Well, here's some shots from a variety of parks near where I live in different seasons.
My wife, standing by a recently fallen beech at the small park called Warren Woods, one of the 3 woodlands in the state if Michigan still considered "primeval."
A shot of an old yellow poplar, more often called Tulip Tree around here. Also from a "primeval" woods, called Russ woods. The tree is probably over 200 years old, and about 150 ft. high. There used to be one nearby that was over 300 years, and 200 ft. You can get an idea of the age be realizing that trees under 50 years old have smooth grey bark, and the thick ridged brown bark only comes w. great age.
A shot of the flower of a tulip tree. When in blossom, the ground is covered with the petals. There's one place I found near Lake Michigan where there is a dune crest right next to a stand of tulip tree. A remarkable sight to se a forest canopy like a garden in bloom.
A shot of some spring flowers also in Russ woods. Many of the older growth woods have huge populations of flowers that bloom in the spring for just a few days before the canopy shades them away.
A shot across the field to the "arboretum," at the Fernwood Botanical Gardens. Thousands of plants have name tags placed by them, and so I've learned to recognize a good number of trees..
We live about 25 miles, as the crow flies, from Lake Michigan. The boarder of the lake has many parks and nature preserves. Here's a shot from a park called Grand Mere.
A shot of a nice stand of sassafras in a state park called Potato Creek. Many, many days spent wandering around there.
And lastly, an urban park. A shot from Chicago's Millenium Park taken just after dawn.
My wife, standing by a recently fallen beech at the small park called Warren Woods, one of the 3 woodlands in the state if Michigan still considered "primeval."

A shot of an old yellow poplar, more often called Tulip Tree around here. Also from a "primeval" woods, called Russ woods. The tree is probably over 200 years old, and about 150 ft. high. There used to be one nearby that was over 300 years, and 200 ft. You can get an idea of the age be realizing that trees under 50 years old have smooth grey bark, and the thick ridged brown bark only comes w. great age.

A shot of the flower of a tulip tree. When in blossom, the ground is covered with the petals. There's one place I found near Lake Michigan where there is a dune crest right next to a stand of tulip tree. A remarkable sight to se a forest canopy like a garden in bloom.

A shot of some spring flowers also in Russ woods. Many of the older growth woods have huge populations of flowers that bloom in the spring for just a few days before the canopy shades them away.

A shot across the field to the "arboretum," at the Fernwood Botanical Gardens. Thousands of plants have name tags placed by them, and so I've learned to recognize a good number of trees..

We live about 25 miles, as the crow flies, from Lake Michigan. The boarder of the lake has many parks and nature preserves. Here's a shot from a park called Grand Mere.

A shot of a nice stand of sassafras in a state park called Potato Creek. Many, many days spent wandering around there.

And lastly, an urban park. A shot from Chicago's Millenium Park taken just after dawn.
