A few days ago, I took another short walk down Waldenmaier Road and noticed another small patch of bright orange Jack-o’-lantern mushrooms growing at the base of a decaying tree.

Did you know?

Jack-o’-lantern mushrooms are bioluminescent. Their gills can produce a faint greenish glow in the dark through a chemical reaction similar to the one that allows fireflies to glow.

But there is more going on here than an interesting mushroom.

Fungi are among nature’s great recyclers. They help break down dead wood and other organic material, returning nutrients to the soil where they can become part of another generation of life.

The orange mushrooms are simply the part we happen to notice.

Much of the real work is taking place out of sight.

Sometimes stewardship begins by noticing what nature is already doing.