Or become a member of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz which hosts
wild mushroom forays in this Park and other sites throughout northern California.
Soquel Demonstration Forest Jan-Feb 2010 & 2011 |
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| Find your way to the Demo Forest and you'll be amply rewarded. |
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| It's a popular spot, so pull over and park wherever space is available. |
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| Cross the bridge to begin exploring. |
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| A variety of trail options are available. |
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| East Branch of Soquel Creek drains the surrounding watershed. |
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| Soquel Demonstration Forest shelters a rich variety of native trees, plants, wildlife. |
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| Ladybugs gather in great numbers to hibernate in places throughout the forest. |
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| Deep drifts of leaf litter, forest debris carpet the area. |
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| Ideal habitat for native salamanders like this Yellow-Eyed Ensatina. |
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| Yellow-Eyed Ensatina Salamanders are "skin breathers". Avoid handling. |
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| If you venture off trail, be sure to watch where you put your feet. |
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| During wet, rainy months California Newts are frequently encountered. |
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| While photographing this California Newt, noticed clumps of rose-colored slime mold above it. |
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| Each "Cotton Candy" slime mold nodule swells as it matures, becoming porous to release its spores. |
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| Hillside seeps like this one create a wet, soggy environment. |
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| A jewel-like Western Tree Frog at the edge of a trail-side seep. |
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| Newts gathering to breed in a shallow trailside seep. |
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| Several were swimming around or resting on the bottom. |
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| A surprising number of newts for such a small, shallow pool. |
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| As winter gives way to spring wildflowers emerge. |
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| A delicate wildflower drenched with raindrops. |
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| The forest provides a banquet for this native banana slug. |
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| There is nothing, absolutely nothing tastier to a Banana Slug than mushrooms. |
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| A huge variety of wild mushrooms and exotic fungus thrive in the Demo Forest. |
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| Colorful specimens such as these are commonly seen. |
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| Examples of the unusual-looking Jelly Foot mushroom. |
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| It's a "toothed" mushroom with tiny points on its underside. |
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| Scarlet Waxy Caps |
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| Like globs of butter melting. |
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| Dull-colored Black Trumpets are difficult to spot among leaf litter on the forest floor. |
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| Resembling dull-black funnels, they appear singly or in small clumps. |
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| Yep, they're edible and highly prized by mushroom hunters. |
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| Contact Soquel Demonstration Forest State Park to obtain permits for collecting. Or become a member of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz which hosts wild mushroom forays in this Park and other sites throughout northern California. |
| Return to Top. Go to Fungus Forays |