matsjk's Journal

Today I went for a walk through the Webster conservation area. Usually when walking through a forest or on a natural trail, my focus is on my immediate surroundings, and making sure I am not getting lost or going down a dangerous trail. This time, however, I could simply walk along a trail and observe the life around me. There was a large variety of plants and fungi, which I focused my efforts on due to a lack of animal activity. The animals and insects were nowhere to be seen with a heavy rain pounding down. I saw a huge variety of mosses and other bryophytes, usually attached to the base of trees or against boulders. I snapped a photo of two members of the same genus, though they were distinct in color and shape. There was also a very strange white plant I found which is of the genus "monotropa." I did a bit of research-- it turns out that the plant is quite rare, has no chlorophyll as it is pure white, and is actually parasitic upon certain species of fungi. Crazy.