ARLINGTON — After distinguishing bird calls and identifying plant life, Bill Blake threw nature enthusiasts a curve ball.

“You see those scars?” Blake asked a group of hikers as he pointed to a tree. “What are those?”

Maybe an animal was sharpening its claws? Some kind of invasive fungus?

“They’re actually divots from the disc-golf course,” said Blake, the city of Arlington’s natural resource manager.

Blake led a group of about 10 north county residents on a spring nature walk near the banks of the Stillaguamish River on Friday, March 19.

The walk, which started at Twin Rivers Park, gave community members a chance to enjoy the sunny weather and learn about plants and wildlife that call the area home.

Walkers followed Blake from the park down to the banks of the river, and listened as he discussed everything from mushrooms to Japanese knotweed.

The result was a one-hour guided tour of all things local and natural.

Stanwood resident Karen Colcol, along with her son Alexander and daughter Madelaine, said that Blake’s walk gave them a good introduction into the Northwest.

The family moved to Washington from California about eight months ago.

“There’s a lot more stuff out here than we knew,” said Madelaine Colcol, 17. “It’s nice to be out here in the sunshine.”

Karen Colcol said she liked the benefits of spending time outside.

“For one, it’s free, but it’s also good for people like us or people from Seattle who may not see this type of thing,” Karen Colcol said.

But out-of-towners weren’t the only ones who learned about the outdoors.

Arlington residents Ryan and Becky Stauffer brought their two children — 7-year-old Kaiya and 4-year-old Zack — along with them on the spring walk.

While Kaiya spent the majority of her time tagging along with her mother, Zack watched the ground for sticks and twigs, which he would pick up and carry.

“I kind of know the plants around here, but I learned a lot — mostly about the little weeds and plants I don’t know,” Ryan Stauffer said.