Look at that glowing wood: foxfire

[SwampDonkey]

Check out this site for info on bioluminescense of some wood decay fungi:

http://www.mysterylights.com/types/fox/

I saw it myself in an alder swamp some 25 years ago. We used to hang out there as young boys riding our bikes at night. This was a full moon night in July that we saw it for the first time.

[Jeff]

I have never seen this. I was hoping to hear some stories from other members that have.

[Corley5]

I've seen it on corn that was picked a little too wet.  A friend picked it knowing it was too wet and ran it in on the floor of his barn for a few days and was feeding it from there.  The weather warmed up right after he picked it and at night the pile glowed.  I'd never seen it before and haven't seen it since.  Conditions must have been just perfect.

[SwampDonkey]

I see mostly dead fungi, which are green, on rotten wood. I have tried to transport these dead fungi and observe them at night. But being dead, that kinda put the damper on that idea. When I first saw the fungus some 25 years ago, we did transport it and it glowed most all night. It seemed to be all the more mysterious that night, since it was a full moon also. We had a big treehouse that we used to stay at in the summer months, we brought it there. It sure was a curious speckacle  for 12 or 13 year olds. But once it dries out its gone for good.  

cheers

[Tom]

I've seen Bio luminesence in the Ocean.  Our ship would leave trails behind her a couple of miles long from the screws churning the "bio-soup",  fishing at night when I was a kid you could see bigger fish feeding on smaller fish and shrimp off of the bridge as they darted through the water.  I've seen it as I was swimming in the surf and moved my hand quickly through the water.  It would be trailed by a stream of light.

I have not seen it in a forest yet.

[RMay]

I"ve seen it one time it was in a fireline we was plowing at night it was on a wet site with rotton wood

[tshanefreeman]

I'm glad that you asked this question, for I had forgotten about seeing it about 10 years ago here in southern Manitoba.  I remember being spell-bound at the sight.  I then took the rooting piece of wood back to my campsight and it continued to glow for about two more nights, finally succombing to the elements of mother nature!

I think that the reason why the majority of people never see it, is because few have a reason to be riking at night without a flashlight..................even the slightest light emitted from a flashlight will dull the appearance allowing it to go unnoticed!

[Ron Scott]

Mystery Lights in Michigan's Upper Penninsula

The Pauding Lights

At one time, Ripley's Believe It Or Not offered in excess of
$100,000 to the person or persons who could solve the bizarre light phenomenon in Paulding (near Watersmeet), Michigan.

Has any Forum members seen them?
See:
http://akak.essortment.com/pauldingmichiga_rltm.htm

[Stephen_Wiley]

First time I saw them was while hunting elk 20+ years ago.

My partner and I were climbing a steep ridge at night, stopped to rest, turned and noticed the green lights illuminating in several places below us.

We hiked back to the nearest one and carried it back to camp with us.( on the bark of a downed DF tree).

[fingerpicker]

I suspect that foxfire is largely a phenomenon of east coast woodlands.  I saw it as a kid in the woods around our farm near Dover, PA.  I have also seen it when hiking in the Smokey mountains and near Mt. Mitchell in NC.  Most recently (about two years ago), I saw foxfire in Olmstead Park here in Raleigh, NC.

In all cases I have seen, the foxfire came from highly resinous and partially rotted wood fibers in the stumps of broken off trees.  For some reason, at least in the cases I have seen, it is always in very splintered wood.

I don't know if this is restricted to a specific species of wood or not and I can't now recall if I was ever able to tell what species of trees it came from.  I always have seen it at twilight and early evening as I generally don't tromp through the woods much after dark.  It is not very bright and sometimes you may think your eyes are playing tricks on you.  It is pretty cool, though, and seeing it is special enough to really enhance the experience of a woodland trek.

As for what causes it, the fungal infestation idea sounds plausable to me though it somehow seems to take a bit of the fun and mystery out of the whole thing.

[Tom]

It's the glow from bonfire of the little elves of the forest as they party and dance in the evening.

[SwampDonkey]

errmm. I hope its not from the distillary behind the cabin.  

[SwampDonkey]

Have a lookie at this page, requires Quicktime.

http://www.fmnh.org/ua/node_7.htm

[Kedwards]

Bioluminesence is pretty cool. I used to do some non native species eradication on Cayo Costa Florida and we would canoe back from cabbage key to the island at night (after having 1 or 5 ) and some good food at the restaurant there. When you paddle the glow would kick up from the paddle or if you came accross a large fish (snook or red mullet) the tail would leave a greenish streak.. BTW The tree we were trying to get rid off was Australian Pine and brazilian pepper.