The first snow of the season was a few days ago. Just a couple of inches, not enough to bury the last of fall’s glory yet. Today will probably be the last of the frosty fall mushrooms and leaves. It’s been a prolific fungi season. The sheer numbers of fruiting bodies have left me standing with my mouth agape in awe more than once.

I headed out to nearby English Point State Park. It was spectacular! One and three-quarters miles in three hours. That’s a good wander!

All of the wonderful distractions are tiny. Without a closer inspection, they look ordinary. But get in tight, and they are everything extraordinary! I bought a macro lens just for this time of year (a specific lens for extreme close-ups of tiny things). Now, I just need lighting for the dark forest floor and a short tripod to stabilize my lens… With every hobby or creative endeavor, there’s always just one more thing you need.

I cast my eyes down, scanning the leaf litter, duff and deadfall for interesting mushrooms, lichens, leaves and other tiny treasures.

Frost crystals coat the shaded twigs, fungi and leaves. The mushrooms are frozen solid, yet retain all the appearance of life. This presents the unique opportunity to pick them up whole and place them in a more photogenic location!

The low-angled winter sun peeks through the woods in focal streaks and rays. While the light is a dramatic addition for photography, in this instance, its energy immediately begins to melt the subjects. Frozen mushrooms wilt before my eyes, stems curling under the weight of the saturated caps diving toward the ground.

The frost coats the leaves and mushrooms like coarse grains of sugar. I am endlessly fascinated. I came home with a couple hundred images, about one hundred of which I kept! Clearly, these are some of my favorite things!

If you’re interested in purchasing or licensing any images you see here, please email me at SNewenham at exploringnaturephotos.com, and I’ll make it happen.

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The post A Frosty Fall Day appeared first on Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham.

The Dramatic Ones

Mushrooms are everywhere, from large dryads like signposts on trees to almost microscopic, colorful specks. The dramatic gills and unnatural colors are the first to draw you in.

Once you start to pay attention to those, you’ll see more and more. Then there’s no turning back. You’re hooked. The more you look, the more you see.

But mushrooms are so much more than forest decor. They are the communication network of the forest. The part that we’re drawn to is the fruiting body (i.e., the flower) of the fungus, which appears briefly to spread spores like a flower spreads seeds. 

Astonishing Variety

The rest of the fungi is underground. It’s no wonder that we are just beginning to understand these peculiar organisms, which possess characteristics of both plants and animals, yet are neither one.

A Communication Network

Below the surface, expansive mycelial networks connect fungi, roots, trees, and other organisms across miles. Mycelia occasionally reveal themselves as delicate, white, hair-like mesh on decaying wood.

These mycelial networks seem to work like neurons, the cells that relay messages throughout animal bodies. Every square inch of forest soil is believed to contain three to four miles of mycelia. When it’s time to reproduce, the same structure that creates the mycelium coils together like a woven basket to form the mushroom we see. The film Fantastic Fungi features stunning time-lapse photography of this.

While we think of fungi as decomposers, that is not their most common role. Most fungi work in cooperation with plants to supply them with minerals and nutrients. In exchange, the fungi receive sugars from the plant. The fungi in this symbiotic relationship with plant roots are called mycorrhizae. Mycorrhizae have been identified on 92% of all known plant species! Sometimes, the relationship is even more profound. For example, Lady’s Slipper orchids cannot survive if removed from their fungal networks (they will not survive transplanting), and their seeds require these mycorrhizae to germinate.

There’s so much more to be amazed by. The forest is completely connected. Next time you’re out in nature, look closely.If you’re interested in purchasing or licensing any images you see here, please email me at SNewenham at exploringnaturephotos.com, and I’ll make it happen.

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The post The Fantastic World of Mushrooms appeared first on Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham.