Crescent Moon (11 March 2019) and an upcoming event

Tonight's waxing crescent moon as seen from my driveway...

Our next full moon will be on the Spring Equinox (20 March) - I am leading a hike that night at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Sylvan Solace Preserve.  For more information, check their website.

New Year's Day 2019

Happy 2019!

As I have for the past two years (2017 and 2018), I greeted the new year by leading a hike at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Bundy Hill Preserve.  This year I actually led two hikes, a "sunrise" hike at 7:30AM and a more leisurely hike at 10:00AM for the late-risers.

Despite an overnight storm that made roads treacherous (and contributed to many accidents overnight) I was joined by a crew of six hardy souls with the goal of being the first people to top Bundy Hill in 2019.

The trees at Bundy Hill were covered in a layer of ice and snow that created a beautiful backdrop for out hike.  Unfortunately, cloudy skies meant that we did not get to see the sunrise.  My record for new Year's Day sunrise hikes is now one-for-three (0.333 is a great batting average in baseball, but not so great for sunrise hikes).

No sunrise to see, but we made it to the summit!

After the first group of hikers departed, I had about an hour to kill before the second hike was scheduled to begin.  I had planned ahead - I brought a book to read and boiled a kettle of water for tea on the tailgate of my truck.

I was joined by eleven people for the second hike (including a family of 5). For the first hike, we had taken the most direct route (the McNeel Trail) up the hill so we could be on top before sunrise; for the second hike we took the more leisurely path (the Summit Trail) around the west side of the preserve.  Both trails climb approximately 170 feet from the parking area to the summit, but the second trail is a more gradual climb.  This is important when the climbers include young children and a dad carrying one of the kids most of the way up the hill!

The view from the top was worth the climb.  Bundy Hill has two summits; the main (east) summit has no view as it is surrounded by trees, but the west summit offers views facing south.  The sky was still clear as we approached the west summit, but there was enough light to make the view of snow-covered trees dazzling against a steel grey sky.  As with so many things in life, picture do not do it justice.

Love the brooding skies...

We snapped a couple of group photos in this location (with the gorgeous trees in the background) and then proceeded to the real summit for another group picture to prove that we made it to the top.

Near the false summit

On the summit

After reaching the summit, we took the McNeel trail back to our parked vehicles.  This trail is a little steeper and we had a couple of slip-and-fall incidents.  Fortunately the only thing injured was pride. Everyone seemed to enjoy the hike and it was a great way to kick off 2019!

Mark you calendar for Wednesday January 1st 2020 to join my for my 4th Annual New Year's Day hike - I'll be there for sunrise!  Until then, get outdoors and, if your schedule allows, join me for more hikes with the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy.  Keep an eye on the CWC website or facebook page for upcoming events.

Celebrating a (Solar) New Year

On January 1st, much of the world will be celebrating the new year, but this Friday might be a more appropriate day to celebrate (at least from an astronomical viewpoint).

This Friday (22 December 2018) marks the Winter Solstice, the date on which the calendar changes seasons from Fall to Winter here in Mid-Michigan (and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere).  Winter will officially begin at 5:23 PM EST.

The word solstice comes from two Latin root words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).  On the solstice, the path of the sun appears to stand still! 

Assume that you were to awaken every morning before dawn and mark the location that the sun rises on the eastern horizon.  You would notice that the sun does not in fact arise from the same place every day.  Instead it wanders north and south along the horizon, moving north during the Winter and Spring and back south again during the Summer and Fall.  On the Summer Solstice (June 21st) and Winter Solstice (December 21st), the sun ceases to move further along the horizon, appearing to "stand still" before reversing its course the next day.

You have probably already noticed in addition to the location of the rising sun, the length of day and night vary throughout the year.  As the sun progresses south, the day shortens and the night lengthens.  The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day (and longest night) of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.  Here in Mid-Michigan we will mark the date with approximately 8 hours 57 minutes of daylight.  As the sunrise moves back north along the horizon our days will slowly get longer until on the Summer Solstice we will experience nearly 15 hours 25 minutes of daylight.

Why does the sun move and the length of day vary?

It all has to do with a tilt in the Earth's axis.  The Earth rotates on its axis approximately once every 24 hours - giving us the length of our day.  It also revolves around the sun approximately once every 365 days - the length of our year.  If the Earth's axis was perpendicular the plane on which it revolves around the sun, our days would be the same length throughout the year (approximately 12 hours), but the axis is not perpendicular to this plane.  Instead the Earth's axis tilts 23.5 degrees from the vertical.

The points on the globe that the axis revolves around are referred to as the North and South Poles.  The axis is always pointed toward the same location in the sky.  The North Pole points toward the "North Star" - Polaris.  As the earth revolves around the sun, sometimes the North Pole is closer to the sun, sometimes the South Pole is closer to the sun.  When the North Pole is at its closest, we experience Summer in Mid-Michigan and the Southern Hemisphere experiences Winter.  When the North Pole is at its furthest, we experience Winter and the Southern Hemisphere experiences Summer.

