A tree that, while still standing, is being returned to the soil. This is what the fungi call a feast.
Mushroom bark
Fall leaves
The yellow leaf picture here comes from a certain tree. Can you guess below what kind? Hint: The leaves and twigs are consumed by white-tailed deer in both summer and winter. Other leaf browsers include groundhogs, marsh rabbits, and American black bears. Another hint: This tree grows throughout eastern North America, from southernmost Ontario through... Continue Reading →
What I learned from a rotting stump in the woods
Out of all the decay Of last century’s losses, Life persists, shouting a silencing Yes to drown out all of those no’s. These green shoots In the rotting wood Tell us nothing ever Goes for good, But gets drawn up In other forms yet unborn — The angle of your nose, The glint in your... Continue Reading →
White cap mushroom
I've written about mushrooms before in this Blue Hills blog (see Mushroom), but I had to post this pair of white cap mushrooms. The mixture of dried-up pine needles and cones, autumn leaves, and mushroom creates the foundation for much of the ground cover in the pine-dominated parts of Blue Hills Reservation.
View from Chicatawbut
This view is a familiar sight to anyone who has hiked along the skyline trail in Blue Hills. I never tire of these scenic vistas that pop up so often in the Blue Hills. It also continues to amaze me that an uninterrupted view like this can be had within 10 miles of downtown Boston.... Continue Reading →
Spring
To what purpose, April, do you return again? Beauty is not enough. You can no longer quiet me with the redness Of little leaves opening stickily. I know what I know. The sun is hot on my neck as I observe The spikes of the crocus. The smell of the earth is good. It is... Continue Reading →
Tracks
Winter morning on Chickatawbut Hill. The sun's shallow beams provide a fleeting warmth. The wind is gentle. And all is quiet. Time for little creatures to set out on little adventures.
Pond Snow
In summer, Houghton's pond is a popular swimming destination for people from all around Boston. The parking is free and the views are spectacular. But this Blue Hills Reservation destination is just as popular in winter, when on early mornings after snowfall the cross-country skiers come out in force to blaze new trails around the... Continue Reading →
Tractor
This fine old Worthington Red Seal tractor spent the winter at Brookwood Farm in the Blue Hills.
Mushroom
Unlike plants, mushrooms can't get energy from the sun because they lack chlorophyll. Instead, mushrooms live either symbiotically or parasitically with trees. Most of the mushrooms growing on the forest floor in Blue Hills — like this one on Wampatuck Hill — are coexisting with a nearby tree, specifically between the root ends of a... Continue Reading →
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