Tag Archives: Buckingham County

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January 13, 2024 A Wintry Walk around the Farm with a Higher Water Table and a New Orchid Sighting

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Genus Goodyera, downy rattlesnake plaintain orchid. The most common native orchid in North America. It was once used historically as a medicinal plant by Native Americans for curing numerous ailments. The roots were made into a tea for treating lung inflammation/breathing pain and for snakebites: none of this is currently recommended. Although the plant does have beautiful blooms.

It was a blustery and sunny 42 degrees Fahrenheit day in Buckingham County for our walk around the farm. We came over to measure and mark some boards for cutting back at home with the table saw. We are still working on fire blocking the shed and we checked the new trail cam. We finally got some images and video. We are very pleased. So far, a large gray tabby cat, a squirrel and what could be a possum have been captured by the new trail camera. We will download this later tonight and add footage to a post.

A brief video of a small waterfall. Just 15 seconds.

We began our walk up top by the driveway where we saw mushrooms. A few Russula and Laccaria. They were old and had frozen and thawed several times at least. Nevertheless, we stared at them and wanted to know more. We also found some as yet unidentified little brown mushrooms by the large loblollies in the clearing up top. There were hundreds of them. They ranged from quarter size to silver dollar size and were gilled, brown spored and slimy on the cap. The sliminess may be from the freezing weather overnight. They smelled faintly of mushroom and had no taste with a spit test.

Unknown little brown mushrooms (LBMs). These are notoriously hard to identify. At some point, we may resort to microscopy to determine their specific Genus. They are growing around several loblolly pines directly from the forest floor under the pine needle litter and leaves.

As we walked through the forest, we were searching for more invasive paulownia trees to mark and eventually clear them from the forest with their aggressive growth and reseeding. We have 2 large paulownia in the big clearing and 4 medium sized paulownia in the small clearing up top that we call the amphitheater. So far, this is what we’ve found. In spring, they will be even easier to spot. We will remove these as soon as possible and continue to keep a lookout for more.

On a positive note, we did find the downy rattlesnake plaintain orchid pictured above. We found this along our Fern Trail and saw it in multiple spots around the farm. It was noticeably fuzzy and striking with its leaf pattern. The vibrant leaves are enjoying the cold, wet weather we’ve had. We can’t wait to see them bloom in July and August. We will be on the lookout for white inflorescence densely packed along the top portion of the bloom spike (terminal raceme).

Another video with a clearer view of the small waterfall . About 31 seconds
Another even smaller waterfall with a small cave to the right side.The cave was filled with water. We will try to get better pictures. 46 seconds
We found a culvert which appears to run under an old road in our northeast central area of the farm. This culvert has several dozen of what appears to be a hinged shoe lasts with a hole on top that a pole could go through. Made out of plastic. We can’t figure out why they are there.
The culvert with these plastic shoe lasts described above. We hope to figure this out.

We walked all the way around the farm and were happy to come across the culvert and hinged shoe lasts again as we’d looked for it for months. This time we were able to determine where the culvert ended as well as find a dozen more hinged shoe lasts. We are very curious about this mystery.

The days are getting longer. It was still light as we drove home. We feel grateful to have the forest and have enjoyed every season so far.

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January 11, 2024 A short walk around the forest and tree removal

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We went out to Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm today to check on the water levels after the storms which delivered more than two inches of rain. We walked down North Trail to the bottom and across following the waterway. The water was flowing and trickling down from everywhere. The leaves were cleared from the wet weather gullies.

At the bottom of the slope about 20 feet from the waterway.
A spring by the waterway.

