September’s High Peaks Alliance Naturalist Series brought Maine Master Naturalists Vicky Charbonneau and Darin Schwartz together with participants at another beautiful location in Western Maine. The group met at the Kinney Family Forest in Farmington and began their woodland journey into the world of ferns.

The group began with a “walk” through history, exploring these resilient plants, which have existed for more than 300 million years and survived numerous cataclysmic events on our planet. Using a collection of fern specimens, participants learned about the structures and life cycles of ferns.

After taking time to learn the basics through insightful discussion, it was time to begin the adventure in the woods. Participants split into groups, pulled out their dichotomous keys, sought out ferns, and got their hands dirty. They soon discovered that, although many ferns in our forests are green, they are also a diverse group of plants.

Excitement grew as participants began to see the variety of species growing among the ferns rather than simply a bed of green plants. This new ability to recognize differences between ferns opened up a whole new world of discovery. Together, the group found and identified more than six species of ferns common to Maine.

Along the way, participants also spotted many species of fungi—but those discoveries will have to wait until the group’s October walk.