What’s going on out on the land?
Wolf Trees, Stink Horns and Carrion Beetles
As I looked down at the leaf litter, I noticed quick movement and a small flash of orange and my heart began to sing. My hand shot so fast into the gooey death stenched Cedar leaves faster than anyone could see. Before anyone registered what I had done I was cradling a critter in my closed palm and I felt them defecate their lunch of corpse into my palm. Again kids, never do as I do.
Field Botanists of Ontario Trip Report for Main Tract Mushroom I.D. workshop
Pulling in to the parking area at Main Tract, the biggest of the tracts of the Dufferin County Forest (coming in at 607 hectares or 1,501 acres), my first thought was that I was way too early.
We were supposed to meet for 9:50am, and I was arriving early for 9:30. It was going to be my first outing with the FBO and I really wanted to arrive on time. Luckily I did arrive early as the parking lot was sandy which meant some good time looking for bird and invertibrate tracks while waiting for my fellow fungal nerds.
Fungi on Black Walnut
I was out with the Learn The Land class at Arkell Springs the other day where we were looking at some trees and shrubs in their winter attire, when we came across a Black Walnut with a strange looking growth coming out of one of the twigs. We wondered about it for a while and then moved on. My partner and I ended up going back the following day to investigate some more.
Deadly Galerina Study
One of the mushrooms I found today at work was the Deadly Galerina. I decided that I wanted to learn as much as I could about this species as they were a hazardous species which I may encounter on the daily with my students. I feel like if I know all of the poisonous species right off the bat, then if I make mistakes with benign/harmless species, then it won’t be as big a deal than if I made that same mistake with the poisonous ones. Make sense? Know the things that will kill you, and then you can take the time to learn more comfortably, and more forgivingly, with the harmless ones.
The Season of Fungi pt. 3
The last couple of entries on Fungi were mostly about Mushrooms in their conventional forms. I wanted to focus on some cool fungi which don’t take on the shapes many of us are familiar with, but vary in presentation and form. Here are some brief introductions to three which have caught my eye in the past year.
The Season of Fungi pt. 2
Since it is the peak season for finding fungi, I had enough photos and enough interest that I decided to make another post detailing some of the species I have been finding. I also wanted to note that there have been dozens of species which I cannot identify, which have totally stumped me. In no way am I a master mycologist or do I know a lot about fungi, but instead these posts are just my process of learning, and hopefully retaining the information.
So here we go.
The Season of Fungi pt. 1
‘Tis the season to be on the look out for mushrooms. They are so abundant right now that I can honestly smell them on the wind while I walk just outside the wooded riparian trail by my house.
I don’t know very much at all about mushrooms, or polypores, or fungi in general. I want to learn more.
Exploring the Eramosa River Valley, Nov. 21, 2020
Today some pals and I went out for a couple of hours along the Eramosa River Valley. It’s always nice to explore the wilder edges of the common places we know, and even better with others. Others will see things I’d miss, and I may be able to contribute to the conversation with things I have been learning about. Together we get to know the land a little deeper, a little more thoroughly, every time we step out there.
Who are you? Fungal Edition
There are many beautiful things in the forest. But sometimes the small things catch your eye. This post is all about two beautiful Blue Fungi I’ve seen recently. I am trying to write up what I learn so I can share it and keep it handy for the future. The more of us know, the better off we are.