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SPINY SHOFTSHELL TURTLE ON THE HAW <br />Spiny softshell turtle found basking on the rocks of <br />the Haw River. <br />bile paddling on the Haw River Trail, we came <br />across an unusual turtle basking on the rocks -a <br />spiny softshell (Apalone spinifem). This turtle has never <br />before been documented from the Haw River <br />Watershed nor from the Cape Fear River Basin (see <br />sidebar for more about river terminology). <br />Jeff Humphries, Wildlife Diversity Biologist with the <br />Wildlife Resources Commission, says this is an exciting <br />find and he is looking forward to conducting surveys <br />on the River to determine if this find is a lone turtle <br />transported to the watershed or a member of a native <br />Haw River population previously undiscovered. <br />Learn more about the Spiny softshell by visiting the Amphibians & Reptiles of North (arolina page of bio.davidson.edu/herpcons. <br />MOUNTAINS -TO —SEA TRAIL MASTER PLAN ESTABLISHES ROUTE <br />ALONG THE HAW RIVER TRAIL <br />orth Carolina State Parks released a master plan and a <br />new website for the Mountains -to -Sea State Trail (MST). <br />The plan establishes the path of the MST to follow the Haw <br />River Trail from Haw River State Park on the Rockingham - <br />Guilford County line, through Alamance County to Cane Creek <br />on the Alamance- Orange County line. <br />(heck out the master plan and the interactive map at mmountainstosea , org <br />HAW RIVER TRAIL FLORA <br />he riparian corridor of the Haw River supports a <br />diversity of plants and wildlife. While hiking the Haw <br />River Trail this summer, we noticed several interesting <br />plants. Have you seen these plants on yourhikes? <br />1. Carolina Spinypod (Matelea carolinensis) <br />2. Eastern Sensitive -briar (Mimosa mi(rophylla) <br />3. Bitter -bloom (Sabatia angularis) <br />4. Passion Flower (Passiora incarnata) <br />#hawrivertrailflora to show us your finds! <br />