What is it Wednesday: April 24, 2019

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

April 24, 2019. 

And the answer is....

This lovely wildflower is trout lily. It is another one of the spring ephemerals, which bloom for a short time before the forest floor is shaded by the full foliage of trees. It isn’t one of the earliest, but it is one of the fanciest looking!

To find out how LEEP can help you learn about the life bursting out all around us in nature, check out www.Luthlerlyn.com/ee! 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: April 17, 2019

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

April 17, 2019. 

And the answer is....

These are both redback salamanders, but the one in the center of the photo is an unusual color variation known as a “leadback.” 

Redback salamanders typically look like the one in the bottom of the photo – dark and a little speckled on the sides and belly, with a brick-red stripe running the length of the back. Upon seeing a leadback, some people may think the red stripe hasn’t developed yet, but the stripe is either present from the beginning of a redback salamander’s life, or it is not present at all.

For more on how LEEP can help you learn about the splendid variety of nature, through school field trips, summer camp, Saturday safaris, special events, and more check out www.lutherlyn.com/ee. 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: April 10, 2019

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

April 10, 2019. 

And the answer is....

Spring beauty is actually the name of this small flower, which is one of the first to appear in early spring. It is in the category of wildflowers known as spring ephemerals: flowers that bloom quickly on the forest floor early in spring, before the leaves of the trees have emerged to blanket the forest in deep shade.

We often see our first sighting of spring beauties each year on the trail to Chapel Rock, during LEEP staff training in the first week or two of April, and that is when and where this one was spotted. 

The practice or study of tracking the changing of the seasons by tracking when certain animals, plants, and phenomena are observed year to year is known as phenology. It is a fun hobby and can also be an important scientific tool for picking up on trends changing over time. 

 Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: April 3, 2019

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

April 3, 2019. 

And the answer is....

This is an old well near the spot known as Trinity Pines, near the Whitestown Road end of Lutherlyn’s property. 

The three large trees at this spot (which are actually spruces) stand out in the surrounding deciduous forest, and are part of the inspiration for the Lutherlyn logo. These three trees grew near the home of the families who owned and ran the grist mill along the stream that became part of Lutherlyn. The well, the three trees, some foundation stones, and an apple orchard are all parts of that old home site from the 1800’s. We know that the Allen family lived at what was known as the Millers House in 1859, and their partners the Thomas family lived there before that.

During a recent autumn that was particularly dry, LEEP staff decided it was a good time to excavate the well and see how far down the stonework goes, and if anything interesting would be found in the soil and debris that filled in the well over time. 

Even in a very dry spell, we did not find the bottom of the well stonework before getting too deep in water to make it practical to continue digging. In normal conditions, the water level in the well is up to at least the second step in the first photo, and usually the first step or higher. 

The shovel in the photo is about 56 inches tall, and fit entirely within the cleared-out well. Unfortunately we didn’t come across any interesting artifacts in the debris removed from the well. Maybe in another dry year we’ll try again!

For more on LEEP how can introduce you to surprising features of Lutherlyn’s land and history through school field trips, Saturday Safars, summer camp, retreats, special events and more, check out www.Lutherlyn.com/ee. 

What is it Wednesday archive: fall 2017

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday 

sometime in the fall of 2017. 

And the answer is....

This is what is left of a spruce cone after a red squirrel has been eating it. 

We often find these littering the paths through patches of evergreen forest at Lutherlyn. 

Gray squirrels predominantly hang out in deciduous forest, while red squirrels prefer evergreen forests, which are also known as coniferous forests because they produce cones. 

The seeds in the cones are hidden at the base of its “scales” so a squirrel has to peel off the scales to get to the food they want, leaving behind a litter of scales and  something that looks a lot like a tiny corn cob!