Winston Woods in a Very Wet June

            If your favorite color is the lush green these heavy rains have created, and you don’t mind mud, June has been—and continues to be—a great month for walking in Winston Woods. There is something serene and calming about walking along a path surrounded by trees and underbrush so well-watered and brightly painted in nature’s favorite color. Psychologists say that green surroundings can reduce stress and give you a sense of tranquility and renewal.

            The spring wildflowers are long gone, hiding away until next year. By mid-month I didn’t see many flowers blooming. The most prevalent blossoms were on that interloper, the garlic mustard, which endangers the native species we want to preserve.

            One spring ephemeral still identifiable is the May apple. The blossoms are gone, but you can still see the umbrella-like leaves in the woods. Where blossoms hung in May, you now can see the “apples” hanging from the stems—just one fruit per plant. The plants which produced blossoms and fruit this year are less likely to survive or to bloom next year.

            The insects are back, so it is wise to apply a little bug repellent before hiking into the woods. Be prepared to encounter flies and ticks, and of course, mosquitoes, which are known for their love of wet places.

            Bolingbrook has had so much rain this month that the trees and other plants seem to be flaunting their color and size. Walking at Winston Woods on a windy day, it is as though you are in a kaleidoscope of green shapes. In the early morning, the birds are more vocal than they are after the day heats up. If you walked in the woods shortly after a rain, you may marvel at the beauty of raindrops balanced on leaves.

            Whenever you might have ambled into Winston Woods this month, you undoubtedly confronted mud, mud, mud. When I went there on June 17, after staying away for several days, I discovered that one of the paths had morphed into a little stream. On days like that, I don’t go very far back in the woods—even the main paths are muddy. Nevertheless, I’m soothed by my green surroundings and feel refreshed whenever I walk in Winston Woods.

© Wilda Morris