13 February 2012
18:00 hours. Near McChord Air Field. Exit 123 from I-5 and take a right off of the exit. Take a left at stop sign. Straight through next stop sign. Take a left at next stop sign. After the first signal after the railroad tracks there is a small gravel vehicle turnout. It is located along the JBLM fence directly across from the airfiled on the right hand side of the road. The weather was cold and cloudy. I could see my breath when I got out of the car. The forest is un-touched by anything around here since it is military property. There is a rich diversity of conifers, Oaks, Alder, and Maple tress. I stopped here to collect because it is on my way home and I can see lush moss mats from my car everyday. I was excited to finally stop. It felt like I shouldn't be there because it is McChord property but no one seemed to mind. I collected a Polytrichum species because it looked different from anything else I had seen before. It was tall and had long, slender, light green needle-like leaves. The leaves seemed more fragile than the Polytrichum I was used to seeing. Also, it struck my attention because of a red patch of the same moss growing inside of a larger light green patch. I am wondering what causes these types of color changes? I have seen it in other species of moss now as well and it blows my mind everytime. I don't know if it has to do with moisture, sun exposure, or something else entirely?
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