenic views!
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Here she comes! Late winter to spring is otter breeding season and these two Greenblet residents seem to be “in love.” Otters communicate through vocalizations, scent, touch and body posture. Due to the difficult nature of studying wild otters, it is debated whether otters pair up only for a few months during breading season or if they mate for life. The male will get chased off by the female before the weening of the pups but may return to help raise them after they are swimming. They will stay in a family group for seven to eight months during the summer and fall. They love to come together in social groups and “romp,” which is probably where one term for a group of otters comes from, as it describes their playful nature perfectly.
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Our Kingsport Greenbelt stretches about 10 miles as it winds its way through the city. It mostly follows Reedy Creek which empties into the Holston River. The Greenbelt then follows the river for the rest of the trail’s length. Within those 10 miles, there are many species of plants, animals and insects to enjoy, look at and watch.
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A great blue heron fishing for crawdads.
In one particular area, there is a rookery (a bird or animal breeding area) in the middle of the Holston River that is locally referred to as Vulture Island, and while there are a lot of vultures that hang around, the more prevalent bird is the double-crested cormorant, along with a few great blue herons that didn’t get the memo on this being a cormorant nesting area, and a few ducks and Canadian Geese.
In the springtime, it’s a great place to watch the cormorants fly to and fro, gathering sticks and leaves to build their nests. If you get lucky you might see an osprey fly by!
There are many other species of birds to see all along the Greenbelt that you might find if you have a keen eye and binoculars or a long lens. There are many types of songbirds, several species of hawks and herons and various types of waterfowl, some of which seem to have bred with domestic ducks that have been dropped off and have unique color patterns.
If you aren’t that interested in birds, you will almost always run into squirrels and whitetail deer at the right times of day. If you’re lucky, you may spot the leucistic white squirrel (white coat, dark eyes) that is becoming a local celebrity.
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Fuzzy baby ducks and geese are prevalent in springtime along the Greenbelt.
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A bumblebee on hairy vetch.
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Whitetail deer can be seen around the more wooded areas of the Greenbelt.
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A brilliant green jewelwing damselfly.
Or if you are double lucky, you may see the river otters that call Reedy Creek home. There seem to be several groups in various areas of the creek and just because you see them in one spot one day doesn’t mean they’ll be there the next day because they travel up and down stream looking for food such as fish, crayfish, frogs, birds’ eggs, birds and reptiles. They need to eat frequently due to a high metabolism and of course have to find a safe spot and take a rest now and then too.
The story above first appeared in our May / June 2024 issue. For more like it subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!