WriterByNature.com

I was hoping we’d find Blewit mushrooms this year, too. COMA hikes are always educational; this past week provided an opportunity to study an edible mushroom and its deadly look-alike.

It will be a long time before I gather honey mushrooms (Armilllaria mella) without Dianna Smith by my side.

These were growing in the grass around this decaying tree stumps. Their fatally poisonous look-alikes, grow on wood.

This deadly gallerina (Gallerina autumnalis) may look distinct from the choice edible honey mushroom in these photos, but

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This is one of a series of articles designed to equip any naturalist with words that enhance learning and make field observation easier. Here are the botanical terms for:

Plant Parts Below the Soil

Root - supports the stem and stores water and food for the plant.

Rhizome - a stem growing underground, often horizontally.

Tuber - a swollen, fleshy part of an underground stem.

Bulb - an underground leaf, which stores nutrient reserves.

Corm - an underground stem, which stores food.

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Presenting nature programs to the public can be challenging, but my most recent experience at the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum was a total joy.

Every adult attendee was male, most with toddlers, and school-aged sons and daughters; one dad carried his year-old infant in a 21st Century papoose.

The children noticed the lobes of the white oak leaves and the points of the red oak leaves. They were fascinated with the grubs that emerged from the acorns we gathered for display. Everyone shared the music of acorn cap whistles.

At a time when it’s easy to despair about climate change, habitat destruction and general apathy toward the natural world, I got a glimpse into the lives of some young families that affirm my values.

The idea that registered voters are deliberately being removed from the voter registration rolls, sends a cold chill down my spine. This is the tragic result of the 2006 Help America Vote Act, which creates obstacles, rather than ensuring that American citizens can register to vote.

That’s why I am supporting the nonpartisan Steal Back Your Vote. Don’t let the comic book format fool you. Greg Palast and Robert Kennedy, Jr. have created a practical, user-friendly handbook with clear steps you can take to ensure your Constitutional right to register and vote.

I’ve already checked with my local Board of Elections.  Can I Vote is another way to check your voter registration status. That’s just one “heads-up” from Steal Back Your Vote.

If  your name is no longer on the election rolls, register to vote again.

If you are prevented from voting when at your polling place, don’t settle for a provisional ballot. Instead, call Election Protection at 1-866-OUR-VOTE, for immediate adjudication. Why? Because in previous elections,  provisional ballots have been thrown away, without being counted.

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Once the acorns fall, it’s easy to gather large quantities. But it’s worth the time to select only the good acorns. Thanks to Sam Thayer, here are a few things to look for when gathering acorns for your pantry.

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As if harvesting blueberries and acorns simultaneously isn’t surprising enough, I was really shocked to see this blueberry plant flowering. Yes, the climate is changing.

In the autumns of my childhood, blueberries were no longer ripening in September, color was past peak by mid-October, and witch hazel bloomed after their leaves and nuts fell in November .

I’m tempted to stress out over the political decision-making that has contributed to climate change (not to mention our economic woes), but it’s leaf season and as long as there are autumn displays, I will honor them.

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I love finding nature-themed games and puzzles. Credit for this one goes to Frank Grindrod of EarthWork Progams. Foraging with Frank at the Hawk Circle workshop was as enriching as meeting Sam Thayer. Here’s the riddle:

In marbled halls as white as milk

With a skin as soft as silk,

In a fountain of crystal clear

A golden apple does appear.

There are no walls to this stronghold,

Yet thieves break in to steal the gold.

Feel free to comment if you think you know the answer to this brain-teaser.