The Nurse Log: Planning and Editing a Nature Journal

Priya's First Draft: The Log That Feeds a Forest

1On Saturday, my grandpa and I hiked the Cedar Hollow Trail. Halfway up the hill, we stopped next to a huge log covered in green moss. The air smelled damp and earthy. Grandpa told me it was a nurse log. I had never heard of one, so I took out my journal and started writing.

2A nurse log is a tree that has fallen down and is slowly rotting. It gets its name because it takes care of new plants, the way a nurse takes care of people. As the wood breaks down, it holds water and food that young plants need. We saw tiny tree seedlings growing right on top of the log there roots reached down into the soft wood.

3The log was full of life. Bright green moss covered the bark like a blanket. Small ferns poked out of the cracks. A gray slug slid slowly across the moss. Orange mushrooms grows along one side. When I lifted a loose piece of bark, I saw beetles, ants and a shiny black millipede.

4A nurse log does not last forever. Over many years, the wood gets softer and softer. Insects, fungi and water slowly break it down. In the end, the log crumbles and becomes part of the forest soil. Sometimes the young trees that grew on top are left standing in a straight line where the log used to be.

5It was a really nice log. Grandpa says it will look a little different every time we visit. I can't wait to go back to cedar hollow trail next month and see how it has changed.