What is it Wednesday: April 29, 2020

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 29, 2020. 

And the answer is....

This is the blossom of a flowering dogwood, just beginning to open. Soon this blossom will transform into the familiar four-petaled white flower that makes the flowering dogwood tree such a beautiful part of springtime.

One neat thing about this picture is that the dogwood twigs are visible as well as the blossom. Dogwood twigs are distinctive for a couple of reasons. The branches of the twigs grow directly across from each other – this is known as opposite branching pattern and very few tree species in our area grow like this. Maples and ashes are the most common in addition to dogwoods.

You can also see from a close look at dogwood twigs that this is a very slow-growing tree. The small lines that encircle the twig mark the ends of a year’s growth – on dogwood twigs these lines are very close together, showing that they grow only about an inch a year, sometimes less.

Getting to know your natural surroundings can mean learning what the flora and fauna look like in all their life stages, not just the dominant or most familiar ones. Watch a plant up close for a whole year and see what surprising things you notice!  

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 archive: April 18, 2018

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. 

And the answer is....

It is amazing that this little bud, about an inch or two long, contains the beginnings of an entire strand of wisteria blossoms. 

They can be stunningly beautiful, but unfortunately they are problematic as well. Wisteria is a highly invasive vine, and it if becomes established in a forested area, over time it will twine itself tightly over all the trees and choke out the native forest. Because there are so many flowers in each blossom, it makes many seeds and spreads quickly. 

Please don’t plant wisteria, and this is a rare case where cutting or picking wildflowers – all of them, if you like! – will actually be helpful to the environment by slowing the spread of the wisteria vine. Feel free to enjoy the beauty of wisteria when you see it (a section of Lutherlyn’s Cherry Trail is stunning in late April when the wisteria blooms), but try not to add to the amount of it growing where it doesn’t belong.

To learn more about the complex and beautiful natural world all around us with LEEP, check out http://lutherlyn.com/ee, 

And to learn more about invasive plants and how to control them, visit

http://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/WildPlants/InvasivePlants/InvasivePlantFactSheets/Pages/default.aspx 

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 22, 2020

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 22, 2020. 

And the answer is....

This bright flower is marsh marigold, currently blooming at Lutherlyn in the marsh at the upper end of Upper Lake, and in the stream valley of the Semiconon Creek.

Marsh marigolds grow in open wet places with rich soil, and seem to especially thrive along the edges of flowing water in a wetland. They often grow in large patches, making for a stunning display of widespread bright yellow when they bloom in early spring. 

The flowers provide both pollen and nectar to visiting insects. Seeds formed in the flower are dispersed when it rains, as the raindrops splash into the “cup” created by the flower petals, expelling the seeds outward.  The seeds then float on the water until they land on suitable soil.

If you have a chance to explore a wet area near you in the next week or two keep an eye out for marsh marigolds! What other spring wildflowers have you noticed near you?

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 15, 2020

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 15, 2020. 

And the answer is....

This is a northern spring salamander, found along the Chapel Rock trail near Shawnee Run last week. 

Spring salamanders are part of the family of lungless salamanders, which take in oxygen through their skin. Because of this, they require a habitat with cold, unpolluted water with a lot of oxygen. They love hanging out in and near springs, seeps, and flowing streams – which perfectly describes the area where this salamander was found. 

This salamander appeared to be injured – it was sitting in the middle of the sunny trail, had blood in its mouth, and you can just see in the photo a raw patch of skin on the back of its head. I suspect some critter – maybe a garter snake – tried to eat it and changed its mind. Like many amphibians, spring salamanders release toxic secretions from their skin that deter predators. It may be hard to tell because of how it is positioned in this picture, but this salamander was big enough to require two hands when I carried it in some leaves to a safer and shadier spot near the stream.

We don’t see spring salamanders often at Lutherlyn, maybe because they are mostly nocturnal, but we usually come across one or two a year. Based on its size and color this salamander was probably an “elder” - older spring salamanders have a darker color and fewer mottled markings than younger ones. They can live up to 18 years and spend 3-4 years as a juvenile in the water! I hope it survived whatever caused its injury that day.

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 8, 2020

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 8, 2020. 

And the answer is....

 These are seeds of Norway spruce trees. (Actually the seed on the left has fallen out, leaving only the papery “wing” behind.)

