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Johnson's Woods
​State Nature Preserve

Johnson's Woods


September

October

Picture
Observations: Johnson’s Woods
Early September
Still warmth in the air
The forest floor plants are dying back
The progression from summer to fall has begun
Soon the bareness of the forest floor will make its way to the tips of the trees
But not just yet
From the tops of the trees comes the sound of rain
The sound of rain on a clear sunny day can only mean one thing
Frass
The caterpillars are crunching munching the leaves up above
The sound is post digestion
When looking up, try not to gape with your mouth wide open
The sun began to set
Chipmunks with so much to say made off to their dens(?)
A distant ‘whoo cooks for you’ echos through the trees
The trees
The majestic ancient trees
The old growth forest that remains 
And changes
And will grow and change, grow and change
How many generations of barred owls have hatched, fledged, and nested in these trees
I’ve met two
Where the canopy has cracked open
And the branches have rested
The mosses, fungi, lichen, and beetles reclaiming them in the name of the earth
Late summer plants are making their final stand
Jewelweed and nettle, smartweed and beechdrops, knotweed and turtlehead
Soon enough they’ll join the spring beauties and the violets, the trillium and the trout lily 
Where they rest 
as fallen seeds
as hidden tubers
as corms and bulbs
Until March when the calls of the thrush
Wake them
For now though, let’s walk through September
One step, one day
​And appreciate the changes happening right before our eyes


Picture
Observations: From September to October
So far the biggest change is the position of the sun.
Although further down the trail the maples are turning bright red and a pair of deer foraged next to the trail.

November

December

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Observations: Sunny, mid 60s
Trees are mostly bare - only the beech and the upper canopy of the oaks are still holding leaves. 
All around the sound of crunchy leaves falling on crunchy leaves. I had to turn around numerous times to see if someone was walking behind me (crunch crunch) but it was always just the sounds of the leaves falling.
This is the time of year when you can use your nose to determine what type of forest you're in - how different the oak dominated woods smell from the maple dominated from the beech dominated. Follow your nose down the path.
Looking around, all that remains green are the evergreen forbs - the cat brier, the avens, the Christmas ferns.
Nuthatches and squirrels join the chorus of falling leaves - a seasonal soundtrack
Best bird sighting happened right at the hickory tree in the photo. A brown creeper darted up and around the trunk! ​

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Observations: Cloudy, 40s
​A quiet settles over the forest
Only the sound of wind in the trees
shaking and rattling
the gentle creak of trees resting together
Around the bend squirrels rustle through the leaves
looking for the last fallen acorns
A squeak brings the eyes up
where stealthily a nuthatch climbs
defying gravity
to hide food in the heavy bark
of the old oak tree

January

February

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Observations:
​
Sunny day, now cloudy, wind picking up, cold air blowing
Nuthatch calling
Squirrel scampering
Leaves wet from yesterday's rain
Dead opossum still there

Write about j woo
Write about shagbark

Other great trees from where I stand. Oaks and beech.

Picture
Observations:
Quiet
A distant train sound
The boards groan and creak, heavy with ice
Someone burning leaves or brush, the scent whispers in the air
Cold 30s, not much wind, dark
Squirrel sounds
A pileated calls
3 deer up from the tree
At least 10 deer up from stream
Owl?
Squirrel mating and nesting season! 

March

April

Picture
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Observations: We've reached that time of year when the sun has moved back to the same position it was in in October!
False mermaid leaves have emerged, as have the spring beauties.
The opossum is totally gone now.
Barred owl calls from the distance.
A cold wind blows but the sunshines bright. 
​One of the many vernal pools is alive with the songs of the chorus frogs and spring peepers.
Observations:

May

June

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Observations:
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July

August

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Observations:
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  • Home
  • Blog
  • A Hiker's Guide
  • Plant Profiles
  • One Year Studies
    • Johnson's Woods >
      • Johnson's Woods
    • Barnes Preserve >
      • Barnes Short Loop
      • Barnes Long Loop
      • BP Pond Overlook
    • Walton Woods Wildflower Sanctuary >
      • Walton Woods Lower Trail
      • Walton Woods Burning Bush
    • Brown's Lake Bog >
      • Bog Boardwalk
      • Bog Loop
    • Wooster Memorial Park >
      • Sycamore Tree
      • Trillium Hill
      • WMP Prairie
  • Shop
    • Shop
    • Photography