CVNRA #376, from the Federal Lands series

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Virginia bluebells grow in damp shaded river valleys or stream terraces. They don’t blanket hillsides in bright bursts of color like other showier wildflowers. But for those people who stumble across them on a damp hike or seek them out in the woods, they are a delight. The protected forests of CVNP are home to abundant bluebell habitat. Light blue bell-shaped flower clusters age into pinks and purples. In this image, the decaying log on the ground and the snag of the tree stump with shelf fungus attest to the complete circle of life in this fecund and understated ecosystem.