Forest green

There's still a lot of green in the forest.

 

Morning forest

Morning light.

 

Komorebi again

Another example of light in the forest-Komorebi (see here)

 

Komorebi

Komorebi is the Japanese word for light filtering through leaves.  

 

Morning

Morning light in the forest.

 

Spring green

A spring forest walk.  Green is so intense in the spring leaves.

 

Tall trees

It's hard to show how tall the trees really are in North Carolina forests. 

 

Ghost forest

Along the coast of North Carolina there are forests of dead trees due to salt water intrusion.  This one is due to runoff from a development flooding the forest.  (see here)

 

Light in the forest

The sun shining through a break in the trees looked like a spotlight on a patch of forest.

 

Forest walk

In the summer heat, a quiet forest walk is the best activity.

 

A perfect day

A perfect day for a walk in the woods.

 

Forest walk

The forest walk is bare and brown.

 

Progress?

A few weeks ago, this was a forested area.  The trees are gone now, making way for another high rise condominium.

 

Forest bathing

Take a break

 

Brookhaven Nature Park

This sweet little nature park sits in the middle of a rather nice neighborhood. 

 It was probably an area that was not able to be developed when the neighborhood was built in the 1960's.  It's hilly and has gullies that fill with water when it rains. 

But it makes a nice little forest park to wander in.

It shows me what all of Raleigh must have looked like before development.

 

Forest trail

More "forest bathing".  

On a hot day, the forest trail is the best place to be.

 

Forest Bathing

I learned a new phrase-"Forest Bathing".  It sounds like something you do with soap and water, but it means to take time in nature to explore and absorb the quiet environment.

I think it means taking a walk in a natural environment.  It really does work to clean, not your body, your soul.

 

Spring green

There's a special color of green you see only this time of year.  Crayola calls it "Spring Green"

 

Also hiding in the leaf litter

If you look closely, the forest floor is not just leaf litter.

Little brown jug (see here)

Spotted Wintergreen. (see here)

 

Hiding in the leaf litter

Orchids!

The crippled cranefly orchid. (see here)

The Adam and Eve orchid. (see here)

Both of these put out their leaves in the winter when the overstory trees lose their leaves letting light come to the forest floor.