Third Saturday Walks in the Elfin Forest

 

February 18, 9:30 a.m. – Fungus Foray

For our annual Fungus Foray in the Elfin Forest, intrepid leader and fungophile, Dennis Sheridan will take us on an exploration of the Elfin Forest floor for wood bluetts, black elfin saddles, earthstars, golden caps, boletes, poisonous amanitas and many other fascinating fungi. Bring a magnifying lens and, if you have a mystery mushroom in your yard, bring a sample for Dennis to identify. This is not a mushroom collecting walk, as all plants in the Elfin Forest are protected by law. Only a very heavy rain will cancel the walk, and if it hasn’t rained, Dennis will give us an equally fascinating walk about the lichens that grow abundantly in the Forest.

March 17, 9:30 a.m. – Animal Tracks Walk

Join Evan Albright, an animal track expert, in learning who is “tracking up” the Elfin Forest. Evan will demonstrate how to tell the front feet from the back feet of a raccoon, and what the dif­ference is between coyote tracks and dog tracks. Visitors will learn to look for other signs that a wild resident of the Elfin Forest has passed that way, such as hairs on a fence or “scoot” marks where the animal squeezed through a fence hole. This walk will open up a complex world of the Elfin Forest’s inhabitants, one that we would never suspect while walking along the boardwalk.

April 21, 9:30 a.m. – Butterflies and Native Plants

In honor of California Native Plant Week, butterfly enthusiast Pat Brown will lead a walk from the point of view of a hungry butterfly. As you tour the Elfin Forest with her, Pat will intro­duce you to several native plants and talk about the butterflies that sip their nectar and the caterpillars that eat their leaves. Pat has taken many photos of butterflies in all stages of development from eggs to mature butterflies, and will share them along with fascinating butterfly facts. She’ll lead you to hangouts of Variable Checkerspot, Moro Blue, Swallowtail, Hairstreak and other but­terflies that make the Elfin Forest their home. She will also share information about butterfly books, web sites and butterfly-related materials. She recommends that you bring a hand lens and a pair of close-focusing (5-10 ft.) binoculars.