Tag: Fern Cliff Nature Preserve

It is amusing to see that my own ways to look at things change faster than what I am looking at. 10 years ago, I took these pictures at the Fern Cliff Nature Preserve. Last week I decided to pay the place another visit, and fortunately, it hasn’t change much (in contrast to too many other things).

This is maybe because it is not so easy to find, or that the humid Indiana climate recreates whatever grows quite rapidly.

To the  plants on the rock faces (bryophytes and ferns) these 10 years must seem like nothing. They have been around for millions of years.

So here we switch from wide angle to macro lens.

Some of the vertical walls are completely covered with soft mosses, liverwort, and other beautiful little things.

Maybe we would be ecologically more reliable if our skin looked like that. Collecting water has become an art.

Did I promise ferns? Here is an unusual one:

After the brief excursion to Northern California, we are back to Indiana. This state also has a Fern dedicated nature preserve, the Fern Cliff Nature Preserve, located a little west of Greencastle. Things are a little different, though.

We do have a lot spooky cliff and very little path, mostly dead ends. 

But this means one can explore, and the patient visitor will find ferns that mingle with liverworts.

I took these pictures 9 years ago, but I don’t expect that much has changed.

A little bit off the (beaten) path are some views of the sandstone cliffs I really liked:

I will pay this place another visit as soon as the eternal heat wave ends.