Today I switched things up a bit and changed course, taking the trail that goes out to the other headland in town, Elk Head. My daughter arrived this afternoon and I wanted to show her the Fetid adder’s tongue before all the plants went to seed.

Spending time in nature can lift your spirits and lower your blood pressure, while giving you time to clear your head and think. If you pay close attention, right now, you can find a number of different native plants in bloom. Today we scored big time and got to see adder’s tongue in bloom and going to seed, skunk cabbage, coltsfoot and some trillium.

The one thing I noticed was a number of skunk cabbage blooms were crushed or broken off. I realize how great the temptation is to get up close and personal but please, be mindful of where you stand. Many of the plants are interconnected and do important jobs like attract insects that help pollinate other plants and provide nutrients in the forest ecology. Stepping off the trail may give you a better look or photo op but at the same time you may also be destroying the very thing that we all enjoy. Maybe it’s time to bring back some of Ol’ Smokey’s commercials. If not you then who?

Enjoy my pics! #iluvtowalk #nativeplants #fetidadderstongue #skunkcabbage #trillium #humboldtcounty

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