Unfortunately, the young beech tree at the entrance to my place has fallen 🙁
The Eastern White Pines and Eastern Hemlocks have obviously retained their needles, but virtually every other woody plant is becoming quite bare. The Norway Maple and American Beech (r.i.p.) still have quite a few yellow leaves. The Buckthorn leaves are hanging on for dear life but look rather spotty and decrepit.
On the forest floor, asters are dying, grasses are dwindling, and some ferns are yellowing slightly. Meanwhile, the logs are still covered in moss and smattered with yellow-orange fungus.
This week, I visited my place with the intention to observe as much as I could about the nature of my spot. I ended up delegating a few minutes to focus on each of my five senses– here is what I noticed!
Sights: The dominant color in the forest is shifting to brown as fallen leaves carpet the ground. Yellow accents are found in the few leaves still hanging on (namely the American Beech and Norway Maple). Pops of pink from sugar maple saplings and invasive burning bush add some excitement, and the wolf’s milk amoeba has turned to a beautiful mauve. Due to the abundant ferns, moss, evergreens, and buckthorn, even some green is still present.
Smells: Due to the moistness of my area, fallen leaves are quickly beginning to decompose. Their sugars break down, creating a sweet, musky aroma. The numerous mossy logs smell very earthy and reminiscent of Demeter’s “Dirt” cologne.
Sounds: At its quietest, all that can be heard from my location is the gentle trickling of the stream. However, this is often interrupted by the rustling of a squirrel hunting down autumn mast, the familiar cawing of crows, or the heated conversation of a pair of bluejays.
Bluejay calls
Touch: The stream is unsurprisingly chilly! Perhaps due to lack of rain, the moss is dryer than normal, but still feathery. The gills of this week’s lone mushroom are quite soft, and lastly, the fallen beech leaves I took home are uniquely papery.
Taste: Unfortunately, I am no foraging expert, and the only berries I was able to find were of the buckthorn. These apparently cause severe cramping, so I opted out of a taste test this time.
Go down trail and take a left by the “Caution: Poison Ivy” sign
Keep going straight and cross the boardwalk, coming to the clearing of Eastern White Pines
Take a left by the other “Caution: Poison Ivy” sign
Follow the trail straight through the pine forest for a bit
Go under a small dead tree and the trail will fork; take a left
At the next fork, go right
When you come to the large dead pine pictured, head straight until you reach the small stream through the trail
You have arrived!
I chose this location because there is a huge fallen tree and a small stream, creating perfect conditions for moss and mushrooms! There also appears to be an influx of invasive species like varieties of buckthorn and burning bush, so I’m interested in seeing how these interact with the native environment.
Hi! I'm Maggie and I'm a Wildlife & Fisheries Bio major from Warrenton, Virginia. There's a special place in my heart for birds and fish, but I also hope to learn more about plants, fungi, and the relationship between flora and fauna. I love the magic of the Northern forest and I can't wait to observe it changing through the seasons!