On two days of the year, the Earth's axis is perpendicular to the plane of its revolution.  On those two days we do experience equal periods of day and night because the sun rises due east and sets due west.  During the rest of the year our hours of daylight vary depending on where the axis is pointed.  During our summer months, the tilt in the axis means that the northern hemisphere is closer to the sun and receives more hours of sunlight.  During the winter months, the reverse is true.  On the Winter Solstice, the North Pole is tilted at its furthest angle from the sun resulting in the shortest day (and longest night) of the year for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.

Why did I say that the Winter Solstice would be a better day to celebrate the new year?

Tracking the position of the rising sun was among the first astronomical observations.  Many ancient monuments seem to have been constructed as solar observatories, aligned with the locations of sunrise and sunset on the longest and shortest day of the year.  To early agricultural societies especially, tracking the seasons accurately could mean the difference between a bountiful harvest and failure of a year's crops.  The day that the sun "stood still" in its southward journey and then began to return north, bringing more hours of daylight and eventually warmer weather seems such an obvious point to mark the beginning of a new year!

Join me on a hike to celebrate the Solstice!

To celebrate the Winter Solstice, I am leading a nighttime hike at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Sylvan Solace Preserve.  This hike will begin at 7:00PM.  Sylvan Solace Preserve is located on Pickard Road, between Gilmore Road and Littlefield Road, approximately 8 miles west of downtown Mt. Pleasant.

We are doing a nighttime hike because another celestial event lines up with the solstice this year - a full moon.  (Technically the full moon will be on December 22nd, but it will be more than 97% illuminated on the night of the 21st.)  We are expecting light snowfall early in the day - this should brighten up the woods.  Hopefully the moon will peek through the expected clouds and illuminate our hike.  The trails at Sylvan Solace are flat and well-defined making this a great first night hiking experience!  I hope to do the hike without any artificial lights.  Wear warm clothes and bring a headlamp or flashlight just to be safe.

Upcoming Event - Wildlife Weekend (01 - 03 February 2019)

Last week I shared a list of twelve holiday gifts to get for the outdoor kid in your life.  Here is a gift idea for the adult nature-lover (including yourself)!

The Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) is hosting its inaugural Wildlife Weekend at the Ralph A. MacMullen Conference Center at North Higgins Lake State Park from Friday February 1st, 2019 to Sunday February 3rd, 2019.

Wildlife Weekend allows you to become an expert.  Pick from one of two course options Mammal Mania or Michigan, My Michigan.

Here are the course descriptions from the MAEOE website:

Mammal Mania: Why is a weasel shaped differently than a rabbit?  How does a black bear’s teeth differ from a deer?  Are there coyotes in your backyard? Wolves?  Mountain Lions?  Your answers to all these questions, and many more, will be discovered as we explore Michigan’s fuzziest neighbors.  You will be amazed at how many of our mammalian brethren live in your neck in the woods.  Discover why you seldom see them and how to look for signs of their presence.  Investigate mammal pelts, skulls, and tracks.  Learn how to make a “scent post track trap”, and develop a better understanding of Michigan’s mammals.

Michigan, My Michigan: So, you think you know your state?  Whether your interest is forests, fields, fins, feathers or furs, this overview of Michigan’s natural resources will make you the neighborhood expert in all things “Pure Michigan”.  A dab of conservation history, a smattering of species profiles, a drop of Great Lakes education and a pinch of resource management make a great recipe for an educational and entertaining course.  A glance into Michigan’s future and virtual tour of lighthouses, shipwrecks, waterfalls, and rivers are all included.  Find out what makes the Great Lakes state…Great!

The cost for attending the Wildlife Weekend is $295 (MAEOE members receive a $20 discount). This cost includes lodging and six meal (Friday dinner through Sunday lunch). I have stayed at the MacMullen Conference Center numerous times and the food is excellent (and plentiful)! The accommodations are dorm style with a pair of beds in each rooms and shared baths down the hall.

For more information and to register check out the MAEOE website.

Why is MAEOE offering this program? MAEOE's vision is "promoting environmental literacy through education." MAEOE has the mission to "serve as the statewide network and advocate for professionals who are education Michigan citizens toward environmental literacy, stewardship, and outdoor recreation." Most members of MAEOE are formal and non-formal educators, but there is nothing that says a MAEOE member must be in the education field. Ideally every citizen of Michigan would care about environmental literacy, stewardship, and outdoor recreation. By offering this opportunity to everyone, MAEOE is trying to expand the pool of individuals that teach about and advocate for the environment.

