Forest Lore Tour

11/17/2024

We're closed today to attend this rally. Hope to see you there!

11/13/2024

"You put energy into everything you do."

11/06/2024

if you download iNaturalist, you can upload and you see on the tour and add them to the "Forest Lore Tour Finds" project? This helps others see what can be found here at different times of the year and under different weather conditions.

We also added availability into December (as long as this mild weather continues). Come out and discover late-Fall and species in Woods with The Mushroom Witch. Or join us in 2025 (use promo code "EarlyBirds" at checkout for 10% off)! Sign up at walkwithawitch.com

🍁🍂

11/04/2024

We've been seeing some of these in Salem Woods

8 out of 9 woolly bear caterpillars agree it will be a mild winter. Severe or mild, they'll all be frozen solid under leaf litter anyway. In the spring, these caterpillars will thaw out, pupate within cocoons and emerge as adult Isabella tiger moths.

While there's no scientific backing to the idea that the banding color can predict winter weather, it's still fun to watch for patterns. Even caterpillars from the same clutch of eggs can have a wide variation in color!

📷 USFWS

11/03/2024

Watch out for coyotes, please.

11/02/2024

Halloween is over, but the magic will continue for a few more weeks. Come explore Salem Woods, crunch through the fallen leaves and see birch polypores, rosehips, acorns, and more. Plus, enjoy virtually no poison ivy or mosquitoes along the trail.

Or plan your 2025 visit early with 10% off your booking until next Spring. Use promo code "EarlyBirds" at checkout. (Code is valid for 2025 reservations only.)

10/30/2024

Firefighters did an amazing job in Salem Woods yesterday, but one section of the blue trail did get . (Most of the trail was unaffected.) The "fort" is no more. All that remains of it are the living trees between the . The rain last night helped, too, and we did get to see star moss completely hydrated and unharmed amid the branches. We found a few remaining hot spots, but we poured water on them from the nearby creek.

We are . This year has been extremely , but most of the woods are unscathed. Now I will use the burnt remains as a cautionary reminder of , instead of the fort enclosing the fire pit (which looked untouched for months, even today, so it doesn't appear that this was the source of the fire).

The woods are to traverse now, thanks to disaster response teams and the much-needed rain yesterday. The air quality was normal, as well. We wouldn't have gone out today if it wasn't safe. The makes the look a bit spookier, just in time for . Add to that the spirit of Halloween when we honor those we love and have lost, human and otherwise. And while we think of and as symbols of destruction and death, they both help new life to spring forth. The leaves fall and blanket the soil for insects and other small animals during the winter sleep, eventually breaking down into soil themselves. Ashes are nutritious for plants, and some species of and fungi rely on fire to reproduce. Good things will come from this.

10/29/2024

10/27/2024

Found my first of the season. You can see they are both brown and black, and not super-tiny, so they're pretty easy to find with a quick . Ticks can carry Lyme disease, and can spread it to you when they bite, so always make sure to look for them anytime you go into the woods.

10/22/2024

Skunks are friends who just need extra space. Pay attention to their body language.

10/22/2024

Salem Woods isn't technically part of the Appalachians, but the hills and boulders we see are remnants of these ancient mountains.

The storied Appalachian Mountains might seem far away—but we have a corner of the range in northwestern Connecticut.

The range is one of the most resilient places in the world with a high chance of remaining healthy. Let’s make sure it stays that way: watersheds continue safeguarding water we drink, forests keep storing carbon, waters stay cool for aquatic species, and connected land provides a wildlife corridor.

The Appalachians are a testament to our interconnectedness—what we do here matters everywhere.

10/18/2024

Some information about coyotes in the fall. We've only seen a coyote once during a tour a few years ago, and he quickly left once we noticed each other. Although coyotes are friend-sized and friend-shaped, they are not friends. "A fed coyote is a de*d coyote", unfortunately.

Why are we seeing more coyotes this time of year?

Some coyote juveniles are leaving their birth packs to find their own mates and territories right about now. Dispersal begins in late summer through the fall, and that's why we might see more coyotes moving around and figuring out the lay of the land. These coyotes will be less experienced and hazing is critical for teaching these youngsters that humans equal harassment, not food.

Some juveniles will stay with their parents and help form the pack. These individuals will play roles in hunting and in raising the next season's pups.

Coyote pupping season is generally February through April or May. Coyotes stay with their birth packs for about 6 to 9 months before dispersing if they're going to. Pup mortality is high, with an average of 50% to 70% dying within their first year.

Learn more important facts about coyote ecology by visiting Project Coyote at: www.projectcoyote.org/carnivores/coyote/

Download Project Coyote's handy hazing guide with tips on how and when to haze. Hazing is a community effort so get your neighbors involved, too!:http://www.projectcoyote.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Hazing_Field_Guide_2015.pdf

Photos from left to right: Canis latrans at Sunset, Marin Headlands by Matt Knoth via Creative Commons; Coyote by Dave Ballard Photo via Creative Commons; and Coyote in the snow by David Schenfeld via Creative Commons.

10/15/2024

A of ! We operate or shine because the rain brings out the mushrooms 🍄 (ponchos are provided so you stay dry)

Walk with the Mushroom Witch and learn about the and mushrooms of Salem Woods, how you might use them, and how it all connects to magic.

We still have plenty of availability this month due to sabotaging our website for 4 months, causing early-planners and summer visitors to miss out on the experience. Last-minute planners and wherever-the-wind-takes-us visitors, this is your opportunity! Take advantage and book while you can. www.walkwithawitch.com