The Forest Preserve is full of many beautiful and strange organisms.  Amid the lush green and rich red/brown colors of the trees and barks, remarkable fungi also burst forth from some of the moist seams of tree stumps and bogs.  The fungus above almost looks like a work of glass art, all big swoops and fins atop a small bowl.  The mushroom below is lovely — but don’t touch, don’t eat!  I have no idea if these are poisonous and have no intention of finding out the hard way!  What is clear is that a drive deep into the forest reveals an ecosystem that is alive every moment, ever-replenishing and contributing to clean air and water for all of us.  Keeping this environment healthy and functioning well in all of its complexity is essential for the health of Planet Earth and all of us who depend on it!

Perhaps more pleasing to most viewers are the amazing wild flowers along all of the roads and streams, such as the flowers below:

The monarch butterfly needs the milkweed flowers to lay caterpillar eggs… milkweed is the only source of food for monarchs….

Swallowtail butterflies also love milkweed:

Meanwhile, out on the lakes, the duck families are growing in number:

While the great blue heron lurks in the reeds waiting to pounce on the next fish that passes…

Massive thunderstorms sweep through on a regular basis here in the North Country, keeping the weather cools and the waters high.  Here’s a beautiful rainbow after a recent storm:

And later that evening, a majestic sunset:

Next up: loons, wild turkeys and a butterfly convention!  Stay tuned…

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