While out wandering in the forest and over the hills in the last 2 weeks, I stopped to take some pictures and added some naturalist notes to the images:
All photos taken by me. Click an image for a caption and a larger view.
Doug
If you are interested in peatlands and bogs, this conference may be for you. Peatlands for People Revisited (link)
Continue reading →We usually think of mushrooms as popping up fast and disintegrating rapidly. Many puffballs come up and disperse spores in fall, then persist all winter under the snow. Once revealed in spring, they continue to release spores when stepped on by animals or impacted by rain drops. Wonderful strategy to ensure dispersal of millions of spores in fall, spring, and into the summer.
Continue reading →Mistletoe grows on catsclaw, Utah juniper, scrub oak,and mesquite in the desert hills of Nevada. On the border of California on the way to Death Valley, every tree in the saline flats had several growths. The hemi-parastic plant sends roots into the branches for nutrients and moisture. In the spring they start to turn green and by March the plants have aromatic berries. Most of the plant is toxic, but it is also a hallucinogen so there are always a few deaths from those looking for a free and natural … Continue reading →