A member of my research staff (thanks eepy!) suggested that the white fluff along the path is from a cottonwood tree. I did a little research, then set off to try to find one. Soon I had my first clue: a triangular leaf, flat on the bottom, with rounded teeth on the edges.

At the wetland site I easily spotted a big cottonwood and got a picture of its leaves and fluff. The female trees are the ones producing the cottony seeds, so our tree is a girl. The Eastern Cottonwood is a type of poplar, and it likes wet settings such as riverbanks.














Cottonwood bark:















Blurry picture of cottonwood with bonus oriole.