Turtle Way or Mushroom Alley

Turtle Way, also known as Mushroom Alley is the convergence of two idyllic paths that lead from neighboring gardens through the woods to a dock on Weesuck Creek. This trail, which marks the northern edge of our property is a right of way, used mainly by one of our neighbors to reach the dock where he keeps his boat (he is great fisherman and regularly disappears into the bay to compete with the Osprey in search of finney prey). The path is also used by me as part of my regular rounds. The forest is oak and hickory with scattered pines and cedars, particularly near the more open creek end. The overhead canopy is closed so the ground is shaded and covered with moss and lichen which give it a sort of fairy-tale look; these non-flowering plants are, no doubt, sustained by the regular fogs which float in from the bay and creek and the general high levels of humidity. After the rains, the non-flowering plant population is augmented by the appearance of fungi which in turn attract the Box Turtles. Box Turtles are very fond of mushrooms although they seem to nibble only a piece of each mushroom before moving on to the next. I often catch them in the act, their jaws covered with white mushroom crumbs. Sometimes every mushroom on Mushroom Alley seems to have been nibbled. The list of mushroom along here is a long one and varies with the season. So far this year, the specialties have been lactarius (Lactarious volemus or something similar; edible and excellent), the Red and Yellow Chanterelles (edible and excellent), several russalas (some edible, most not) and a beautiful purple, meaty, scrumptious-looking bolete which is absolutely inedible due to its intense bitterness. The turtles eat 'em all.

Eric Salzman