30-Minute Nature Fix (Mill Pond Park - 18 SEP 2017)

Going outside is good for you.  Studies show that even as little as 30 minutes of outdoor activity a week has been proven to have health benefits such as reducing stress and lowering the risk of heart disease.  During the school year, I spend my days teaching kids about science and nature.  Unfortunately, out of necessity, most of this teaching takes place in the classroom.  My job teaching about nature means that I have less time to enjoy nature.  (This is what is known as a paradox: a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.)

I try to find time every day to get out and enjoy nature.  Sometimes this means spending time in the garden watching the bees feeding on nectar.  Yesterday I was able to stop at Mill Pond Park after giving a presentation to the local garden club.  I only had 30 minutes.  How much can you see in 30 minutes?

Quite a bit, if you are inclined to look!

Mill Pond Park - my path is highlighted in red

Painted Turtles taking advantage of the late summer sun to bask.

Reeds growing in the remnants of the old mill pond.

Swamp Milkweed seeds are ripe and ready to fly away.

So are the seeds of cattails!

White Water Lily leaves are changing color as they use up their chlorophyll.

Wood Nettle - llok close and you can see the needle-like hairs that give the plant its sting.

The fluffy seedheads of Virgin's Bower cause the plant to also be known as also known as Old Man's Beard.

This Virgin's Bower is not quite as far along as the previous photo.

A few Spotted Joe-pye Weed flowers are still in bloom.

Most Goldenrod species are in full bloom, attracting pollinators like this wasp.

Purple Loosestrife is an invasive species, but pollinators love it.

 

Sun shining through White Oak leaves.

This patch of Common Goldenrod was attracting the attention of dozens of wasps and Locust Borer beetles.

That's it.  My walk through the park is over.  Not bad for 30 minutes!

Field Trip to Peterson Natural Area (12 August 2017)

Field trip participants (Cathy Murray, Dick and Diana Moreau, and Ruth Chapman) pose by the preserve sign

 
On Saturday August 12th, I led a field trip to the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Peterson Natural Area.  At 79 acres, Peterson NA is one of the largest preserves in the CWC's inventory.  It is also (probably) one of the least visited.  Located in Mecosta County, Peterson NA is much closer to Big Rapids (less than 10 miles) than it is to Mt. Pleasant (approximately 40 miles).  This distance from Mt. Pleasant puts off the radar for most CWC supporters - if you are going to Peterson Natural Area you are making a time commitment.

Despite the distance from Mt. Pleasant (or in my case from Alma), visiting Peterson Natural Area is worth the effort.  Here are a few pics from that visit.

Ruth was wearing a walking cast and needed a helping hand to navigate a couple stretches

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) on Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

The surprise of the day was finding a Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) in the wet meadow that runs down the center of the property.  The Wood Turtle is considered a Species of Special Concern by the State of Michigan so it is always a thrill to see one.  Wood Turtles do frequently spend much of the summer in upland areas, but I didn't suspect that the small stream running through Peterson Natural Area would bring one to the property from the nearby Muskegon River.  I actually found this turtle with my feet - while walking through the tall grass of the meadow, I stepped on what initially I thought was a rounded rock.  Surprise!

Cathy photographing the Wood Turtle

Who wouldn't love that face!

Joe-pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum) was growing everywhere along the stream.

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) adds its magenta hues to the landscape mosaic.

Mating Yellow-collared Scape Moths (Cisseps fulvicollis) on Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) nectaring on Swamp Milkweed

The upland parts of the property (northwest quarter) is very different from the low area along the stream.  It is very dry and sandy.  The Michigan Natural Features Inventory pre-settlement vegetation map indicates that Peterson Natural Area was once covered with Beech-Sugar Maple-Hemlock Forest, but the vegetation on this hill is currently more like that found on a Dry Sand Prairie or Oak-Pine Barren.  Pre-settlement maps indicate that two areas of  Oak-Pine Barren could be found within two miles of Peterson NA in the past.

Near the end of our walk, we found three Monarch caterpillars.  All three were in their 5th instar and were almost ready to enter the chrysalis stage.  The first two caterpillars were feeding on Common Milkweed plants.

