Scarlet Elf Cup

By: Frankie

What: Scarlet Elf Cup (Sarcoscypha coccine)

Ecological notes: Yet another gloomy day with temperatures in the mid 40s. It rained on and off through out the day and the soil was soft with fresh rain. I stumbled off the trail and noticed these bright red cups underneath a layer of maple leaves. I had never seen this species before. The small fruit bodies have brilliant red insides with a lighter beige color on the outside. The texture is rough and the cup waves in and out small enough to fit a pigeons egg.

Where: The forest behind Shelburne Pond

Other notes: The edibility of the Scarlet Elf Cup is unknown but it was used as a medicinal plant throughout history by the Oneida Indians. The fungus was dried, ground up and used as a styptic. It was also used for the navels of newborns after the umbilical cord was cut in order to heal it properly. Fruit bodies were used under bandages made of tanned deer skin. The fruit bodies have also been a noted food source for rodents in the winter and slugs in the summer.

Sugar Maple

By:Frankie

What: Red Maple (Acer Saccharum)

Ecological notes: I took the above photographs this afternoon around 1 pm in the woods at Shelburne Pond. Although I am not 100% positive I believe the buds to be a Sugar Maple (although I had previously thought Red Maple). The branching is opposite and I found a decent amount of maple leaves blanketing the ground. It was a gloomy day today and I found my eyes shifting to the tiny pops of color in the woods, a reminder that bloom is just around the corner. This particular tree was very young and I studied the buds carefully noticing the beautiful red and green hues. I am amazed how long I have gone in and out forests without really noticing the amazing beauty of one single bud. It really captures all of the feelings of shifting seasons from winter to spring.

Where: Forest at Shelburne Pond

Other notes: Sugar maple is a native species to hardwood forests of North America. It is beautiful during fall foliage and may be best known for . It is common among most types of soils (besides sand) and is the most shade tolerant of large deciduous trees. On young trees, the twigs like the one I have photographed above, are a reddish brown color. As the tree gets older its bark becomes darker and more rough in texture. The fruit of this tree is called a samara, which is an important food source for birds, squirrels, and other rodents. The Sugar Maple is well known for its maple sugar sap which provides us with delicious maple syrup. The earliest written accounts of maple sugaring were made in early 1600s by European explorers who observed Native Americans gathering maple sap. Its bark is often used for furniture and musical instruments like the guitar and violin.