Why am I promoting this opportunity? Well, I have been a member of MAEOE for nearly a decade. I am currently serving the third year of a three-year term on the MAEOE board of directors. My experience with MAEOE has been rewarding both on the personal and professional level. I would love to see every educator I know attend this event, but I would also like to see people from other walks of life there. MAEOE would also benefit by having non-educators becoming involved in the organization as they bring new perspective and a great deal of knowledge with them. Some of the most environmentally literate people that I know have never spent a single day working as an educator. Above all, I just think that any nature lover would enjoy this experience!

Birch bark Canoe Build (Part 4)

The birch bark canoe build at the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways (6650 E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant) was completed on last week when its seams were fully covered with a mixture of spruce pitch, charcoal, and bear grease.  The goal of this event not just to build a canoe, but also to keep the knowledge and teaching related to canoe- building alive in the community.  

I was unable to be there while they completed applying and smoothing the pitch on the seams.  However, I did get to the Ziibiwing Center on Thursday (01 November) to get some pictures of the completed canoe.

The bow and stern were decorated with etching.

This section of the hull had a hole that needed to be patched.

Every seam and other possible leak has been sealed with pitch

Hardwood pegs hold the gunwale caps in place

The final product, waiting for launch.

The Tribe does not want this new canoe to be a museum piece.  Instead they want it to have a life and be used.  Consequently, there is going to be a launching ceremony this Saturday (10 November) at the Soaring Eagle Hideaway RV Park (5514 E. Airport Rd, Mt. Pleasant).  The event will begin at 10:00AM at the Ziibiwing Center.  Details are listed in the flier below.

Birch Bark Canoe Build (Part 3)

The birch bark canoe build at the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways (6650 E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant) is nearing its end.  The goal of this event not just to build a canoe, but also to keep the knowledge and teaching related to canoe- building alive in the community.  

In my previous post about the project, the stem pieces and manboards had been installed in the canoe.  Since that time the ribs for the canoe were bent into shape and temporarily attached to the canoe - I am not sure if steam or hot water was used to make the ribs pliable.  The canoe had to be weighted down and clamped heavily while the ribs dried into shape otherwise the outward pressure of the ribs trying to return to a straight form could destroy the canoe.  These ribs needed several days to dry so the canoe was left over the weekend.

The ribs nailed in place temporarily

Once the ribs had dried into their bent shapes, they could be removed and the final steps of the assembly could begin.  At this stage thin sheathing made from cedar was cut to length and fitted into the canoe.  This sheathing adds strength to the canoe (so you won't put a foot through the bottom of the canoe) without adding much weight.  Once the sheathing strips were wedged in place with a temporary rib, the real ribs were cut to length, their ends trimmed and the leading edge rounded to fit into the canoe.  The ribs were installed by inserting the ends under the gunnel and then tapped into place with a mallet.  The entire hull was soaked with hot water to make the bark more flexible and capable of stretching as the ribs were forced into place.  More water was added as needed.  This process was completed over the course of two days.  At this point the final stitching of the hull on the bow and stern of the canoe was also completed.

One half of the completed ribs

Drenching the hull in boiling water to make it more pliable

Carving a rib to its final shape - also note the completed stitching on the hull

Adding the cedar sheathing

Installing the very first rib

The ribs are tapped into place with a mallet

Once the sheathing and ribs were installed, there were only a couple steps left to complete the canoe. 

A view of the installed ribs and sheathing

The pieces of sheathing overlap on edge and end-to-end in two places either side the center of the canoe

The completed ribs

Notice how the ribs and sheathing of the ceiling mimic the ribs and sheathing in the canoe

Today I noticed for the first time that the 15 foot long hull is made of only two large pieces of bark- one more then 10 feet long and the other making up the difference of the 15 feet.

First the gunwale caps needed to be carved and fixed in place.  These were fixed in place with hand-carved hardwood pegs.  (A peg that I carved was the last one installed).  On the bos and stern, the gunwale caps were stitched into place as there is no place to insert a peg.

Carving the gunwale caps with a draw knife

Hot water allows the gunwale caps to bend into the proper shape.

Fixing the gunwale cap to the gunwales with hardwood pegs

Finally the seams of the canoe needed to be sealed with a mixture of spruce or pine pitch, charcoal, and bear grease.  The pitch is heated until all the volatile turpentine has evaporated from it then bear grease and charcoal are added until it has the right consistency to be works by hand onto the seams of the canoe.  This process will go on until tomorrow in several stages.  The pitch must be applied and then reheated to mold it into place.

A large milling stone was used to grind charcoal

Adding bear grease to the hot pitch

 

Testing for consistency

Stirring in charcoal

Demonstrating how to apply the hot pitch by hand - the key is to wet the hands with soapy water so the pitch doesn't stick

Many hand make light work

This pitch will be reheated and smoothed further

Once the canoe is entirely complete the Tribe plans to have a launch ceremony.  This is tentatively schedule for Saturday November 10th.  I will post more information as it become available.