Shades of green, at Eagle Fern Park

In early January Andrew and I visited Eagle Fern Park, I assume the name pays homage to the fact the park sits along Eagle Creek and is PACKED with ferns. It's also home to amazing lengths of Usnea (Dolichousnea) longissima. I wish this photo didn't insist on being so off in color.

This is what it really looks like. It's pretty amazing stuff, and is considered rare due to loss of habitat, and the fact it's extremely sensitive to air pollution.

In parts of the park it hung from every available surface.

In others it had fallen to the ground where it was being walked upon.

There were also considerable amounts of moss covering trees, rocks and roots.

I thought the bridge would be slippery, and it was. The most unsettling thing however was the fact with every step it bounced and swayed.

I took a video of the fern forest, but it was impossible to capture the magic. So instead I will just share a photo and you'll have to use your imagination to multiply this times one hundred or more. So many ferns.

And a few shelf fungi.

Neither Andrew or I were tired enough that we needed to take a soggy seat.

Ferns!

Fungi!

And moss...

This crazy epiphytic lichen is called Lobaria pulmonaria.

According to this article it consists "of an ascomycete fungus and a green algal partner living together in a symbiotic relationship with a cyanobacterium—a symbiosis involving members of three kingdoms of organisms. Commonly known by various names like tree lungwort, lung lichen, lung moss, lungwort lichen, oak lungs or oak lungwort, it is sensitive to air pollution and is also harmed by habitat loss and changes in forestry practices."

As I think I've mentioned before, I am both attracted to and repelled by this lichen. I think it's the indentations that look a little like pores that get me.