We walked up along the south property line and up around the wet weather gully on that side. Up top again, we looked around for any dead trees standing and, once found, we cut it down. It took a bit to get it to fall as it was hung up in multiple smaller and too-close trees. It was paulownia which is invasive so we will make sure it doesn’t grow back. We are clearing and making room for the native trees. Right now, we are choosing and encouraging healthy pines, cedars, fir, ash, paw paw, hornbeam, sugar hackberry, beech, oak and other natives. Paulownias and Ailanthus are the two invasive trees we’ve seen so far, and their days are numbered. We also spotted mimosa, another invasive, growing up top so will be looking for them too in the spring. We’ve seen them right where we just took down the pawlonia today. Although tulip poplar and maples are native they are also running rampant on SAFF and are mostly tiny, sickly and/or undeveloped multiples coming from a single stump that was cut back. We will not encourage their growth either.

We cut the paulownia up and put it in the truck for firewood. Paulownia spreads and takes over in disturbed forests. We want to get this tree off SAFF. However, the wood is fire resistant, half the weight of other woods, has a higher ‘r value’ for improved insulation, dries in days and doesn’t warp, crack or split. We’ve used a few thin limbs from the pawlonia as walking sticks since the spring and they are wonderful to wield and hold. Lightweight and sturdy. We are brainstorming ways to use the rest of the pawlonia we have. It may be good to use as a layer in our next construction project to increase insulation. We have at least three or four more larger trees but maybe more as we were surprised to find the one we cut down today. A website about the paulownia tree: https://treepeopleofwallawalla.com/trees/the-worlds-most-valuable-tree/#:~:text=A%20single%2012%2Dfoot%20log,twice%20that%20of%20other%20lumber.

https://mgnv.org/plants/invasive-plants/princess-tree/

A bird’s nest up top by the driveway .

We checked on the shed. It stayed water tight through the heavy downpour. We continue to be happy deer hunting season is over. The forest has been fun to walk around in the winter. It will be easier to navigate in the spring and summer with our continuing path development. We could see the difference in the forest just after clearing the pawlonia and its too-near neighbors. We can’t wait to see the transition into spring.

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January 7, 2024 Fire Blocking the Shed and Collecting firewood from the Forest

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We went over to Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm to check on everything after the storms and to collect firewood from the forest floor. We also got some of our fire blocking completed for the shed and checked our new trail cam. Everything looked great. The shed is almost ready to insulate. We are planning to overhang the roof to give us lots of porch space.

We were surprised by the mushrooms. Since it’s been so cold, we thought we would not have many but we saw them everywhere. Hundreds of small Mycena as well as Laccaria. We haven’t foraged any of the Laccaria. Because of the cold temperatures, their texture is slimy so we have let them stay put on the forest floor.

Laccaria growing up top in clearing and along the driveway.

We are happy to report deer hunting season has ended. Our neighbor Don stopped by to say hello as we were clearing out a fallen crag by the roadside. We also cleared more black cherry trees with black knot fungus and removed the pieces in order to keep the spores from spreading.

It was cold and windy. The ground was moist from all of the rain, snow and ice. We did not make it down to the waterway but hope to visit again soon.

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December 29, 2023 Trailblazing East, reinforcing shed and creating inlet trails near waterway and springs

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Tremella mesenterica, yellow brain or golden jelly fungus are a few common names. It is most frequently found on dead but attached and on recently fallen branches, especially of angiosperms, as a parasite of wood decay fungi in the genus Peniophora. The gelatinous, orange-yellow fruit body of the fungus, which can grow up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) in diameter.

We went out to the farm to do more reinforcement of the shed with 2 by 4s and to also take a walk. We started walking east where we saw the young bear. No sign of him today. We followed the wet weather gully east and then south until we reached the North Trail. We used loppers and laid our stick trees down beside the trail. We heard crows and hawks as we walked. We recognized a large loblolly and knew we were nearing North Trail.

We found this tree with holes bored into the tree trunk and the bark on the ground and think maybe the pileated woodpecker was looking for a meal of insects.

