As part of our Cycles of Gaia ecological calendar project, we’ve been sharing an insight each month on one of the member species of the calendar, or some other ecological element of the Northeast Coastal Zone (southern New England) drawn out by the calendar. October is marked by the touch of death as we see a sharp decline of life suspended in tree branches, once-bright fall foliage falling to the forest floor and beginning to decay.
With just a few days left in October, Spooky Season is upon us! (Even if Michael’s and Netflix are already advertising their Christmas lineup.) But amongst the fun of dressing up, trick-or-treating, and decorating our houses, there are some seriously spooky things happening in our environment. From “ghost forests” to “Dead Man’s Fingers” fungi, the spirit of Halloween is very much represented in our surroundings (or is it vice-versa?).
The increasing prevalence of ghost forests along the coastal Northeast, especially in areas like the Chesapeake Bay, New Jersey, and the Connecticut coasts, is a striking example of how climate change is reshaping the landscape. These forests, consisting of dead trees killed by saltwater intrusion, appear eerily skeletal. As sea levels rise and saltwater penetrates further inland, these trees, unable to survive in saline environments, die off. This is particularly noticeable in marshlands and estuarine environments, where the contrast between living and dead vegetation is stark. These ghost forests are a long-term consequence of rising seas and more frequent storm surges, which are increasingly common due to climate change.
October is peak time for fungi, particularly in the moist, decaying forests of the Northeast. Mushrooms of all shapes and sizes sprout from fallen logs, tree trunks, and the forest floor. While fungi are essential decomposers in ecosystems, some species can appear otherworldly. The aptly named “Dead Man’s Fingers” (Xylaria polymorpha) is a fungus that looks like decaying black fingers reaching out of the ground—an unsettling sight in an autumn forest.1
These are just a couple of many “spooky” environmental occurrences, so I encourage you to look for other things you find spooky out in nature! Meanwhile, as Halloween comes around, be mindful of the holiday’s impact on the environment. Halloween creates a significant amount of waste—85% of costumes go to landfills, and they are made of non-recyclable materials that are often plastic-based and contain toxic chemicals. Some ways to make your Halloween environmentally friendly are to source your costumes from your closet (make your costume out of clothes you already have or reuse a previous costume); shop sustainably (buy locally produced foods, candies, and treats and look for chocolate with a certification or scorecard that rates climate and deforestation); use reusable plates and utensils; roast and eat the seeds from your Jack-o-Lantern and compost it when the holiday is over; and make sustainable decorations out of newspaper, leaves, or other sustainable materials!2 Have a Happy, Spooky, and Sustainable Halloween!
Endnotes
1) Also spooky (and fun) is the jack-o-lantern mushroom, which actually glows in the dark! Just be warned, to the untrained eye, it looks a bit like chanterelles or chicken of the woods, but this one causes stomach upset, so try not to confuse them. (Easy way: observe your foraged fungi in the dark!)
2) For more great Hallo-green suggestions, read these articles from Duke Today and Yale Sustainability.
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