Three: Foxfire Woods Nature Preserve

In my quest to visit 50 ACRES preserves, last evening Steve and I stopped by Foxfire Woods on the way to the Highlands (our tree farm) and we ignored the random capitalization on this sign!

It is a small preserve, just 7.9 acres, acquired in 1974. We hiked a half mile back to the preserve and then the half mile loop through an open forest.

There was not much green yet, but I did find a Christmas fern.
We were entertained by the songs of birds and a very noisy chorus of spring peepers in the vernal pool at the back of the preserve.


Foxfire is a bioluminescent fungus that is best seen in late summer and early fall, but I did see several other fungi.


We saw an interesting burl on a tree.

And when I looked at the other side of the tree, this happy wood gnome was staring back at me.


It was a pleasant way to start our evening, which ended by enjoying a pizza and wine by a campfire at the tree farm.