You may have seen dark, heart-shaped leaves cascading down a slope under conifer trees in the deep forest. Or perhaps you have spied a carpet of hearts peeking out of a snowy bank in the woods. I have discovered Wild Ginger in several spots throughout the Pacific...
The first plants to adapt to life out of water were Bryophytes, plants that reproduce via spores and have no circulatory system: the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. These amazing little plants have no roots, but they may have rhizoids to anchor them to their...
Mushrooms are present all year but are particularly prevalent after the heavy rains characteristic of spring and fall. The rainy conditions this fall have produced a bumper crop of mushrooms and has gotten SHADOW staff excited about identifying and learning about...
Bigleaf Maple – Acer macrophyllumThere are few things as delightfully childlike as going out of the way to hear the crunch of fall leaves underfoot. Growing up, my family had a huge bigleaf maple tree that would produce an outstanding number of fluorescently...
Lodgepole pine – Pinus contortaThe Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) has mastered the art of regeneration through flames. Found across a range of landscapes, from coastal regions to mountain slopes, Lodgepole Pine has evolved to thrive in fire-prone ecosystems....
After the first meeting, if the fungus and algae are compatible, they can make a lichen body (thallus). This means that only certain algae and certain fungi can get together to form a lichen. Lichens are a symbiotic partnership of two or more separate lifeforms, a...
Happy Independence Day! We hope your celebrations are joyous and nature filled! SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve's trails, the Richter Education Center, and office will be closed in observance of the holiday. We will reopen on Friday.
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