10/3/22

I wandered around the Hammond Pond Reservation and took observations on my way there and while there. The weather was pretty cold, so although I could've done without a coat, I knew a coat would make me more comfortable as I would be out there for at least an hour total there and back. It was overcast, but there was lots of white light. I started mainly looking for fungi around trees, as that's where I got the most luck. I wasn't sure how much I'd find, so I was searching pretty hard. So hard that I almost mistook some acorns, rocks, and even animal feces for fungi--but I realized the difference quickly enough. I really wasn't familiar with most of the organisms I saw, and was actually surprised that some were fungi, such as the Grey Coral fungus. I thought it was just a cool looking pile of leaves, so I am glad I found that out. I liked learning that fungi take so many shapes, sizes, and looks that they are not all your stereotypical thought of a mushroom look. I veered off the paved path a few times, but mostly stuck to it as I wasn't wearing the best shoes for a nature walk. I also got worried that I would step on an organism off of the path because a lot of the fungi I saw were very small, so small and camouflaged that I only found them because I was looking so hard. I felt so great just walking around that I wanted to stay out there all day, but I of course had to return to get some work done. But now I know I have a nice place nearby to go on walks and see a diverse and beautiful landscape.

Posted on October 3, 2022 06:42 PM by b-ande