Forest Lore Tour

12/13/2024

No bookings today, but I went to the to look at the .

12/09/2024

Come learn about the Winter Solstice ❄️

Join us for a celebration of the winter solstice! We'll learn all about the science behind the solstice, talk to modern witch Euni the Mushroom Witch, and make our own glass jar lanterns.

Saturday, December 14 at 3:00 pm. Open to kids 4+ with caregivers.

Register at salempl.org/calendar

11/18/2024

I've got some reading to do! This was sent by someone who walked with us back in September, and I'm excited to check it out. Hopefully I'll get a chance to go find these plants in the wild soon!

11/18/2024

Another Grant Synder

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.