Hawn State Park
The first two nights in the field were spent camping at Hawn State Park. The park is located about 25 km east of Farmington, Missouri on Missouri Highway 32.
This gorgeous park sit atop Cambrian sedimentary rock and Precambrian felsic igneous rocks (as seen in the image from along Pickle Creek in the image on the right). These rocks yield up acidic soils. As a result the park is dominated by shortleaf pine with some deciduous oak trees intermixed. The park makes a determined effort to keep the forested effort in what is considered a "presettlement&qut; condition. They accomplish this through a set of relatively frequent controlled burns (a least one fire every five years). As a result the understory and grasses are kept short and the forest takes on a savanna-like condition.
The first group, being a larger group and staying before Memorial Day, was lucky in that we were given the Boy Scout Campsite, a spacious site on a hill separated from the rest of the campsites, but still within easy walking distance to the modern restrooms and the showers.
In the image on the left you can get a feel for the pine savanna conditions prevalent in the park as we see the lower quadrant of the boy scout campsite. Stuart Perez is hanging his towel out to dry and Stephanie Carter is returning from the showers. These spacious accommodations were wonderful. The second group was not quite so fortunate, though the regular campsites were spacious enough for the smaller group, there was a few other obnoxious patrons in an adjacent campsite. The images below show the first group at breakfast on the third day of the trip, a bit sore after the second day's exertions, but still they can't wait to get back out into the field...well, sort of...
In the first photograph on the right we see Amanda Riebel and Duane Ford roughing it in their easy chairs enjoying a hardy breakfast of Dr. Pepper, doughnuts and apple pastries.
Whereas, poor Sarah Coddington (white tee-shirt) and Michelle Platt (black sweatshirt) are left to toast bagels over a wood fire (image on the left).
After this great repast we see the majority of the group planning the days activities around the morning fire (in the image on the right). From left to right we see Amanda Riebel, Duane Ford, Stuart Perez, Aimee Forgey (still actually eating breakfast), Sarah Coddington, and Michelle Platt.
The second night for group 2 at Hawn State Park featured a slide presentation on aspects of the natural history of Missouri State Parks. After two nights at Hawn State Park, it was time to move south, but it really was a fine stay!
To learn more about Hawn State Park, check out the park pamphlet by clicking on the icon to the left. Inside this site is a link to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
web page for the park.
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This gorgeous park sit atop Cambrian sedimentary rock and Precambrian felsic igneous rocks (as seen in the image from along Pickle Creek in the image on the right). These rocks yield up acidic soils. As a result the park is dominated by shortleaf pine with some deciduous oak trees intermixed. The park makes a determined effort to keep the forested effort in what is considered a "presettlement&qut; condition. They accomplish this through a set of relatively frequent controlled burns (a least one fire every five years). As a result the understory and grasses are kept short and the forest takes on a savanna-like condition. 
