On the Trail: A winter walk in the woods

I'm interrupting my series on the Shawnee National Forest to bring you this important message: If you haven't been out in the woods for the last few months, the forest will see you now!

By "the forest," I mean whatever your favorite collection of trees is, and of course, the forest is always there for you. However, if you're like me, getting out into the woods in winter can seem like more work than it's worth, sometimes.

But we've made it through the worst of winter, for sure, and by the end of the month there will be daffodils blooming in southern Illinois. And the woods are coming alive, too.

I was out in the woods behind my house after the most recent "snowpocalypse," and the thing that really struck me were all the animal tracks in the snow. While there were no animals to be seen, there is clearly a lot going on in those woods, in winter, when no one is looking.

Botanically, the forest can feel pretty dead, too. So, the green of the Christmas ferns certainly stands out, especially when there's snow on the ground.

While there are a few other green things in the woods in winter, I want to mention an interesting plant that is probably most noticeable in winter, since I've never actually seen it blooming in the spring or summer.

The Adam-and-Eve, or Putty Root, orchid's distinctive leaves appear in late November and persist until March. The leaves are uniquely pin-striped, with parallel alternating silvery-white and green stripes and appear to lay on top of the leaf litter. They are common in our forests and are hard to miss once you start seeing them.

While birds in winter are certainly easy to see at bird feeders, the woods in winter can feel pretty birdless, too.

I've been walking around in Trail of Tears State Forest doing winter bird surveys, and it is not unusual to walk to a point in the forest and not see or hear any birds during the 10-minute survey period.

Having said that, the leafless canopy does offer great views of the birds when you see them, especially the woodpeckers. And sooner rather than later, the resident songbirds will begin singing again and the forest chorus of bird song will start to build to its springtime crescendo.

Of course, also missing from the forest in winter are the creepies and the crawlies and the poison ivy and other things which can be a nuisance at times. So, for some folks February and March is the perfect time for a walk in the woods.

For me, the spring awakening of the forest is a highlight of the natural year and it's my favorite time to be in the woods. But the forest in winter has its own special appeal and we still have a few weeks to enjoy its subtle beauty before things in the forest get busy again.

Mike Baltz has a doctorate in biology and writes about changing the world from his home in Carbondale.