#Dryopteris expansa

[pnwnativeplants]

Dryopteris expansa or spiny wood fern © 1995 Saint Mary's College of California

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Today's coolest find at the Nature ID Field Day I led for Portland Community College at Lacamas Lake Park was this Pacific sideband snail (Monadenia fidelis), which is native to the Pacific coastal region from southern Alaska to northern California. They're easily mistaken for the invasive European brown garden snail (Cornu aspersum), but the sideband's shell is narrower and a bit flatter, and it's a deeper red-brown with pink on the edge of the foot. We also saw a beautiful male belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon), explored the differences between similar species of plants like lady fern (Athyrium felix-femina) vs spreading wood fern (Dryopteris expansa) and European holly (Ilex aquifolium) versus Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium), and found the sljme mold Fuligo septica on a log.

I'll miss doing in person classes over winter, but the weather's just too unpredictable, so we'll just have to look forward to spring!

[aveganmermaid]

Dryopteris expansa 🌿 Spiny Wood Fern (I'm obsessed with ferns) #nativeplants #nature #ecology #beautifulbc ig: aveganmermaid (at Tynehead Regional Park)