Our first fungi identification walk of the 2006 season couldn't have been a better beginning. 29 people consisting of several generations showed up with family members to share their hobby on this spectacularly gorgeous inaugural day. The facilities and woodlands at this Westchester County Park are superb and residents living nearby are very fortunate to have such a well-managed park which caters to the activities of families, fishermen, mountain bikers and naturalists alike.

It is early in the season for fruiting fungal bodies, but I am happy to report that we documented, in addition to the remains of both perennial and annual polypores, at least six or seven False Morels (poisonous) consisting of possibly two different species; a large number of Black Morels (Morchella elata); one Half-free Morel (Morchella semilibera); a few small Yellow Morels (Morchella esculenta); several collections of Peziza, possibly representing 2 species; and Chromosera cyanophylla, a small umbillicate gilled mushroom that fruits on dead conifer wood.

Of course, there were also many lovely wildflowers along the trails to admire including Spring Beauty, Dwarf Ginseng, the yellow Dog Tooth Violet, Trout Lilies, May Flower, Rue, Skunk Cabbage and False Hellebore.

Some of us saw a Red-tailed Hawk, a variety of woodpecker species, and some of the first butterflies of the year to emerge.

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