We could hear them descending the hill long before we saw them.  Not that they were loud, just enough for us to be aware of their presence.  An innocuous presence, as it happened, they were looking for help.  They were confused about the direction of the trails, and wanted to be pointed in the right direction.  So they could access the vehicle they drove to get here, which they had left parked on a main street before entering the ravine.

We were only too willing to comply, informing them of their many options all leading in the direction they sought; they had diverted and were uncertain which direction they should be following.  And they informed us that they were botanists, come into the ravine to search out the possibility of finding stands of ash trees.

There's a huge diversity of trees and shrubs in the ravine.  My botanist brother confirmed that for us.  And does so every time he visits and we make his pilgrimage-trip through the ravine, an activity he looks forward to, renewing his acquaintance with its unique botanic specimens.  And he casually names everything we pass; trees, shrubs, wildflowers, ferns.  And we try to remember, but fail to.

These two discovered what anyone who goes through the ravine regularly could have told them; there are groves of maples, but not of ash.  The ash are randomly dispersed throughout the length and breadth of the ravine, as are pines, spruce, yew, fir, elm, hackberry, bass, hawthorns, willow, poplar, serviceberry, wild apple trees, oak and countless other species.

They were embarked on a study, doing research to try to find out more about the emerald ash borer that is devastating area ash trees.  To try to determine, they explained, what happens with the death of the ash trees, when the ash borers look elsewhere for hosts upon which they may sustain themselves; what other vegetation they may prey upon.

They did not, in fact, find the ravine a very good study area.  Too diverse, too lacking in specific gatherings of their sought-for specimens. But far surpassing their expectations in other ways.  Leading them to the impression that we residents are extremely fortunate to have this urbanized micro-area of greenery at our disposal, so to speak, enriching the quality of our lives.