They may look a bit similar to the “helicopter” seeds of maple trees, but they are about half the size of the smallest maple seeds we see in Pennsylvania, are arranged singly and not in pairs, and it is too early in the spring to see maple seeds. (These seeds were found Monday, April 6.)

We don’t usually see the seeds of evergreens, because they are usually tucked safely inside the cones of the tree. The large visible woody cone is the female cone where the seeds develop. The seeds are nestled against the inside of the woody scales of the cones. The male cones are smaller and softer, and carry and release the pollen that fertilizes the female cones to produce the seeds.

Seeds and female cones from Norway spruce. The cone on the left has opened almost fully.
The cone on the right is still closed tight near the base.

Most cones of trees found in Pennsylvania open when they become dried out, allowing the small seeds to fall out and disperse by the wind. Usually by the time the cones fall to the ground, the seeds are long gone, perhaps tucked into the soil eventually to become a tree. 

Sometimes animals get to the seeds before they have a chance to disperse! In the spruce forests around Lutherlyn, we often find cones on the ground that look like already-eaten corn on the cob: 

These are what is left behind after red squirrels have peeled the scales off the cone in order to eat the seeds tucked inside. Left-behind remnants of eaten food are known as "middens" and can be interesting clues to what animals have been around in the area recently. Maybe if you keep an eye out you will also find some spruce seeds or middens in your own outings in nature. 

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: March 11,2020

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

March 11, 2020. 

And the answer is....

This tiny snakeskin is from a black rat snake – clearly a baby, because this is about as small as black rat snake can be. We had a picture of one as a What is it Wednesday post back in the fall, which is when baby black rat snakes hatch from eggs.

That is not a massive leaf or rock, that is a tiny snake.

When we first spotted this skin in the woodpile at Terra Dei, we wondered if it was from a smaller type of snake, like a garter snake or even a ringneck. But while large snakeskins cannot be made by a smaller species of snake, a small snakeskin can be made a large species of snake while it is young. That is the case here.

We sent a picture of this skin to a wildlife pest management company who promises to ID your snakeskin pictures for you if you send them in. (Apparently many people who find snakeskins near their home worry that they came from a dangerous snake that they need to get rid of.) The identity of a snake can be determined from its skin based on the shape, position, and number of rows of the imprint left behind by the scales – but these details can be difficult to pick out if you aren’t used to doing it. It was nice to have expert help!

We don’t see snakes during early March, when this What is it Wednesday was posted – it is too cold for them and they are still hibernating. (We are just starting to see a few now in late March and early April.) But it is nice to see reminders of our scaly friends all year round. We find skins like this often in the woodpile at Terra Dei – the snakes seem to really love the rough texture and snaggy ends of the wood to help them shed their skins.

(By the way, my favorite "guesses" on our What is it Wednesday post that week were "nope rope wrapper" and "danger noodle ghost"!) 

For more on how LEEP can help you find out who has been in your area based on what they leave behind, with field trips, summer camp, Saturday Safaris, 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 1, 2020

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 1, 2020. 

And the answer is....

These are morel mushrooms. 

Morels are one of the most sought-after edible wild mushrooms, and are relatively easy to indentify conclusively. If you’ve never eaten morels before, don’t start now – but if you find some you can make a note of where you found  them, and look there again another year.

Unlike many mushrooms, which tend to emerge in the summer and fall, morels develop in the spring - in Western Pennsylvania usually in April and May. This photo was taken at the end of April 2019. We will be on the lookout for morels at Lutherlyn in the next few weeks!

Morels are very distinctive-looking, but can still sometimes be confused with false morels, which are NOT edible. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation (a great resource on wildflowers and other discoveries in nature) “In false morels, the cap surface has lobes, folds, flaps, or wrinkles, but it does not have pits and ridges like a true morel. …false morel caps bulge outwards instead of being pitted inward. Also, when you slice a false morel down the middle, the cap and stalk are chambered. True morels are completely hollow.”  Many comparisons of the two can be found online. However, the safest way to be sure you don’t eat any poisonous wild mushrooms is to not eat ANY wild mushrooms! And I think we can all agree avoiding unnecessary emergency room visits is a priority right now - save any new wild edibles adventures for another time.

For an archive of previous What is it Wednesdays, check out our blog, http://lutherlynnature.blogspot.com/.  And for ways you can keep connected with Lutherlyn during this time, check out www.Lutherlyn.com/athome, as well as keeping an eye on Lutherlyn's facebook page. We hope to see you at Lutherlyn sometime soon! 

  

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!