Ruth zooms in on a Monarch caterpillar

The third caterpillar was crawling around on the side of a large rock.  In the hours before forming a chrysalis, Monarch caterpillars (and those of other butterfly species) often wander far from their host plant.

If you are interested in visiting Peterson Natural Area, this is the best time of year to do so.  The late summer wildflowers in the wet meadow are at their peak and the fall asters and goldenrods will be blooming soon.  If time allows, I may try to take one more trip over before the bloom is done.

Native Species Profile - Painted Turtle

Michigan is home to ten species of turtles.  By far the most common species is the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta).  This species can be found throughout the Upper and Lower Peninsula.  The only species that approaches it in terms of distribution in Michigan is the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina).  The Common Snapping turtle is also found throughout the Upper and Lower Peninsula.  However, it is not found on Isle Royale while the Painted Turtle is.   Overall the Painted turtle can be found across much of the northern United States and southern Canada, from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific.  It ranges as far south as the Gulf of Mexico in the east and southwest into Colorado and New Mexico.

Part of the reason for the broad distribution of this species is its adaptability.  Painted Turtles prefer still or slow-moving permanent bodies of water such as lakes and ponds., but they will use swiftly-flowing rivers and streams as well as season wetlands on a temporary basis.  Painted Turtles are often found traveling overland in search of new bodies of water.  They are often seen basking on log, rocks, or floating vegetation.

Painted Turtles often bask in large number on logs and other objects in the water

Painted Turtles are generally small.  Adults have a shell that measures from 4 to about 9 inches in length.  The upper surface of the shell (carapace) is olive green to black colored.  The lower half of the shell (plastron) is yellowish with a dark blotch in the center.  The outer edge of the carapace has red or orange blotches/spots.  The skin of the turtle's head legs, and tail is also olive green to black in color.  The head and neck have yellow (and sometimes red) stripes.  The Painted Turtles found in Mid-Michigan belong to a sub-species called the Midland Painted Turtle that commonly has red stripes on its head and neck.

Painted Turtle

Painted Turtles are omnivores.  They normally feed on aquatic invertebrates such as insects, crayfish, and snails.  They also frequently eat tadpoles and small fish.  A large part of their diet consists of algae and aquatic plants.

Painted Turtle - note yellow stripes on neck and orange blotches along the edge of the carapace (upper shell)

During the winter months, Painted Turtles bury themselves in the mud at the bottom of ponds lakes and rivers where they will hibernate from October/November until late March or early April.  It is not uncommon for Painted Turtles to be active in cold weather and people occasionally see them swimming around under ice. 


Basic Information

Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta

Size:  4-9" long

Habitat:  Permanent water sources such as lakes, ponds, rivers, and creeks

Eats:  aquatic insects, fish, tadpole, crayfish, snails, plants

Nativer Species Profile - Wood Turtle

Because I am writing this in January, I would have a very difficult time locating one of my favorite animals - the Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta).  If I were to find one now, it would be somewhere underwater either buried in the mud or wedged under a rock or log.  There it hibernates motionless for several months, living on stored resources and absorbing oxygen from the water.  It probably disappeared under the water sometime in October and won't appear again until late April or May.

Wood Turtle (June 2008)

The Wood Turtle is one of ten species of turtle that can be found in Michigan.  Six of the species are considered to have stable populations (Map Turtle, Musk Turtle, Painted Turtle, Spiny Softshell Turtle, Red-ear Slider, and Snapping Turtle), one is Threatened (Spotted Turtle), and three are listed as Special Concern.  The Wood Turtle falls in this last category along with the Eastern Box Turtle and Blanding's Turtle.  This status means that the Wood Turtle has no legal protections under the Michigan Endangered Species Act.  Fortunately it is protected under a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director's Order that prohibits killing, taking, possessing, selling or buying them from the wild.

