Fall has arrived with a windy, wet, and brilliantly colored bang!
As the landscape soaks up the long-awaited rain, mushrooms are popping up, and the big leaves of maple trees, osoberry, and vine maple seem to have turned bright yellow overnight. When the first heavy rains hit in early October, visitors spotted an incredible variety of mushrooms along the trails.
The wet forest path was dotted with nearly a hundred amanita muscaria mushrooms — the iconic red-capped, white-speckled mushrooms look like something out of a fairytale. But beware — they can be toxic if eaten!
Join us for a Wild Woman Walk under the Frost Moon at the Morse Wildlife Preserve on Saturday, December 6, 2-4 pm.
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This women-only event celebrates the season with a walk through a wintry landscape. Bundle up and get out there to discover that the forest and all its inhabitants are still there.
New Life for Trails at Morse Wildlife Refuge
While many of you have walked and are familiar with the 100-acre Morse Wildlife Preserve, did you know there is a second preserve just five miles away? Named after the late wife of Lloyd Morse, the Maxine G. Morse Nature Conservancy (aka Maxing G. Preserve) is also owned and managed by the not-for-profit organization, Forterra.
The preserve lies on two sides of the private road. Each side is about 25 acres in size, and each has a trail of about a mile in length.
Thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers, the wetter West Trail has recently seen the completion of some seventy 8′ puncheons (boardwalks) which keep one from sinking into mud and occasional knee-deep water, while the drier East Trail has seen another ten puncheons constructed over the past five years. Two existing “swamp bridges” were also raised above the winter standing water levels.
Volunteers have not only contributed immense amounts of time to this project, including the carrying of heavy lumber and landscape bricks to distant construction sites, but, in some cases, have contributed substantial private funds which purchased tons of lumber for boardwalk construction. Forterra has contributed as well in recent months.
While much of the intended construction is completed, there is an on-going need for trail maintenance. Volunteers can remove fallen trees across trails, re-level and clear puncheons of debris, and cut back encroaching brush on a twice-annual basis.
We are always looking for new volunteers for such work and if any of this interests you, we invite you to join us. We work just occasionally and never for more than two hours per session. No special talents are needed, just enthusiasm!
Contact: Tom Galdibini at: tgaldabini@comcast.net
The Maxine G. Morse Preserve stands out for its impressive forest of massive and old-growth Douglas Firs, Western Red Cedars, towering Cottonwoods, Sitka spruce and even a grove of Aspens. Interspersed in the forest and providing watering holes for wildlife are pocket wetlands or glacial “kettles” and one constructed pond.
The preserve is not currently open to the public, but special tour requests can be considered, and Forterra occasionally leads events there — the next scheduled for December 6. In the meantime, volunteers continue working toward the possibility of future public access and are proud of their efforts.
The newly installed and resurfaced puncheons have been well received by those of us who patrol the preserve, and by the resident elk, who seem to appreciate the sturdier walkways that can support their weight.