Members who joined us for this walk led by our club president, Morrs Palmer, had a great time climbing the hill behind his home and scanning the ground for morels. We found at least one member of each of the three main species common here in the east - all under large-trunked, mature Tulip Poplars (which are in the Magnolia family, not the Poplar)! Most prolific were Black Morels (Morchella elata). I think almost everyone found at least one specimen, but those with an instinct for where and how to look and a mycelia-like impression of the morel shape imprinted on their gray-matter (Damon) found a hefty bagful!

Remebering the depressing recently published NY Times article on the introduced and invasive Garlic Mustard plant that suppresses mycelium from expanding or even surviving where the weed flourishes, I began yanking it out of an area previously scoured for morels - so that we would have morels next year. I was rewarded by finding three lovely specimens of Morchella elata - my first of the season!

Of course, lest we forget in our frenzied-focus on morels, there are many other wonderful things to see in a forest. A critter many of us were lucky to come almost eye-to-eye with was a brightly colored Gater Snake. And George treated us to a view of the teeny tiny Red Velvet Mite, a critter related to ticks, but a 'good fellow' that preys on insects.

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