Larchwood Notes

Field notes on trees, trails and slow travel.

Why larches turn gold

The larch is a conifer that behaves like a deciduous tree. Every autumn its needles turn amber and fall, which lets the tree survive cold, dry winters with very little water loss. A larch grove in late October is one of the quietest places I know.

A short walk along the coast

Low tide, wet sand and a long line of footprints. Notes from an afternoon spent walking between two small fishing villages, with a flask of tea and no particular plan.

Keeping a field notebook

A pencil, a small notebook and the habit of writing down three things you noticed. That is all it takes. Over a year the pages turn into a map of the seasons.