Turn It Over

Posted on by MC2 · Leave a comment

It is mid October and Autumn is in session. This time of year the trails are popular as the leaves change color.

The colorful leaves on the trees and covering the ground can present an overwhelming amount of detail to your eye making it difficult to notice other details along the trail.
One thing that does stand out are the fallen trees sprouting fungi, aka mushrooms. Fungi play a key role in breaking down wood as part of the decay process. Where things really get interesting is when you turn over a large branch.
Pick a large branch that is well embedded in the moist mulch of the forest floor and gently turn it over. There you will find a whole new world of creatures which make their homes in the decaying wood including millipedes like this one here.
Northern Slimy Salamanders like this one also call these places home.
Many of the creatures you will find underneath a log tend to scatter out of sight as soon as they are exposed, which makes it difficult to photograph them. Slugs (basically snails without shells) however will calmly remain in place, seemingly oblivious to having just had their world literally upended.
I always try to be respectful of nature while out on a hike. When I have finished observing and photographing this fascinating world I carefully return the log to its original position.

One of the things I really enjoy about hiking year around is how the different seasons encourage different ways of observing nature.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *