I agreed, back in February, to help a group of Pathfinders get some merit badges by helping them find mosses, lichens, and liverworts. Pathfinders range in age from 10 to 15 I think, and are kind of like scouts, at least when it comes to earning merit badges. Of course as soon as the plans were finalized it began to snow and it didn’t stop until nearly every living thing was buried under feet of it. We’ve had some warmth since though, so recently I decided to check out the old abandoned road near Beaver Brook in Keene to see if we could get in there without snow shoes.
The snow had melted well on the hillsides along the sunny side of the road but the road itself still has as much as 6 inches of loose granular snow in places. Tough to walk in, but not impossible. Good, waterproof hiking boots will be best for this trip.
The hillsides along the shady side of the brook still had quite a bit of snow on them.
The last time I was here the wind had blown so much snow against the ledge faces, you wouldn’t have known they were there if you weren’t familiar with the place. Many of the mosses, lichens and liverworts that the Pathfinders want to find grow on these ledges so it would have been a waste of time.
Dog lichen (Peltigera membranacea) is just one of many things that grow here that I rarely see anywhere else. Dog lichens aren’t fussy and will grow on soil, stone or bark but they do seem to like moist, sunny spots. They also always seem to grow near moss, probably because moss soaks up water like a sponge.
Chances are the Pathfinders won’t realize how special what they’re seeing actually is, but I plan to tell them that this is the only place that I’ve ever seen this stair step moss (Hylocomium splendens.) It is also called glittering wood moss and grows on the side of a large boulder here. It could be that I rarely see it because it usually grows in the boreal forests of Canada, Europe and Russia. I’m not sure why this particular example is growing so far south. This moss was once used to plug gaps between the logs in log cabins. It has anti-bacterial qualities.
Rose moss (Rhodobryum roseum) is one of the most beautiful mosses in my opinion and like the stair step moss, this is the only place I’ve ever seen it. This moss gets its common name from the way the small rosettes of leaves resembled rose blossoms to the person who named it. The example that grows here is large and I think must be quite old. It grows on the flat top of a boulder. As the photo shows, the rosettes grow so dense that you can’t even see the stone.
Yellow feather moss (Homalothecium lutescens) is another moss that’s rare in this area, at least in my experience. This small clump is the only one I know of. It’s looking a little bedraggled because of being covered by snow all winter, but at least the Pathfinders will be able to see it.
I don’t know too much about geology but I do know that there are some interesting things to see here among the ledges, including garnets, milky quartz crystals, and veins of feldspar. I also know that I could build a nice looking wall with the stones in this section.
In places the ice that covered the brook all winter has completely melted and the silence of winter has been replaced by the chuckles and giggles of spring water moving over and around the stones. Be more like the brook, I remind myself. Laugh your way through life and just flow around any obstacles that might appear.
Not all of the brook is ice free. There were still some impressive icicles to be seen.
The lower section of Beaver Brook Falls had shaken off its think coating of ice and was announcing spring with a roar. It’s amazing to come here in the dead of winter when even they are silent. Ice makes a very good sound insulation.
Greater whipwort (Bazzania trilobata) will fulfil the Pathfinder’s one liverwort requirement. Their need for 5 each of lichens and mosses will easily be met here as well. This liverwort doesn’t grow everywhere but it isn’t really rare either. I always find it growing on stones near a brook or a stream. At a glance it might fool you into thinking it was a moss but a closer look reveals the three tiny lobes at the base of each leaf that give it the trilobata part of its scientific name. This liverwort is the host plant for the larva of a moth known as the gold cap moss eater (Epimartyria auricrinella.)
A while ago I did a post about all of things that I found growing on a single tree, and in it I mentioned how I had been seeing a lot of long white fibers hung up on lichens especially. Well, now they’re getting hung up on moss too, and they’re blue. I found this little bundle on some dry tree skirt moss (Anomodon attenuates.) I wonder if a bird was collecting it for its nest and dropped it. I don’t see many humans where this particular moss grows.
The snow had melted enough in one spot to see a little piece of the yellow line that still runs up the middle of this old road. Since the temperature reached into the 60s F yesterday I’m hoping to see a lot more of it next week when the Pathfinders are here.
If a child is to keep his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in. ~Rachel Carson
Thanks for stopping in.
This post makes me wish I was a Pathfinder. They don’t k ow how lucky they are to have such a knowledgable guide.
Thank you. Unfortunately it has rained for days here and was originally supposed to rain all weekend, so they had to cancel again. The weekend is looking better now but it’s too short notice to gather everyone together. We’ll try again!
Sounds like you have done a really good survey before the Pathfinders tour.
That rose moss is pretty – who was to know that moss can be like that. I think I’ve seen the feather moss before.
Yes, I’ve learned from other bloggers that it’s best to scout out the area before the day of the hike.
