Upcoming Events (January - March 2018)

I am leading or hosting several upcoming events for the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy.  I have been involved with the CWC as a volunteer for approximately five years - leading field trips, performing stewardship, and participating in biological surveys.  In March of this year I was asked to join the organization's Board of Directors.  I am still leading trips, just under a different capacity.

New Year's Day Sunrise Hike (Monday 01 January 2018)

Join me on Monday January 1st at 7:30AM at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Bundy Hill Preserve for a sunrise hike to start the new year.  Bundy Hill is the highest point in Isabella County - this event is timed to have us on the crest when the sun passes over the horizon.  This event is free but participants are asked to register in advance.  Please visit the CWC website for more information on this event.

New Year's Day Moonlight Hike (Monday 01 January 2018)

After beginning the day with a hike, end the first day of the new year with a second hike.  Join me at the CWC's Sylvan Solace Preserve at 9:00PM for a moonlight hike.  Hiking under a full moon is an exciting way to explore the winter woods!  Like the previous hike, the event is free and participants are asked to register in advance.  More information on this event including a registration form can be found here.

Winter Animal Tracking (Saturday 03 January 2018)

The CWC's third outdoor hike of the year will take place on Saturday February 3rd at 10:00AM at the Halls Lake Natural Area.  Join us as we search for tracks, scat, and other animal signs.  For more information and to preregister visit this event page.

Because some people may find it difficult to participate in hikes, we wanted to have a few events at an indoor venue that can be attended by people of all ability levels.  The next two events will take place at the Veterans Memorial Library at 301 S. University in Mt. Pleasant. 

Logging History of Michigan (Wednesday 28 February 2018)

Join me for my program on Michigan's historic logging era of the late 19th and early 20th century.  This presentation will focus on the tools and processes required to get logs from the woods to the mills.  This program will begin at 7:00PM in the Library Annex.  More information is available on the CWC website.

Spring Wildflowers (Wednesday 28 March 2018)

The last event on the current schedule is my presentation on spring wildflowers of Mid-Michigan.  This program will focus on some of the common species that can be found in the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's preserves (and across Mid-Michigan) during the months of March, April, and May.  This program begins at 7:00PM in the Library Annex.  Like all the previous events, admission to this event is free, but donations to the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy are always welcome.

Happy 2017-18 School Year!

Smile! It's time for school!

Welcome back students and staff!

Today is the first day of school for many local school districts.  Other schools started their year last week.  I am excited to begin the new school year.  Many teachers have already contacted me about scheduling programs.  As of this morning, I have 339 program scheduled for this school year.  My first program is this Friday.

Upcoming Event - Bats of Michigan Presentation (14 October 2015)

Join me and other members of the Chippewa Valley Audubon Club (CVAC) at the Veterans Memorial Library in Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday 14 October 2015 for a presentation on the "Bats of Michigan".  The presentation is part of the CVAC's monthly meeting for October.  Our meeting begins at 7:00PM.  The Veterans Memorial Library is located at 301 S. University Ave in Mt. Pleasant.

The program for October is being presented by the Organization for Bat Conservation.  Founded in Michigan in 1992, the Organization for Bat Conservation has presented hundreds of bat education programs across Michigan and surrounding states.  Since 2002 they have partnered with the Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, MI to operate the Bat Zone, a permanent exhibit showcasing bats and other nocturnal animals from around the world.

This description of the "Bats of Michigan" program is from the Organization for Bat Conservation's website.

Learn About Local Bats in Your Own Backyard!

Discover the fascinating world of Michigan bats! Often misunderstood or overlooked, these bats play a key role in Michigan’s environment and economy. During this live animal program, you will learn why bats are important to the state, where Michigan bat species are located, and how to identify them.

The Bats of Michigan live animal program also explores the greatest threats facing Michigan bat populations including White-nose Syndrome–a deadly fungus that has already killed 6 million bats throughout the U.S. Learn more about the threats and what we all need to do in order to protect these important creatures.

Live bats include insect-eating bats from North America and a flying fox bat from Africa.

Please join us for this exciting opportunity to view live bats up close.  The meeting is free to attend, but donations are accepted.  The Chippewa Valley Audubon Club is able to provide public programs such as this through membership fees and donations.  An annual membership in the CVAC is only $5.00 for an individual or $10.00 for a household.  Student memberships are available for $2.50.

Happy 2015-16 School Year!

Nodding Beggar-ticks (Bidens cernua) - photo from 06 SEP 2007

Welcome back students and teachers!

