September 7

Saturday would have been a good day at Forest Hill for a hike with my dog, Remi.  However, we joined a fellow nature guide and mentor, John Clark for a hike through Ithaca schools’ outdoor education property. John played a major role in acquiring and developing this 40-acre woodlot on Fillmore Road, west of town. The early morning weather was mostly cloudy with a temperature of 63 degrees and no wind. At the entrance to the trail, we looked up and noticed a few crab apple trees with ripened fruit. Nearby, we spotted a few Panicled Aster blossoms. Next, we entered a dense forest with large Beech, Maple and Oak trees dominating the canopy.  Following the trail, we enjoyed the quietness of the woods as only a single unknown bird was singing in the distance. Next, we paused to see some young Sassafras trees. I broke off a leaf and chewed on the petiole to enjoy the citrusy flavor.  Further along were a few tree trunks covered with bracket fungi. Also, we noticed the Witch Hazel trees were showing clusters of woody capsules. We arrived at a pond named after John and noticed how extremely low the water level was. Near the pond, we observed a tree trunk covered with white lichen. We also spotted a few blossoms of Heartleaf Aster. We got off the trail and found a few Indian Cucumber-root plants. We dug up a few to sample the roots that, not surprisingly, tasted like cucumber. Nearby, we saw a large clump of Cushion Moss growing on the leaf litter. Near the end of our circuit, we spotted a tiny Axillary Goldenrod blossom. Finally, the three of us returned to the car for our trip home.

In the waning summer

Birds close up their nest

Some are heading south

Food aplenty for the rest

Meadow changes color

Asters open their flowers

Wetlands are drying up

Awaiting rain showers

A few leaves lose green

Others will disappear

Nature gives some hints

Autumn will soon be here

D. DeGraaf