Are Oaks in Trouble?

Before I share a brand-new video with you, I’d like to remind you that enrollment for Exploring Wild Ecosystems closes on Monday, June 3.

This online course improves your knowledge of ecology by introducing you to fascinating terrestrial and wetland ecosystems.

If you want to develop ecological literacy and be able to read landscapes more effectively, consider enrolling in Exploring Wild Ecosystems today.

Speaking of reading landscapes more effectively, we can predict future ecosystems based on current observations.

Consider a mature oak forest, for example.

Looking at an oak forest today, we might hope that conditions will remain stable for many years. Any native plant enthusiast will tell you that oak forests are repositories of biodiversity. Without oaks, other organisms that depend on oaks suffer.

But a quick glance at mature oak forests today tells us that significant changes are occurring. These changes, it turns out, aren’t particularly favorable to oaks.

Ecologists are worried about something that’s occurring underneath the towering oaks. This phenomenon has been happening to oak forests for the past 100 years. According to ecologists, it will persist without active management.

In a brand-new video, I address this important ecological issue.

You can watch the video here.

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

— Adam Haritan

I never met the man who wrote these words

“Each place is itself only, and nowhere repeated.” —Barry Lopez

I never met the man who wrote these words, but I imagine his definition of place wasn’t limited to cities, towns, and suburbs.

As a writer of various nature-themed topics, Barry Lopez undoubtedly included tundras, rivers, canyons, forests, meadows, and deserts in his definition of place. No two of them are alike, he wrote. Each place has a story we can learn.

When we visit a bog and decipher its origins; when we visit a savanna and study the role of fire; when we visit a swamp and see how different it is from a marsh, we learn how remarkable each place is.

For the past 18 months, I’ve been working on a new online course designed to highlight these fascinating ecosystems. I’m excited to announce that Exploring Wild Ecosystems will be open for registration on Monday, May 20.

If you want to strengthen your ecological skills and improve your understanding of nature, consider enrolling in this brand-new online course.

Please note: Exploring Wild Ecosystems will be open for a limited time. Upon registration, you can immediately access all course content and view the lessons at your own pace. To register, mark your calendar for Monday, May 20, and visit this link. All additional details will be posted on Monday.

I hope to see you in there!
—Adam Haritan

P.S. If you haven’t read any books by Barry Lopez, I encourage you to do so!

Advice On Finding Morel Mushrooms

“Let it be still, and it will gradually become clear.”

To the best of my knowledge, Lao Tzu wasn’t a mycologist, but his famous text — the Tao Te Ching — could be considered a treatise on how to find morel mushrooms.

Reading the quote above, we are reminded that our desperation to find morels can complicate our search. A desperate mind, after all, is a muddied mind. A calm mind, on the other hand, is a clarified mind that can see what’s directly in front of it (in this case, a morel mushroom).

Here’s another quote from chapter 55: “The master never expects results; thus the master is never disappointed.”

Disappointment afflicts many foragers who struggle to find morels. Such disappointment can lead to sadness, anger, and frustration. It’s better to appreciate the sunshine, fresh air, and singing birds than to feel like the morel gods have cursed us.

Lao Tzu was a wise man. His words were very powerful. My words will never be as eloquent as his, but I still feel obligated to share some of my own advice on finding morel mushrooms.

What skills must we develop? Where do we look? How do we deal with FOMO (the fear of missing out)?

In a brand new video, I summarize my thoughts. You can watch the video here.

And in case you missed the announcement, I’m releasing a new online course in May. Exploring Wild Ecosystems is designed to improve your knowledge of ecology by introducing you to fascinating ecosystems — including alvars, barrens, bogs, dunes, fens, glades, savannas, vernal pools, and others!

To receive updates, please consider joining the notification list.

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

— Adam Haritan

Having Trouble Identifying Elms? Look for this feature.

Within the foraging community, people often promote rules of thumb.

• “When in doubt, throw it out.”
• “Collect no more than 10% of a particular species in an area to avoid overharvesting.”
• “It’s better to cut mushrooms with a knife than to pull them out of the ground with your hands.”

Generally speaking, I’m not the biggest fan of pithy guidelines such as those listed above. Some of them are helpful, but most require elaboration.

Here’s another example of a commonly promoted rule of thumb: “To find morel mushrooms, look under elm trees.”

I actually like this rule of thumb, but I don’t think it’s helpful for those of us who can’t identify elms. Some of us have trouble recognizing the ridges and furrows of elm bark. Some of us don’t notice the double serration of elm leaves.

Fortunately, a seasonal feature can help us identify elms right now. This feature will disappear in a few weeks, but if you look for it today, you will drastically increase your chances of finding elms.

What is this feature? Check out the brand new video to learn what it is!

And in case you missed the announcement, I will be releasing a new online course in May. Exploring Wild Ecosystems is designed to improve your ecological knowledge by introducing you to fascinating ecosystems — including alvars, barrens, bogs, dunes, fens, glades, savannas, vernal pools, and others!

To receive updates, please consider joining the notification list.

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

— Adam Haritan

Exploring Wild Ecosystems — New online course coming this spring!

There’s a hidden benefit to joining nature clubs that few people discuss. Once gained, this benefit can be wasted if you don’t take action on it. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, let me explain.

Early on, I realized that an easy way to learn mushrooms is to join a mushroom club. An easy way to learn plants is to join a botanical club. This is true for nearly any skill that can be taught. Join an organization and participate in its activities.

This sounds pretty obvious, but what is the hidden benefit that I mentioned earlier?

The hidden benefit is this: Nature clubs often take you to places that you’ve never been to before. A botanical club might botanize a rare northern white-cedar fen. A mushroom club might explore a remote red spruce forest.

