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I started my walk in Ryder's Woods at precisely 8:41 a.m. and was at the pond 32 seconds later. That included the time it took to choose between woodland trail, printed in red on the markers, and pond trail, which is done in blue. A bench beside the quiet pond invited me to sit down, as if I'd hik­ ed a dozen miles to reach this spot. J glanced back up the path, a 32-second tunnel of trees and shrubbery that cut me off from the city like the door of a green vault. City sounds betrayed the location. The laboring of a truck on its way up to highway speed, the barking of a dog in a distant backyard and the droning of an aircraft all pierced the green curtain. To the eye, however, the woods and quiet pond were as far from the city as a deer trail is to a four-way stop. And other sounds asserted themselves now to com­ plete the setting. Leaves rustled and two crows called out. A short walk in Ryder's Woods achieves the trick that its defenders praise. It cuts the walker off from the city scene like no other park in town. The city-owned nature preserve is just north of Kimball Avenue on Woodstock's near south side. While it doesn't take long to walk the trails of the 23-acre preserve, the visitor could spend a lifetime study­ ing (and enjoying) its flowers, trees and birds. "A Guide to the Flora and Fauna of Ryder's Woods," which is available free at the city library or city hall, puts the newcomer on the path to appreciation. The book is a joint effort of Friends of Ryder's Woods, McHenry County Audubon Society and the Woodstock Garden Club. Another way to get to know the park, and one that might be more fun, is to join the bird walks that start at 8:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month. They begin at the Kimball Avenue park­ ing lot. In May, because of the bird migrations, a walk is held every Wednes­ day morning. On May 9, the 19 watchers were treated to a rose-breasted grosbeak, two varieties of orioles and a number of warblers. "Those were the most exciting," said Anne Carroll who helps organize the walks. She praises the variety of the small woods, noting that it has a marsh, a pond, a meadow, a swamp and, of course, heavily wooded areas all in a compact space. The future of the preserve was guaranteed six years ago when federal funds were used to purchase six acres that might have been developed. Use of the government's money bound the city to the original purpose of the area, she explains. "This is for 'passive recreation," where you just come and enjoy the sur­ roundings, she said. ' Plenty of other areas -- there are more than 230 acres of parks in Woodstock -- provide space for active games and sports like baseball. Ryder's Woods has its own quiet purpose. While nature puts on a year around show, summer has its special charms. Branches that overhang many of the trails provide a cooling shade that invites the walker to step slowly and look with a discerning eye. Rounded lobed leaves without bristles and telltale acorns make the white oaks easy to identify. Leaves of the red oak group have spiny pointed lobes. The box elder (acer negundo). capable of producing sweet syrup, has a distinctive compound leaf and v-shaped wing seeds. The shagbark hickory, of course, is easily spotted because of the shaggy bark of the mature trees. Shrubs and vines include smooth sumac, honeysuckle, dogwood, wild grape, poison ivy and Virginia creeper. The list of wild flowers is too long to mention. In 1981 alone, 53 varieties were planted by the Ryder's Woods Propaga­ tion Group sponsored by the Woodstock Garden Club. If there is little that a visitor need do to enjoy the woods, there are strict respon­ sibilities. The slightest scrap of paper (a gum wrapper) can shatter the spell that surrounds the visitor. 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