As I walk around at the arboretum, I am amazed at the shapes, colors, textures and patterns of all the different life forms. In the first photo, the scaly leaves of an incense-cedar branch that broke off during a storm turned a beautiful copper color. Nearby on the ground was another fallen branch laden with lichen. Just around the corner was a dead tree that still felt solid and was adorned with vertical grooves. It seemed such a contrast from the fuzzy entanglement of the lichen. Then I find myself constantly drawn to the vibrant foliage of the licorice fern sprouting throughout the forest.
I imagine that a sign of a healthy environment is one that it is full of diversity. It certainly makes it a more interesting place to live.
