Flora and Fauna | Curbstone Valley

Sierran Treefrog (Pseudacris sierra)

by Clare | Apr 6, 2012 | Farm Blog, Flora and Fauna, Native Wildlife

In all the time we’ve been here, I’ve only ever seen one frog. Just one. We hear them frequently, sometimes down by the creeks, other times up on the slopes above us, but they’re rather shy, and we have some very dense woodland here, so being able to find our...

Winter Losses, and the Renewal of Spring

by Clare | Mar 20, 2012 | Farm Blog, Flora and Fauna, Native Plants

On this first day of spring I decided to walk through the property to see how our woodland native plants are faring so far this season. I’m taking stock of which plants are thriving at the moment, and where, as I will need to collect seed, or take cuttings from...

Goldback Fern (Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis)

by Clare | Mar 16, 2012 | Farm Blog, Flora and Fauna, Native Plants, Natives

We are significantly behind in our rainfall totals for this year, but during the last week the rains have made a valiant effort to catch up before Spring arrives. This winter’s paucity of rainfall has impacted a number of our native plants, especially our...

The Mock Oyster Mushroom (Phyllotopsis nidulans)

by Clare | Jan 9, 2012 | Farm Blog, Flora and Fauna, Fungi

For Mushroom Monday this week we have a beautiful little oyster mushroom. Unfortunately though, this is not the oyster mushroom typically found growing on oaks here, that is prized by foragers. This is the ‘mock oyster’ (Phyllotopsis nidulans). I was...

The Death Cap: Amanita phalloides

by Clare | Dec 19, 2011 | Farm Blog, Flora and Fauna, Fungi

It’s no secret that Curbstone Valley is home to a host of species of fungi from fall through spring, and fall means it’s the start of the season. Amanita season that is. The welfare of all the animals on the farm is our top priority, including our pets,...

Boletus truncatus

by Clare | Nov 28, 2011 | Farm Blog, Flora and Fauna, Fungi

It seems early in the season to have such an explosion of fungi growing on the property this year. The rains started early in October, and the soils have never completely dried out. This has fostered the growth of an assortment of species of fungi that makes it look...