When it rains, it spores

"Mushrooms are a prominent feature of our wintertime biota, and a mid- December stroll on campus is often rewarded with a spectacle of mushrooms that provides a palate of colors and diversity of forms rivaled only by spring wildflowers."

This is a quote from Tonya M. Haff's "The Natural History of the UC Santa Cruz Campus" 2nd ed. (2008). This insightful book is a great place to start if you are interested in the natural history of Santa Cruz as much of it can be applied to other wild areas beyond campus. This quote is in the beginning pages of the chapter entitled "Mushrooms" which discusses am amazing variety of fungi around us. These April showers are going to give life to some fresh mushrooms so hit those damp trails and check them out!

For more on the Natural History of UCSC, click here.