Interesting Things

On my walk the other day through the woods on my property, I found a few interesting things – Lichens, Turkey Tail Mushrooms, Moss… and a strange bug house?

Lichens…

Did you know that lichens are very sensitive to air pollution and can serve as indicators of air quality?

They’re growing everywhere on the trees on my property.  I used to think they were bad for my trees and a sign of disease. This is not the case at all.  Lichens are a sign the air around you is relatively unpolluted. They hate dirty air!

Lichens are a composite of fungus (kingdom Fungi) and most often a green alga (kingdom Protoctista) and/or a cyanobacterium (kingdom Monera).  Lichens are their own kind of strange, cool life-form.

Did you know there are at least 13,000 species of lichens living throughout the world? There are even Lichens in Greenland, that are between 3,000 and 5,000 years old.

Moss…

I also saw a lot of moss. It’s always fresh and green (even in winter). And like an absolute weirdo, I always have to stop and run my hands across it when I see it.  It’s like the “fur” of the plant world.

Then I saw this odd thing… I’m guessing a bug lives inside but I didn’t want to find out. I decided it was best to just leave it alone.

Turkey Tail Mushrooms…

Guess what else I saw…  I think these are called Turkey Tail Mushrooms. But I’m not 100% on that conclusion, so I won’t be eating them.

Aren’t they pretty? My woods are full of these too.

Modern Science says Turkey Tail Mushrooms boost the immune system and may help cancer patients. You can buy Turkey Tail capsules through sources like Amazon and health-food stores.

I love all the varying colors. And they make me think of moths or butterflies resting on a log. ~A