Evidence of a large woodpecker looking for insects. We hear a pileated woodpecker often and were visited by this large creature back in the early fall.
Fallen bark. I wonder what insects the woodpecker found.
Apioperdon pyriforme, or commonly called the pear-shaped puff mushroom, a saprobic fungus present throughout much of the world. Emerging in autumn, this puffball is common and abundant on decaying logs of both deciduous and coniferous wood. It is considered a choice edible when still immature and the inner flesh is white.
Mycena capillaripes, pink edge bonnet, is a saprobic mushroom found growing in pine forests. We saw it everywhere there were pine trees. Thousands of them. They are tiny.

We did not check the new trail camera. We will remember to do it next time we’re out to Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm.

In order to begin to minimize the spread of the black knot fungus, we are going to be mindful of how we manage the infected branches. When possible, remove them, burn them or cover them from wind and rain to inhibit growth of the fungus.
As we closed the gate to leave, a squall came blowing through bringing wind, rain, ice and sleet. Our truck and Saint Andrew’s Road as well as Howardsville Turnpike were covered in ice. The weather forecast did not predict this.
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December 28, 2023 A walk through the woods and reinforcing the shed

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The rainy days have been nice for the waterway at the bottom of the slope.

As we walked through the forest, we heard the crows and the hawk calling often. It was a warmer day and it smelled of fresh earth and moisture even up top in the clearing.

We looked through the woods and found multiple individual Laccaria up near the front gate. These are edible although we’ve not foraged any as of yet. Animals or insects have been eating them as quickly as they grow.

A video of the waterway at the bottom of the hill.

We can see through the forest better now that it’s winter. We can see the contours of the landscape since the trees have lost their leaves. While we walk through, we plan and think about how to improve the health of the forest. Lately we have been noting the black cherry trees which have succumbed to black knot fungus. We read that this needs to be cut out and if it’s the whole tree, it cannot be saved. We are planning how to get these trees down and removed from the area. Rain, wind and cool weather assist the spores of the black knot fungus. Black knot fungus impacts cherry and plum trees. Until we have managed this, we will not plant trees susceptible to this fungus.

Mycena. Found where pine needles are laying in the ground.
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December 26, 2023 The Red-Shouldered Hawk and a few Mushrooms

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Trichaptum. Underside of Purplepore bracket.

We went out to the farm to have a look about, check the new trail cam and see if the red-shouldered hawk was still there. We also checked in with the shed. It was still dry. We walked down Beech Trail and saw no sign at all of the hawk we’d found dead there on Christmas Eve. We decided an animal probably carried it away. We continued our walk and met South Trail. We found a few beautiful mushrooms. Jelly wood ears and Purplepore bracket fungus.

Top of the Purplepore bracket fungus

We walked down to the water way and saw clear water and pretty mosses, ferns and lichen. We saw the single purple leaf of Cranefly orchids all over. Clusters and singles. We thought we saw strawberries off South Trail.

Turning the trail camera on. 😀

We walked up North Trail and stopped to check the new camera. We forgot to turn it on! Next time we go out we will see if there’s been any animal activity. Back in the clearing, we looked for mushrooms and made plans for trees and our building. Chris walked towards the truck and I was near the shed and a hawk with similar coloring came flying from Beech Trail where the hawk was found on Christmas Eve. It landed in the trees and called out. Piercing, loud, mournful and beautiful, the hawk called to us and then swooped out of the tree and flew towards us and off.

Accidental pocket video of the sounds of the hawk and our reactions. 😄 It calls out 7 times. We believe it was mourning the dead hawk and knew we were mourning the loss as well. As it flew away, it swooped near us.

We were impressed by this hawk’s presence and attempt to communicate. We will always remember this encounter.

Little birds flitting about in the trees while we worked on the shed.
Wood ear fungi
Wood ear fungi found at SAFF on East Trail near waterway
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December 24, 2023 Christmas Eve SAFF Walk

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Laccaria found along the driveway. Edible mushrooms that arrive in cooler weather.

We went out to Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm on Christmas Eve to take a walk in the woods and look for mushrooms. So far, since the heavy rains, we have seen mushrooms up top along the driveway and in the mostly pine forest near the road. These Laccaria are growing in clusters near the gate and along the driveway in the clearing.

