The unusually rainy July brought an unexpected plant into the park - ghost pipes. They do not generate food using the energy of sunlight, but rather from a parasitic relationship with fungi. And since they do not contain any chlorophyll, they are usually pale white.

Thanks to unusually rainy conditions, we had plenty of boletus type mushrooms in early summer.

There is a thistle in the Dimple that butterflies really love. #monarch #swallowtail

There is a big wasp nest (bald faced hornet) hanging directly over the trail just behind the Gazebo bridge. #waspnest

A couple of shots from our reptile event, where Ranger Turk introduced a couple of 'animal ambassadors' and gave an intriguing lecture about local reptiles. #snakes #turtles

Ferns bestow an aura of mystery upon summer woods. They provide it with the subtle poetry of natural lace that ignites our primordial imagination. This post is a little sampler of summer ferns from Wolf Trap woods.

A pair of fawn siblings enjoying a quiet afternoon in Wolf Trap woods.

A brown headed cowbird, a relatively rare visitor to our park. Cowbirds are brood parasites, which means they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, much like common cuckoos.

Our pollinators made good use of a warm weather we've had in early Autumn.

Praying mantis is one of the most interesting insects you can encounter in the park. Fall is usually the best season to spot it.

“Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. It’s not about nutrients and calories. It’s about sharing. It’s about honesty. It’s about identity.” (Louise Fresco) Photo: a bee and a butterfly are sharing a thistle in the Nectar Bar of the Dimple

A couple of late bloomers from the park.

Foliage Season 2025 A couple of views from the park #autumncolors

Foliage Season 2025 A couple of details #autumncolors

And just like that the foliage season is over and we face the long trek through winter to get all the colors back :-) #fallcolors

Most notable sunset from Autumn 2025. #sunsets #coloredsky

A heron fishing in Wolf Trap creek.

“When the most important times are occurring, we don’t even recognize them or notice. We are just busy living our lives. Only looking back do we know what was a great moment in our lives.” (Federico Fellini) Photo: a buck in the northern section of Wolf Trap woods (November)

Creeks frozen wall-to-wall, hard crusted snow cover, and single digit temperatures - that was winter 2026. #winterscape #arcticblast

In this color-starved environment, let's revisit the Autumn color extravaganza via reflections in the creek. Claude Monet would have been proud of these abstract compositions. #autumncolors