Today is the first day of the school year for most local districts.  I had a great summer, but it's time to get back to work.  As of this morning I already have 195 classroom program scheduled for the year and I haven't even started scheduling with Mt. Pleasant schools yet.

Aquatic Invertebrates at Hall's Lake - A "4th Thursday" program with the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy

Yesterday I went out to the Hall's Lake Natural Area in western Isabella County to take part in the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's 4th Thursday at Hall's Lake nature walk program.  I would be co-leading a program on aquatic macro-invertebrates with Doug Valek, retired Biology professor from Central Michigan University.  The property that we would be exploring is not currently owned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy, but is currently being held in trust by Larry and Judy Schaftenaar with the expectation that the CWC will eventually purchase the land to preserve it.  Larry and Judy currently allow public access to their parcel (which connects to the CWC's Kabana and Neely Preserves) except during deer hunting season.

 

This was my first time visiting Hall's Lake and I did not know what to expect so I arrived early to explore the property a little bit.  The property is almost entirely wooded and includes a mixture of Southern and Northern species.  After a few minutes exploring the area on my own, I heard Larry calling to me from the parking area.  He took me out to show me the wooded pond that we would be investigating - it is a kettle pond over a ridge from the main trail that I would never have known was there without Larry telling me.  He also told me about a wooden bridge across a slow moving stream further along the main trail.  I went along the trail to the bridge and Larry went back to the parking area to greet people as they arrived.  Eventually a total of 18 people were gathered in front of Larry and Judy's house (four more people would join us later in the morning for a total of 22).  After a short introduction by Doug Valek and myself, the group walked back into the woods and began sampling the pond water.  We eventually would sample in three locations (pond, stream, and lakeshore).  Below are some pictures from the day.

Retired CMU Biology professor Doug Valek (right) helps participants identify aquatic invertebrates

Gathered around a table for up-close views

A Water Strider on the side of a washbasin

The pond is the open area in the background - the center of the pond is filled with low shrubs.

The pond was full of Green Frogs (Rana clamitans)

Much of the forest floor around the pond was carpeted with Ground Pines (Lycopodium sp. - possibly L. dendroideum)

My favorite picture of the day - Ground Pine and Green Frog

Doug Valek helps some of the younger participants with identification.

Some of our finds  - (clockwise from lower left) predaceous diving beetle larva, damselfly nymph, dragonfly nymph, damselfly nymph, and predaceous diving beetle larva.

A listing of the different aquatic macro-invertebrates that we found.

For a copy of the identification guide that we used, visit the University of Wisconsin Extension Office website. 

So what was the highlight of the day for me?  For me it was finding Clam Shrimp.  I had never seen them before - unfortunately due to their fast movement and the low light, none of my pictures of them turned out.  Looks like I have a reason to go back.

Program reminders for June 24th - 27th

If you are in the Mid-Michigan area there are several upcoming programs that might be of interest to you next week (24 - 27 JUN 2013).

First, as part of the Chippewa River District Library System Summer Reading Program, I am doing a series of programs at the five District libraries across Isabella County.  The theme of this year's Summer Reading Program is "Dig Into Reading".  My program is called "Dirt...Dig It!"  The first two presentations have already been completed.  The schedule for the remaining programs is as follows:

Veterans Memorial Library in Mt. Pleasant - Monday June 24th
Shepherd Community Library in Shepherd - Tuesday June 25th
Rolland Township Library in Blanchard - Thursday June 27th

All of these events are open to the public and are appropriate for all ages.  All events run from 4:00PM to 5:00PM.

Second, on Wednesday June 26th I will be working with staff and volunteers from the Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum to install  a Native Pollinator Garden in front of the Museum.  We will be planting a variety of Michigan native plants that are adapted for a full-sun prairie environment.  Most of these plants were left over from a previous project.  Other plants are ones that self-seeded in one of the gardens that we had previously established.  If you are in the area and available to help, bring a garden trowel and show up at the museum to help plant.  We are starting at 5:30PM and going until the garden is completely planted.

The final activity for the week is with the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy at its Hall's Lake preserve.  The CWC hosts its 4th Thursday Program at Hall's Lake every month throughout the Spring - Fall.  The activity for June is centered around aquatic invertebrates.  I will be co-leading this program with retired Central Michigan University professor Doug Valek.  This program is geared toward families with children.  The CWC does ask that participants reserve a space ahead of time by calling 989-644-5045 or emailing at info@chippewawatershedconservancy.org.