Pin or save this post for reference next time you're writing a forest. You can pull from these sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch sensations to add texture to your forest descriptions.
Sights
- Wildflowers
- Ferns
- Hunting traps
- Berries
- Animal tracks
- Spiderwebs
- Mushrooms
- Clearings
- Paths
- Dens/burrows
- Birds nests
- Abandoned campfire
- Hollowed-out trees
- Rising mist
- Bracket fungi
- Acorn shells
- Moss
- Lichen
- Fallen logs
- Gnarled branches
- Tree stumps
- Birds
- Deer
- Streams
- Dewdrops on leaves
- Squirrels
- Fallen pine needles
- Foxes
- Rabbits
- Patches of sunlight
- Snails
- Animal footprints
Smells
- Smoky campfire
- Wet mud
- Warm, dry earth
- Wildflowers
- Decaying logs
- Maple sap
- Freshly turned soil
- Ripe blackberries
- Wild garlic
- Decaying fruit
- Hot springs / sulphur
- Wild rosemary
- Rotting leaf pile
- Honey of beehive?
- Cooked meat (fire)
- Resinous pine
- Wild strawberries
- Wet rocks
- Fresh rain
- Sagebrush
- Wood sorrel
- Sweet chestnut
- Pollen
- Sun-warmed bark
Sounds
- Rustling leaves
- Trickling water
- Distant birdsong
- Hooting owl
- Crunching footfall
- Snapping twigs
- Buzzing insects
- Wind rustling trees
- Pattering rain
- Hawk screech
- Wasp/bee buzzing
- Howl of wind
- Gurgle of stream
- Crisp leaves underfoot
- Rustle of birds in nest
- Scampering animal
- Crackling fire
- Gurgling stream
- Distant wolf howls
- Barking fox
Tastes
- Tart wild berries
- Nuts
- Cooked mushrooms
- Cold stream water
- Hunted animals
- Foraged eggs
Touch
- Soft moss
- Rough bark
- Smooth stone
- Prickly pine needles
- Cool breeze
- Warm sunlight
- Damp earth
- Spongy ferns underfoot
- Sharp twigs
- Wet leaves
- Crisp air
- Sticky sap
- Furry moss
- Velvety petals
- Slippery mud
- Sharp thorns
- Wiry roots
- Rustling leaves
- Tender grass
- Cool shade
- Tangled vines
- Prickly brambles
- Wet moss
- Crunching acorns
- Gentle raindrops
- Bristly pinecones
- Soft fur
- Snail slime
- Dewy grass
- Jagged, sharp stones
