A Year in the Forest

For the past three years I have noticed something in the woods that has caused my to wonder.  Around the base of many of the Beech trees there will be an occasional black spot.   I just assumed it was some sort of fungal rot that was effecting the Beeches.  While wandering through the forest today I finally figured it out.  On many of the Beech trees at this time of year there will be a limb that is completely covered with white aphids.   For some reason, as I idly passed by one such limb I noticed that underneath this limb was a black spot. 

Finally I put it all together.  It was aphid poop!  The black spot was aphid poop.  I began to look around and sure enough where ever there was a black spot, directly above it was a limb covered in aphids.   And of course the opposite was also true.  Under every limb covered with aphids was a black spot.  Aphid poop, who would have thought?

My initial object of study this trip was the woodland ferns that are throughout the woods.  They occur sparadoically throughout the woods but are concentrated in the stream bed area.  My intiial survey shows that there are primarily two types of ferns in these woods.  Neither one prefers one habitat over the other.  In other words they are both found throughout the woods from the ridgetop to the stream bottom.  One type has simple fronds and grows closer to the ground.  Its color is a rich dark green with a hint of blue.  I think it is a Christmas fern.  The larger ones grow about 24 inches high.    The other type of fern has deeply segmented frilly fronds.  I think it is a Lady Fern.  It grows taller, about 36inches high, and is a little more prolific.  Its color is more of a pale green.    As I mentioned though they both grow in the same places.  Here is a picture with both varieties side by side.  I imagine there are some other varieties around and I will keep my eyes open for them. 

Sometimes it takes looking at something several times to really see it.  I have probably passed a cherry tree at the very entrance to the chanterelle trail 1000 times but today I finally saw it.  Maybe it was because it is filled with cherries!  Here is a picture of the start of the trail with our wild berry patch in the foreground.    Just to the right of the opening is the cherry tree.  And it is loaded.    As with all things like this the cherries are very sour and mostly pit but it is really loaded with cherries.  Last fall I cut back the trees in this region while clearing out some brush left from construction.  My guess is that we unknowingly pruned this tree and perhaps opened it up to the sunlight.  Whatever the reason we have a bumper crop of cherries.

Its been almost a week since the last significant rain and things are really getting dry.  Its also rather warm about 85 degrees.  The woods are quiet except for the buzz of insects.  Quiet that is until dark; right after dark the tree frogs start singing and the noise is amazing.  You can be setting in my house listening to the tv and open the back door and the noise outside drowns out the tv.  After about an hour the serenade quietens down and the noise level is what you would expect.  It is amazing how such little things can put out so mush noise.

This begins my log of a year in the forest.

Today is a dry late summer day.  The mushrooms that have been so plentiful the last few weeks are almost all gone – I hope it will rain some more so they will come back.  I begin my trek through the woods by taking what I call the chanterelle trail.  It is just off this trail that I have found chanterelle mushrooms on occasion.  I look hopefully toward the area but don’t spot the choice mushrooms.  Further down the trail I stop to take some more pictures of the stump covered with shelf mushrooms Trametes elegans.  Next to  the stump I spot some juvenile chanterelle mushrooms that are starting to dry up.  I take them and crush them up and spread them throughout the area hoping to make the chanterelles more abundant.

While I am pausing at the stump I notice the faint buzzing, we have noticed the past week or so.  The faint buzzing in this part of the forest and the sighting of a few honey bees makes me hopeful that there is a bee hive somewhere around here.  I haven’t found it yet but haven’t looked much either.  A task for another day.

I continue on round the upper trail – I haven’t been on it much lately and I need to bring my clippers to cut back the green brier which so loves to fill any part of the forest that has a little bit of light.  All of the trails are deer trails and it seems the deer like it when I cut back the green briers.  The trails are always used more when I clear them.   The west slope does not offer much of interest.  When I get to the north trail I take the pathway down into the main stream bed.  Its a zigzag trail cutting down the steep slope.  The stream bed is dry now.  It always amazes me how dark it is down here.  More than once I have found myself down here and thought night was falling only to come back up out of the stream bed to the sun light.  I make my way to the big beech log I have been harvesting oyster mushrooms from the past week.  It looks like this will be the last or next to last harvest.  The slugs are starting to eat the remaining mushrooms and the ones left are harder to get to.  I harvest about 2 pounds of mushrooms, planning of drying most of them for later.  These mushrooms have been a real treat this year, we have harvested about 10 pounds of oyster mushrooms.  I gave away about 3 pounds this weekend and we have eaten the rest.  Lets see the going rate is $4.00 for 1/2 ounce of dried oyster mushrooms.  Drying them takes away about 2/3 the weight.  That would mean we have, conservatively, consumed and given away about $425.00 of mushrooms.  Man I am rich.

Have to get back up the trail, the wife will be home soon.  The trail out is a brutal old logging trail straight up a steep slope.  It seems the horseflys always wait here to pester me as I come up it.  I am covered with sweat and they love to drink it and bite me in the process.  After stopping twice to swat em and drive em off me I make it to the top.  Now all I have to do is clean the latest mushroom harvest and put them in the dryer.

I live on 10 beautiful and diverse acres of woodland.  The woods are located in southern Indiana, USA and consist mainly of hardwoods.  There is abundant wildlife: birds, squirrels, deer, red fox, raccoon, opossum, coyote, and turkeys.  The woods are full of many kinds of mushrooms, which I like to collect and sometimes eat.  There are plants and trees of many varieties.  I hope to document them all as well as the changes of the seasons.  My plan is to spend some time every day out in the woods.  I have a series of trails cleared out which will allow me to get into the forest in all kinds of weather.  I will record my observations here. Hopefully, the forest will change me and not I the forest.