Jellies!

If you visit our lake anytime soon you may encounter a rare visitor. Freshwater Jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbyi) are a nonindigenous aquatic species that are sometimes found in this area. Also known as the peach blossom fish, they are indigenous to China along the Yangtze river. They were probably introduced with aquatic plants that had been imported from China.

The jelly has been reported in every state except those that have extremely cold winters. Like all jellyfish, it posseses nymatocysts for stinging prey. They do not sting humans because the nematocysts cannot penetrate our skin. They eat zooplankton and small fish eggs. Crayfish are apparently the only real predator of this jellyfish.

If you would like to know more about this interesting creature, USGS has a good website with lots of info and links. Click on this link to visit the site:

http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=1068

We would like to thank Charlie and Casey Carter, Peter Rowe and Bauer Swartz for bringing us this interesting creature. Good hunting guys!

Edible Styrofoam

The end of summer is here. Cooler temperatures, shorter days and falling leaves will soon be common in the area. Before fall hits full-force you should take a hike and look for late summer nature. One thing to definitely keep your eyes open for is the Giant Puffball (Calvatia gigantea).

The giant puffball is a fungus that grows in or very low to the ground. Sometimes it is large, like a beach ball, and sometimes it is small, like a softball. It is domed and white and can be covered with earth in a forest. It has short mycelial "roots" that hold it tight to the ground. The flesh of the fungus is spongy and soft. It feels like a piece of foam rubber, or a pinky ball!

A fresh puffball is edible, although I never recommend eating mushrooms unless you are an expert or can consult one prior to eating. There are too many look-a-likes in the fungus world to risk it. If you happen to find one around the Baltimore County area, we would be happy to ID it for you!

When a puffball gets older, it becomes puke-green on the inside. This is when spores are forming for reproduction. If you see one that looks deflated, it may be ready to live up to its name. Give it a tap and see if anything comes out. You may get to see thousands of "puffy" spores come shooting out of this giant mushroom. Your kids will get a real "kick" out of it!

To learn more about mushrooms, mushroom recipes and safe eating practices, visit Wildman Steve Brill's site at: http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/