On Saturday my husband and I went on a hike in the York Region Forest. Several times throughout the summer there are guided hikes through various parts of the York Region Forest and they are themed for families with different interests. It could be finding frogs in the pond or bird watching or identifying native plants. The hike we participated in was at the Hollidge Tract and was geared to taking photos of the forest with nature photographer and naturalist Gary Conway. A large group congregated around Gary and members of the Regional Forest management team to get started on a two hour hike with lots of opportunities to stop and take pictures. Gary pointed out areas of interest and various aspects of getting a good picture in low light and sunny. The idea was to be aware of what is around you and of course don’t stand in the poison ivy. The first photo is the group going down the trail. Next is the pond which was pretty much drying up at this point in the summer. In the bottom row is the Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria a very pretty but invasive no native, the Pyrola elliptica, a native plant with its stalk of greenish white flowers. Last is a snail on the Queen Anne’s Lace or Daucus carota. It was lovely and cool in the forest. If hikes are given in your area like this one join up. It is a great way to spend a few hours.
Hope to see you at Mary’s for Mosaic Monday. I always appreciate your comments. Have a great week. Valerie
22 comments:
What a gorgeous place to hike! You got some fantastic shots, very pretty!
My husband lead hikes here in the Blue Ridge Mts. of VA. I now what a wonderful experience they are and know you had a wonderful time. You MUST always have your camera with you. The pictures you bring home are filled with wonderful memories from nature. Your mosaic is lovely...wish I had been there with you all. Happy MM. Genie
How wonderful! I bet it was a great day. Love the photo of the snail on the lace ... balance is wonderful! !!! Have a delightful week!
I would love to go on that hike too! It sounds so beautiful. I posted about a hike that our family went on too~what a coincidence!
Best wishes for a lovely week,
Natasha.
Oh, that looks like my kind of Sunday afternoon! What fun to have the experience of a pro photographer on your hike! Thanks for sharing your wonderful photos! xoxo
That really is a great idea for a hike! I really have enjoyed guided walks while being a tourist. Nice scenery...
Lovely pictures!! What a great capture of the snail...know he wasn't gonna fly away but it really adds to the texture of the photo! Wishing you a grand week! Cathy
Looks interesting and like a good way to spend an afternoon ...the snail on queen anne's lace is amazing---great photography
That snail on the Queen Anns lace is amazing! I do know that Queen Annes lace is from the carrot family and that it is actually poisonous...I am guessing not to snails though. Wonderful mosaic.
Great idea, I wish there was something like this around here. I would love to go on a hike designed for people who love to photograph nature. I just adored your snail shot!
Hi Val
I like going for hikes in the dappled shade of a wooded area. There's so much to see and learn about. Looks like you had a good time.
Judith
That shot with the snail is fantastic! Looks like it was a beautiful hike!
Sounds like fun...the mosaic even looks as if it were cool in the forest with all those greens. Thank you for identifying my plant. I'm taking both yours and Judith's word for it after googling bee balm and finding similar looking plants. Of course, with the macro setting, the thing looks huge, but it really isn't very big at all.
Hello, Valerie. The hike sounds like a wonderful experience. I particularly like the close-up photos of the plants. As well, thank you for visiting my blog and your warm welcome to Mosaic Monday.
What a great idea! I love the snail photo....great MM
Great photos! Thanks for sharing!
Markus
Sounds and looks like a wonderful hike. I love the photo with the snail in it.
A hike is a perfect way to spend a not-too-hot summer afternoon. I love the snail shot!
You did a great job on the photos. Sounds and looks like you had a nice hike. I have never seen a black and white snail like that - thanks for sharing.
Oh wow... that image of everone going down the trail makes me long for a hike!! Great pics...
Veronica
www.tasselsandtwigs.blogspot.com
That snail on the stem is a great shot. Hiking with a camera makes one more observant, I think. And hiking with a camera with the intent to blog makes one much more observant.
Such a pretty trail. I love being in the forest.
A hike in a forest like this must be so pleasant on a warm summer day! I like the wild flowers you found to photograph. At first I couldn't make out what that was on the Queen Anne lace -- it looked like a button!
Post a Comment