We wanted to also check the new trail cam to see if we’d gotten any images of an animal living in the den yet we had technical difficulties but will try again in a few days.

Deceased Red-Shouldered hawk in woods. No obvious external wounds.

We found a dead hawk in the woods along Beech Trail. For native Americans, the dead hawk symbolizes courage, resilience, determination, a new beginning, good luck and freedom from the past. Also, prosperity, breaking of limitations and clarity. We were sorry to find it and hoped it had lived a long, full and beautiful life. We emailed the Monacan tribe to ask if they would like to come and collect the feathers. Hawk feathers are sacred and used in ceremonies.

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December 21,2023 Inoculating poplar logs with Hericium erinaceus and a walk around SAFF

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Poplar logs inoculated with Lion’s mane spores.
Neofavolus alveolaris, Hexagonal polypore, saprobic. Found near the stumpery just south of the clearing.

Tops of Neofavolus alveolaris. They were a bright orange.

Underneath the stumpery pile, an animal has dug a hole or tunnel. We found several other spots like this today. We received our new trail camera and will set it up tomorrow we hope.

We went to the farm today to inoculate more poplar logs with Lion’s mane mushroom spores. Once finished, we took a short walk around and found a few mushrooms. We found a polypore and a common Laccaria. These were new mushrooms found at SAFF.

Common Laccaria tops. One young specimen and one older.
White gills, orange concave cap,long brown stipe. Found growing out of leaf litter in mixed forest. We found a few singles of these as well as a cluster near the driveway and gate up front.
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December 18, 2023 Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm after Heavy Rains

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On Saturday night and all day Sunday, Buckingham got 1.7 inches of rain from a storm that moved through from Florida and the Carolinas and continued up the East Coast. We were excited to go out and see if the shed remained water-tight throughout the storm. We also wanted to see water levels in the waterways and wet weather gullies and look for mushroom development.

The view from the top of the slope.
We saw this den which could be where a fox or coyote would live, or perhaps a smaller creature, or even a three year old male bear. We ordered a new camera last night to take photos of any movement so we can know who may live here. Here are sounds from a bear den. https://ktwh.org/sounds-from-a-bear-den-shared-on-ktwh/
We found this hole near the bottom waterway which was dripping and water was flowing down. Sound on for tinkling water noises. 💦
It was cold yesterday so we wore our orange shirts over all of our clothes and coats to be sure to be seen by hunters; although, we did not hear any shots fired or dogs hunting. We have avoided this South border since hunting season began. It was a treat to walk it. We were amazed to see how much water flowed at the bottom waterway and along the sides. We have never seen it so full and wet. The ferns, lichen and moss were glowing with brighter greens. The water was clear and trickling came from everywhere.
Looking at our camp from the forest.
These tiny saprotrophic mushrooms covered the forest floor. If we looked close enough, we found them everywhere up top in the woods. There were thousands. We can’t wait until next week to see what other, larger mushrooms emerge from the rains.
At bottom of slope looking up we saw areas where pines have dropped their needles. We began to plan this spot as one area we want to clear of the thousand of sticklike tulip poplars in order to plant an orchard of paw paws, other fruits and nut trees. Just behind us, we are standing 20 feet from the bottom waterway/stream. We may apply to the https://www.jamesriverbuffers.org/ for help planting the area. We are determining our eligibility for this program. “The James River Association and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation are working with landowners across the Middle and Upper James River watersheds to restore or create forest buffers that improve the quality of local waterways.” We are checking into it and are excited to find out more.
Chris on the North Trail taking down a diseased tulip poplar. The tulip poplar overwhelm areas in the forest if left unchecked. Maples also appear to be invasive where we find them.

We were so glad we went over and grateful to know the camp remained dry in that windy and heavy downpour. We hadn’t yet imagined building a fire at SAFF even in our clearing because of the drought. This rain really replenished the moisture of the earth. The ground’s thirst appears quenched for now. It was a beautiful afternoon to visit Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm and have a walk around.