The reason I call it a “hidden” benefit is this: many nature clubs never mention it. In fact, some nature clubs never draw attention to the place itself. Instead, they devote their attention solely to an isolated group of organisms that inhabit the place.

Now of course, organisms are vital components of a place, and we must learn them. But the place itself, and the relationships that build the place, are things we also must learn if we are to improve our ecological literacy.

What is this place? Why does it look like this? Who is responsible for its existence? How is this place any different from other places with similar names?

If we don’t ask these questions, we fail to see how any of its organisms are connected. If we don’t see the connections, we don’t see the place. If we don’t see the place, we act in strange ways — almost like hungry people who taste only ingredients, but not the meal itself.

All this to say, I decided to bring awareness to this issue by creating a new online course devoted to this topic. Exploring Wild Ecosystems is an educational resource I spent all of 2023 creating. I am excited to announce that it will be released in May.

If you want to improve your ecological literacy while studying fascinating ecosystems (alvars, barrens, bogs, glades, prairies, swamps, and more), consider joining the notification list.

I’ll have more information to share in the upcoming weeks.

Thanks for your support!
—Adam Haritan

Old Growth Hemlock — A Marvelous Sight

“Respect your elders.”

I like to think that I’m a decent practitioner of this advice.

I listen to old songs. I read old stories. I admire old monuments. I befriend older people.

But I’m only human. And I live in a culture that worships youth. As a result, I sometimes find it challenging to see the merits of old age.

Fortunately, I’ve discovered a solution: I walk through a forest.

When I walk through a forest, I am reminded by nature to respect my elders.

Old trees are especially good at providing these reminders — not through words but through their presence. Humans tend to feel a certain way when they’re surrounded by ancient trees. Science can’t fully explain why this happens, but it is a wonderful phenomenon.

During a recent walk through a forest, I encountered a few old eastern hemlocks. Fantasies of eternal childhood vanished the moment I saw them. Sensing an opportunity to showcase what I witnessed, I decided to film the experience.

If you’re interested in seeing a few marvelous trees, check out the brand new video!

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

— Adam Haritan

Two Winter Opportunities To Learn Valuable Nature Skills

Greetings,

In anticipation of the winter season, I am excited to let you know that the Learn Your Land online courses are currently open for enrollment.

Additionally, both courses are on sale this week ($100 off each course).

If you are interested in learning how to forage mushrooms, consider enrolling in Foraging Wild Mushrooms. This 4-season online course is designed to help you safely and successfully harvest wild mushrooms from the forest, from the field, and even from your backyard.

To improve your knowledge of trees, consider enrolling in Trees In All Seasons. This online course teaches you how to identify over 100 trees in every season. If you want to develop the confidence to be able to look at a tree and say, “That’s black spruce,” or “That’s sourwood,” or “That’s mockernut hickory,” consider enrolling today.

These courses are self-paced and presented entirely online. Once enrolled, you can start, stop, and resume at any time.

Please note that both courses are on sale ($100 off each online course) for one week only — from today until Monday, December 18.

You can register and learn more about the courses here.

If you have any questions, please reply to this email and a response will be given shortly.

Remember, this sale expires on December 18th. Enroll today and let your winter season be filled with learning, adventure, and connection!

Thank you!

—Adam Haritan

Finding A Decent-Sized American Chestnut Tree

It’s always a good day when I find an American chestnut tree. It’s an even better day when I find an American chestnut tree of a decent size.

Admittedly, I mostly feel this way because American chestnut isn’t an incredibly common species where I live.

A fungal disease known as chestnut blight kills most American chestnuts. The fungus cuts off the flow of water and nutrients within trees. Starved of nutrients, the trunks of American chestnuts die.

But the roots remain alive. They give rise to sprouts which eventually become new trunks. Sometimes these trunks live for many years, and sometimes I find them in the woods.

Such was the case a few days ago when I encountered a living American chestnut by chance. More than just a stump sprout, this particular American chestnut was a decent-sized tree.

Needless to say, I was excited. I promptly decided to capture the experience on film to show you what an American chestnut looks like in the autumn season.

You can watch the very short video here.

Speaking of decent-sized organisms, I recently found a large enoki mushroom. In fact, it was the largest enoki mushroom I’ve ever seen. To view a short video on that experience, check out the Learn Your Land Instagram and Facebook pages.

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

— Adam Haritan

Identifying Trees Without Looking Up

Conventional ways of doing things aren’t always the most effective ways of doing things.

Take tree identification, for instance.

We might think that we have to strain our necks in order to identify trees. If we don’t look up into the canopy, how else are we supposed to learn?

We can look down instead.

When we look down at the forest floor, we discover clues. After analyzing these clues, we can easily determine which trees are growing nearby — without even looking up.

During a recent walk, I attempted to identify trees based on what I observed beneath my feet. I brought my camera along to show you just how effective (and fun!) such an exercise can be.

If you want to learn how to identify trees without looking up, check out the new video!

I also recently posted a new video in which I discuss an edible mushroom known as hen-of-the-woods. To view that video, check out the Learn Your Land Instagram and Facebook pages.

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

— Adam Haritan

The New Disease That’s Killing An Iconic Tree

American beech has seen better days.

In recent years, a new disease has been threatening its health. Leaves are falling off prematurely. Trees are dying. Researchers are scratching their heads.

Since its initial detection, this mysterious disease has been spreading throughout 12 states and one Canadian province. Some people are already predicting what a world without American beech might look like.

What is this new disease? How bad is it really? Who is the culprit? And will chemical treatments work this time?

In a brand new video, I explore these questions.

You can watch it here.