Day 163: You really have to be careful where you step when you're walking the South Swofford Trail. It is home to a large population of Allogona townsendiana, aka the Oregon Forest Snail. Measuring roughly an inch across, these helpful little critters are serious players in the decomposition cycle of the Pacific Northwest's moist woodlands, gobbling up leaf litter and other forest debris, breaking it down in their digestive systems and releasing it again in a form which adds essential nutrients to the soil. It may not be Nature's most prestigious job opportunity, but somebody's got to do it. Thanks, Allogona!
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