On a hike a few Saturday's back I found a nice dense stand of bamboo growing in the woods.
Bamboo is actually a type of grass and it is among some of the fastest growing plants on the planet. And while its tender shoots and leaves are a favorite food of giant pandas, chimpanzees, mountain gorillas, and elephants, I've yet to encounter any of these animals on my many hikes in and around New Jersey.
How this bamboo stand got there is now nature's secret, but it sure looked like a great place for various animals to nest, bed, and get out of the weather.
I tried to see how far in I could squeeze, but it really wasn't all that far. And it quickly became somewhat claustrophobic!
The floor is a perfect, thick bed of old and dried bamboo leaves and it also gets extremely dark inside.
In a number of these images you can see all the new growth that will only serve to enhance the lushness.
All images @cognoscere and taken on Saturday 05/06/2017 at the North Fork Timber Swamp Brook in Howell, New Jersey (Sony RX100 V)