Looking back on my life and surveying my memories from my present vantage point - as an adult and a biologist with several years of school under my belt - I sometimes realize that I knew I would be a biologist.
As I stroll along walkways or drive down the street, I sometimes find myself completely entranced by the subtle plots of nature happening before me. These surreal pauses seem to hit me especially hard when I encounter a tree or flower that for some reason is bookmarked in my mind, but I don't know it until that very moment.
I was literally walking down the street, headed to my car and saw this.
It is the spiky fruit pod of the Chestnut tree, the Sweet or Chinese Chestnut it is sometimes called.
We had a rather large Sweet Chestnut tree in my front yard back home in Memphis. These spike pods were the bane of my younger siblings and wandering animals.
Bumping into this young tree was like running into an old friend while on vacation. You never expected to see them but you stop and visit a while and you feel good for having taken the time to catch up.
I first learned about Chestnut trees at Natural Resources Career Camp. The American Chestnut is especially rare because it is susceptible to a tree disease, known as blight. Even if you are lucky enough to see/grow one, it's not likely to grow very long or tall. Because no one in my family knew what kind of tree this was, I took some of the fallen nuts to the Forestry professor at my university (while I was studying for my Master's). He seemed surprised to see the nut and kept asking me where I found it. He seemed to have a hard time believing me when I told him from my yard, from a large tree. Obviously, foreign Chestnut trees are special as well.
Have you come across a chestnut tree? If so which kind?
As I stroll along walkways or drive down the street, I sometimes find myself completely entranced by the subtle plots of nature happening before me. These surreal pauses seem to hit me especially hard when I encounter a tree or flower that for some reason is bookmarked in my mind, but I don't know it until that very moment.
I was literally walking down the street, headed to my car and saw this.
Have you come across a chestnut tree? If so which kind?