Yesterday was beautiful. I believe that trees evolved to be tall simply to play and dance in the wind. Click on the image for a larger view.
Category Archives: Our Forest
Starflower
The starflower, Lysimachia borealis, has colonized a part of our forest. It is a small, but striking plant, blossoming in the late spring to early summer. The flower commonly has seven petals, but the number can vary; one of our plants has nine. Click on the image for a larger view.
Spring Fern
Our woodland gets an amazing understory of fern in the spring. If you had walked through our forest a month ago, all you would have seen on the ground was a carpet of brown leaves. We have several varieties of fern, each opening in their unique way. Click on the image for a larger view.
Spring Forest
Naomi and I live on four and a half acres of woodland in central Maine. Spring is a wonderful time. The green of the new foliage is radiant. A slight breeze sets the entire forest dancing from the floor to the canopy—a long-exposure photograph can reveal this. Click on the image for a larger view.
Like most forest in Maine, ours is second growth, having been cut down for agricultural use at some point in its history. A study on woodland regrowth in New York state shows that the forest that grows up from a clearcut is not the same as the one that was cut down, even after a hounded years. The species of plants and trees differ in type and distribution. A neighboring old-growth forest has no influence on a regenerating woodland.
Spring Arrives to the Forest
Spring is starting to make its mark. The long winter this year has delayed this season. Our trees are starting to show their foliage and fern is rising from the forest floor. Click on the image for a larger view.
Awaiting Spring
This has been a long, hard winter (globally, this March was the fourth hottest on record, while the eastern US sat in unusual cold). The image on the left was taken in our woods on May 3rd, 2010. The picture on the right was taken in the same place last Sunday, April 27th. May 3rd is this Saturday. While I would not be disappointed in a miracle that could transform our woodland into something that looks like the first image, I am also not very hopeful. I am more inclined to think it will snow. Click on the image for a larger view.
A Year in Color, a Year of Color
This is a year in color, starting with January on the left to December on the right. The color from twelve photographs from each month of the year where blended to illustrate the changing seasons in Maine. Click on the image for a larger view.
Early Spring, Part 2
The forest floor is a layer of flat, matted leaves; it has none of the thick, plush quality of the fall. With the melting snow and spring rains, vernal pools and streams cover a large area of our understory. The water is clear as glass. Once the foliage returns, the pools and streams are soaked up by the trees. Click on the image for a larger view.
Early Spring, Part 1
In April, heat and light come back to Maine. The forest is like an old man after a deep sleep, taking time to rise from the slumber. The humidity in the air gives a softness and transparency to the forest–light is much harsher in the dry winter air. We have a stand of saplings that are pioneering the open ground next to the forest. They are certainly happy to lose the weight of this winter’s ice storm. With their pliant wood and smooth bark, they seem to typify the spirit of spring. Click on the image for a larger view.
Whisper of the Pines
We have a beautiful Eastern White Pine just behind our house. The constancy of the evergreens through the winter gives a softness to that season, like a whisper saying that spring will return and the land will be green again. It is hardly surprising the pine is used to symbolize time and eternity in many cultures. Click on the image for a larger view.