Rose moss is the only one I’ve seen that resembles a flower. It is a pretty moss, but also very fussy about where it grows, I think.
The yellow feather moss would be a good find. I’ve only seen it in this one place.
I *love* your posts! I am so pleased to see that your snow is slowly disappearing. It must be so good to see all your moss and lichen ‘old friends’ re-appearing after their time under the snow and ice. ‘Be more like the brook,’ You say – ‘Laugh your way through life and just flow around any obstacles that might appear’. So memorable. I also love your quote at the end. I really enjoyed re-discovering all sorts of things with my daughters. I hope your hike with the young people goes very well Best wishes, Clare 🙂
Thank you Clare. Yes, the snow is melting slowly so it doesn’t look like we’ll see any flooding this year, hopefully.
I like to think that I can be more like the brook, but wanting and having are often two different things.
I have a feeling that I’ll probably learn as much from the Pathfinders as they learn from me!
You are probably right!
Wonderful post as always. I look forward to seeing your great pictures. Your knowledge of the environment around you is inspiring.
Thanks very much Martin. If it wasn’t for a shelf full of good books I’d have a much harder time doing this.
I love that Rose Moss. Really beautiful!
I agree-one of the most beautiful mosses we have here, but also rarely seen.
I am so pleased and delighted by your beautiful pictures. It’s a treat to study each new post — and every photo is worthy of spending time to really enjoy it. About the melted opening, nice and round, at each tree — I believe the sun shining on the bark warms the tree enough to cause this to happen.
Thank you Charlotte, I’m glad that you’re enjoying these posts. Jerry said the same thing about the trees in his comment. I hadn’t thought about that, but I think you’re both right. It’s interesting to think about the sun heating a tree in that way.
I sure enjoyed these photos. This is a phase of the winter – spring interface that was nearly completely lacking here this year and I missed it!
Thanks Montucky! I do love this time of year. We had a snowless winter a few years ago, so I know what you mean about missing the transition. I hope things get back to normal there soon.
I applaud you for taking on the task of leading a group of kids in the woods and getting them started down the path of knowing about the things in nature!
Hopefully, you’ll have some nice weather, and most of the snow will be gone.
I’ve noticed the snowless circles around trees as well, I thought that it was due to a combination of the darker tree bark absorbing more heat from the sun, and/or reflecting the sunlight back onto the snow to melt it. You may have noticed that dark leaves that have fallen off from trees will melt their way down through the snow because they absorb more heat from sunlight.
Thanks Jerry. The long range forecast says showery that day, but they could be wrong.
I have seen the leaves melting their way into the snow and have even tried to get a decent photo of it. I hadn’t thought of it but I think you must be right about the trees. It makes sense!
It’s hard to imagine you still having snow and ice. That sure is an interesting variety of nature subjects.
Thank you. Yes, we still have plenty of both in the woods.
I am glad that things are finally loosening up for you. I hope that you can get some good weather for your walk with the Pathfinders.
Thank you. I hope so too!
Reblogged this on Dawn of Divine Rays.
Thank you Agnes.
You’re very welcome, Allen. Wishing you a beautiful week ahead. Namaste
And the same to you Agnes!
Hope those Pathfinders realize (perhaps later in life, if not now) what a special opportunity they had to go for a walk with you.
Thank you Judy. I hope some of them might discover that their path in life includes nature study and maybe even teaching others about nature.
Happy Spring! Those Pathfinders are going to have a wonderful walk with you!
Thank you, and the same to you! I think they’ll have fun, and they might just learn something too!
I wish I could come on a forest walk with you, although I would prefer to do it when it was a bit warmer and I didn’t have to wear snow shoes. I hope the Pathfinders appreciate you. Amelia
Thank you Amelia. I wish you could too. I think the Pathfinders will have a lot of fun.
It sounds like you will be able to show the Pathfinders some great specimens. Love the icicle image.
Thanks Laura. I hope it doesn’t rain!
While as always all pictures you took are superbly well done, one ( the third from top) took my special interest, as I see that every tree has melted the snow around its base so to stand in a little pit of its own. Fascinating. Also the icicles look like teeth in the maw of a ferocious beast. The blue fluff of wool can only have been dropped by a bird as you surmised already.
Thank you Zyriacus. I’ve been pondering the question of why the snow melts around the tree bases like that too. I’ve noticed that every single tree, no matter how big or how old, has done that. I don’t know if they give off warmth or if the water running down their trunks causes it, but it is fascinating as you say. I like your imagination!
The thing that impresses most about this post, apart from the excellent pictures especially the gurgling brook, is the fact that somewhere in our frenzied world an adult has found the time to help a group a youngsters find out more about their environment and that they very sensibly asked you to help. It warms my heart.
Thank you Susan. I’ve always enjoyed helping people and it doesn’t get any better than getting a chance to help kids appreciate nature.