Pilophorus and Friends

Day 41: Walking the one-mile loop trail in Ashford County Park, I didn't really expect to find anything I hadn't seen dozens of times, although I was rather hoping for a slime mold. None showed up, but as I began the descending leg of the trip, I focused on the boulders lining the uphill side of the trail. There were several patches of dusty grey-green lichenization, too fine and too immature for me to even guess at an identification until I came to this one. "Pilophorus acicularis!" I said. It's one of my favourites, and its black-tipped apothecia make it unmistakable. You can see two or three in the upper right corner of the photo. It wasn't until I pulled the pictures up on the computer that I noticed another set of black apothecia in the lower left. They are not the same lichen. Had I not been so intent on Pilophorus, I would have sectioned one of the apothecia with my thumbnail to see if it contained any red pigment. Next time I walk the trail, I'll check to see if it's Mycoblastus sanguinarius, as I believe it might be.

Timing Is Everything

Day 40: Lately, it's seemed like there was always some other call upon my time when we were to have nice weather, preventing me from going out for a walk. I was either keeping repairmen amused, compelled by an empty fridge to go grocery shopping, or had some other obligation. Nice days are few and far between at this time of year in western Washington, and I was starting to get crabby, so when all the moving parts came together in accord, I took a once-around of our little county park. I only found one thing of note (coming up tomorrow), but I hadn't expected to find anything at all. You take what's offered, however small. At any rate, that blue stuff behind the leaves here will be short-lived. It may be spring before I get another chance for a pleasant walk.

Finding Haareis

Day 100: Hair ice has been on my mind for the last several days, given recent weather conditions, but I have to admit I wasn't thinking about it when I set out for a short walk in a local county park. I was near the top of the one-mile loop when I spotted the first piece alongside the trail, and my jubilant cry of "Haareis!" must have been rather bewildering to the couple walking their dog the opposite direction. They weren't curious enough to ask as they passed me by, but by then, I had already taken pictures and I doubt that they even looked down to see what had grabbed my attention. A little further on, I spotted another example of this fascinating phenomenon. You see, true haareis (hair ice) forms only in the presence of a specific fungus, Exidiopsis effusa. It occurs on decaying deciduous wood and only under certain conditions. Although the precise mechanism of the fungus' role is not understood, it has been suggested that it may provide a natural antifreeze which stabilizes the formation of ice crystals. It has been noted that the ice "hairs" form at the openings of medullary rays (a cellular structure formed in active cambium, perpendicular to the growth rings of the plant). The "hairs" are also similar in diameter to the medullary rays (roughly 0.02 mm). It should not be confused with ground frost (a type of hoar frost which forms in soil).

Engineered Log Jam

Day 361: You have to wonder if there is a "Goldilocks point" where catastrophic flooding never occurs. Rivers flood flat plains, tidal surges flood lowlands, runoff tears hillsides apart as it fills streams, and particularly those where logging has occurred on slopes above and there are no trees to spread out the absorption of rain into the soil. Here in my narrow valley, the latter is one of the major contributing factors to erosion in the form of floodwater. Even small streams, when swollen by heavy rain, can inflict heavy damage, washing out roads and creating landslides. As we enter into flood season, I always think back on one year when I found myself living on an island for several weeks. Roads above me and below me were covered with water and, while I was in no particular danger myself, I was approaching the point at which I might have gone berserk because of the two houseguests who were trapped with me. A friend and I rescued my mother when her river rose to the level of her front door, and shortly after we got back to my place, the roads went out and we were isolated for the duration. In an effort to mitigate streamflow, many of our creeks now contain engineered log jams. These structures slow and spread out runoff from the hills. While they still don't prevent flooding, at least they help. Twenty feet of this trail in a local park was washed out by the tiny intermittent stream crossing it. Now there is an engineered log jam both above and below the culvert.

Come Walk With Me

Day 356: As parks go, there's not much to Ashford County Park. It covers 80 acres, most of which is wetland and inaccessible to the public, but the perimeter trail and central link provides a pleasant 1.2 miles over mostly paved paths with a steep enough gradient (8%) to let you know you're getting some small cardiovascular benefit. That's what I needed, so I left home 20 minutes early for another errand to allow time to make the loop. Autumn was very evident, which is to say there was a substantial "fall" of alder leaves blanketing the asphalt most of the way around. I had it to myself, as is my preference when enjoying nature. I did not expect to find rare plants or new fungi, did not search for insects, spiders or frogs, did not particularly listen for bird calls, although I'm sure my ears would have perked up if I'd heard something out of the ordinary. I just...went for a walk. Sometimes, that's all you need to settle your soul.

Spurge Laurel Purge

Day 299: I went out for a very short walk yesterday in our little county park, and was distressed to find that the Spurge Laurel (Daphne laureola) was alive and well. It's been several years since I found it and turned in a report to the Invasive Plant Council, and I would have thought the county would have taken care of it by now. However, this brought up another issue which has been bothering me for some time. In my personal contacts with various land managers in the area, I've been told several times that "we've never gotten any reports from the IPC." They've gone on to ask that I report directly to them instead, which I began doing with much better results. The land managers are grateful for the information and generally act swiftly when told about invasives in their domains. As I walked, these factors were brewing in my head, and as I came back into the parking area, I noticed a county worker spraying for blackberry on a hillside. I hailed him over and told him about the Spurge Laurel. He then took me to his supervisor, and the three of us went together so that I could show them where the plants were located. Once again, I was told that the county had never received a report of this noxious weed. It makes me wonder if any of my reports have ever been sent to the agencies involved. That said, the crew working in our little park assured me that there would be a Spurge Laurel purge as soon as they've done the research on how best to eradicate it.

Daphne Laureola, Spurge-laurel

Day 187: It's quite one thing to have knowledge of a plant's appearance from photographs and another to recognize it upon seeing it for the first time, moreso if it is in an unexpected location. With snow still on the ground but more Spring-like temperatures, I ventured out on an invasive species patrol in a local county park on Easter. I had not gone 25 yards up the paved trail until I stopped dead in my tracks. "Is that Spurge-laurel?" I said aloud. "Holy crap." I pushed a few blackberry briars aside to reach my target, took photos of it from several angles, both long shots and close-ups, and then just to be sure and despite a nagging memory that Spurge-laurel can cause contact dermatitis, I pinched off a six-inch flower-bearing sprig and popped it in my shirt pocket for further analysis. For the remainder of my mile-and-a-half walk, I kept waiting for my hand to start itching or to blister. When I got home a little over an hour later, I scrubbed my hands most vigorously. Apparently, I am not one of the unfortunates who reacts or else I did not get sufficient sap on my skin, but in very short order, I confirmed my suspicions: the plant was indeed Daphne laureola, a Class B invasive and poisonous even beyond skin irritation. Worse, I had found at least a dozen plants along the edge of a small wetland, and others may lie deeper into the woods. The Easter Bunny brings some people brightly coloured eggs. Me, he brings invasive plants. Thanks a lot, Bun.