Nature Center

Leaf-Crushed Trails

12/3/2023, red R, 9:30-11:30 Gray clouded dayGrays and browns and faint late autumn orangesVibrant mosses amidst subdued colorsBirds and foragers extremely activeMind highly focused on future plansDry, petal-less remains of flowers in prairieBreezes gently swish the tall, dry grassesOne vibrant red streak amidst the browns, tans and subtle rosesSoft, quiet footsteps on leaf-crushed trailsGentle winds …

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Partially Chomped Acorn

11/18/2023, red L, 9:25-11:20 Chilly, misty morningSparkling grasses, shiny leaves, slick branchesBird sounds fill the treesSoft moss-carpeted tree trunksJust like that – red orange Oriental Bittersweet berries almost gone-main remaining evidence: the yellow orange casings mixed in with leaves and rocks on the trailNew luscious, thick, musky scentsPartially chomped acorn left behind on a “picnic …

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Beautiful, Bright Morning

11/4/2023, red R, 9:40-1:45 Beautiful bright morningLeaf and acorn-covered trailsChirping birds, clucking squirrels, rustlings in leavesLeaves, stuck on rocks, slow the creekGolden light brightens barren treesStill soft greens, yellows and oranges remain; occasional pops of redSoft orange-coated hillsideIlluminated mossesGlistening threads among branchesWind whooshes leaves and drops acornsGreen ferns push through orange-brown fallen leavesSweet earthy scent …

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Earthen Scents

10/6/2023 red L, 9:30-12:00 Cool, damp morning under cloud-sealed skySurrounded by variations in volume, rhythm, pitch and tone of cricket ringing-adding inexplicable comfort and depthLovely earthen scents: mix of wet leaves, mushrooms, damp rock and herbsSounds of acorns clunking, rolling, sliding down trunks, branches and leaves50% leaf-covered trailsChipmunk gulps echo throughout the forestSun attempts to …

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Emerging Yellows and Hints of Orange

9/21/2023 red R 2:45-5:00 Gorgeous, breezy, sunny dayYellow and bright green dappled ceilingPersistent hollow knocking, creakingCreek only trickles now, much drier than usualTiny red velvety mite spotted from afar by the contrast against green mossy backgroundFallen leaves sprinkle trail (about 10-15% coverage)Cricket’s murmur: no cicadasOccasional leaf drops quietly, effortlesslyTiny bees and wasps thriving on goldenrod …

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Sunburst of Laetiporus

9/2/2023, red L, 9:45-11:30 By far not the only one with this idea on such a gorgeous Saturday morningTrees filled with rattlingSuch intricately complex spider web systemsWow – witnessed wasp capture spider from its own web!Animals have been crunching on all the newly dropped acorn, walnut and hickory nutsNewly graveled trail on the muddy sections …

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Harmonious, Vibrant Ecosystem

8/25/2023 red R, 9:30-11:45 Balmy, steamy, overcast morningAlready 92° at 9:30!Cicadas roaringFallen pink lilies chaotically cover the forest floorSlick, damp limestone stepsFoggy golden haze coats the creekStorms littered the trails with branches, sticks, acorns, leaves and even some newly fallen treesAlways impressive how nature cleans itself through its entire harmonious ecosystem – environment, weather, inhabitantsNew …

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Vibrant Plants

7/21/2023, red L, 2:45-5:15 Gentle breezes rustle leavesOccasional chorus of cicadas ramps upSun brightens leaves to yellow greenIridescent green bugs fly and hover on the trailWafting whiffs of mushroomLovely petrichor lifts from belowPrairie filled with every kind of grass black-eyed susans, bergamot and tiny daisies1000 varieties of new vibrant plantsInsects and grasshoppers buzz pastGorgeous dragonflies …

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Wild Bergamot Blooms

6/27/2023, red R, 9:30-11:30 Cool, fresh, misty morningCrickets confidently ringCompletely surrounded by greenRustles and scampers through lush, leafy forest floorNew mushrooms sprout from decadent and lively logsBirds chirp and call contentedlyGroup of wood thrushes chat vociferouslyQuiet calm of breeze brushing tree tops deep in the forestForest opens to prairie, filled with even greater chorus of …

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Vibration of Grasshopper

6/16/2023, red L, 2:10-4:10 Overcast windy daySend a freshly cracked woodMarsh pond coated in thick blanket of greenMelodic backdrop of chiming cricketsGreen brightens in the depths of the forestContinuous decomposition and regenerationCreaks, rustling, chirps and chimesDamp essences of mineral petrichorSoft gentle flow of creekPondering life path and directionOnly a tiny dusty thread remaining from last …

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