Ecology Update

Cool Things in the Woods

Gery Juleff, Sustainability Manager and Ecology teacher, gives an update.

Mr Juleff ended 2024 with a challenge to his Upper Elementary and Middle School students – Help me create a trail in the woods, but at the same time use your powers of observation to find something really cool.  Nothing man-made. This could be a beautiful leaf, a stunning silhouette, or anything intriguing.  Mr. Juleff would judge and the winners would get some chocolate – and a photograph on the PMonts blog!  Here are the winners of the Coolest Thing in the Woods competition, by grade:

Middles School (A & B) (A) Winner: Audrey and Anayra found Amber Jelly Roll Fungus.  It not only looks cool but feels interesting and is edible. It is quite common in our woods.

Runner-up: Stella discovered a Turkey-tail mushroom. It looks cool and is used by some as a natural medicine for cancer, muscle strength, fatigue, and UTIs.

(B) Winners: Isaac, Bea, Jia, Ben, and Vishnu went where no PMonts students had gone before, fighting their way through multi-flora roses to find the lower reaches of the Montessori River.  On par with the adventures of Lewis and Clarke, according to Mr. Juleff

5th grade:  Winner: Avi spotted a grapevine that was still wrapped around the branch of a tree that it had ‘strangled’

Runner-up: Parker found some very cool fungus, Amber Jelly Roll Fungus.  It not only looks surprising but feels interesting and is edible. It is quite common in our woods.

4th GradeWinners: the whole class, for going further into the woods than any PMonts class had gone before.  They were fortunate enough to have class after Middle School who had cleared the path for them.  

Runner-up: Adithya for finding a vine that was stunting the growth of a young tree.  Looked like a snake!

3rd GradeWinners: Minha, Selene, Mila, Adara, and Juliette found some interesting, hard, brown fungi on a tree trunk.  Unfortunately, Mr Juleff was unable to identify it.

Runner-up: Ashwin found a fascinating rotten tree trunk base, with interesting colors and fungi.

More cool things: