moss on log, Gabriola IslandI’m interested in Gabriola’s trees, but not for the usual reasons. I want to know what they look like in various stages of decay, both before and after they fall to the ground. That rotting log or that moss-covered branch: was it a cedar tree? Grand fir? Douglas fir? Alder? I’m getting better at this.

Part of my interest is curiosity run rampant, as you might expect. But there’s a practical reason, too, you know. Some mushrooms are very particular about where they’ll grow. Knowing which dead or aged tree is home to a mushroom just might help with mushroom identification.