The Wood Turtle is a fairly small turtle, growing from 5 to 10 inches long as an adult.  Their upper shell (carapace) is tan to dark brown in color, with well defined scutes (plates).  The scutes have a series of growth rings, much like a tree - contributing to its name.  In younger turtles, the growth rings can be used to determine age, but the rings are often worn away in older individuals.  Their lower shell (plastron) is usually a dark yellow with brown patches.  This color scheme is also found on the exposed skin of its head, legs, and tail - the upper surfaces are brown (with yellow or orange spots) and the lower surfaces are yellow or orange.

Wood Turtle - note the "sculptured" shell, dark upper surfaces, and yellow underparts

The Wood Turtle is partially named for its habitat preferences.  It is typically found in the floodplain forests of clear running streams and rivers with sand or gravel bottoms.  Unlike most aquatic turtles, the Wood Turtle is commonly away from water during the summer months.  They often disperse as much as 1/3 mile into forests to feed on the leaves of herbaceous and woody plants, berries, mushrooms, worms and other invertebrates.  When in the water it feeds on aquatic plants, invertebrates, and rarely on dead animals. 

Wood Turtles commonly feed away from water during the summer months

 
Another habitat requirement is sandy soil for nesting.  Nesting typically takes place in June.  Female Wood Turtles excavate a shallow nesting cavity and deposits up to 18 eggs.  Hatchling turtles may emerge in August or September, or they may remain in the nest until the following spring.

A female Wood Turtle laying eggs on a sandbar in Mt. Pleasant

 
In Michigan, Wood Turtles are only found in the northern half of the Lower Peninsula and across the Upper Peninsula.  Overall their range extends from from Minnesota and northern Iowa in the west to the Atlantic coastline from New Brunswick and Quebec in the north to Virginia in the south.  Isabella County is near the southern edge of their range in Michigan.  There seems to be healthy population of adults in the county, but I have rarely encountered a young Wood Turtle in the wild.

Basic Information

Wood Turtle 
Glyptemys insculpta

Size:  5-10” long

Habitat:  rivers and streams with woodland floodplains

Eats:  plants, berries, mushrooms, earthworms, slugs, aquatic invertebrates, carrion (rarely)

Saturday Morning at Deerfield Nature Park

On Saturday (06 JUN 2015), a small group from the Chippewa Valley Audubon Club met at Deerfield  County Park for an outing focusing on reptiles and amphibians.  Cool weather limited the number of animals that were active.  However we did find several Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) and Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica), lots of Green Frogs (Lithobates clamitans), one Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon).  Our best find of the day?

This...

Wood Turtle carapace (upper shell)

That's the shell of a Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta).  The Wood Turtle is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the State of Michigan.  With this designation, the species receives some degree of protection within the state - it is illegal to collect or possess a Wood Turtle.

 "All right Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." - portrait of a Wood Turtle

Isabella County is near the southern edge of its range in the state, but it seems fairly common along the Chippewa River.  I have frequently encountered this species along the Chippewa River in Mt. Pleasant.  This individual was located about 20 feet from the banks of the river.  If it was any other species I would guess that it was seeking a place to lay eggs, but the Wood turtle often spends time foraging away from water. 

Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)

Upcoming Event - Michigan Turtles Presentation (WED 13 MAY 2015 @ 7:00PM)

Next Wednesday (13 MAY 2015) at 7:00PM, the Chippewa Valley Audubon Club will be having its regular monthly meeting at the Veterans Memorial Library in Mt. Pleasant.  Our presentation this month will be on Michigan turtles and is presented by Jim McGrath from Nature Discovery.  Nature Discovery has the most complete collection of Michigan reptiles and amphibians in the state.  Expect to see lots of live turtles at this free event.

I wonder if John Deere makes a turtle baler?

Did you know a group of turtles is called a "bale"?  I just looked it up.  I have heard of bales of hay, straw,  cotton, wool, tobacco, even paper, but I never knew about bales of turtles until now.

Yesterday I saw this group of three Spiny Softshell Turtles (Apalone spinifera) sunning themselves along the Chippewa River.  Unlike Michigan's other turtle species, Spiny Softshell Turtles have a flexible rubbery shell instead of one composed of hard plates (scutes).  Because this is the most Softshell Turtles I have ever seen in one place at one time, I thought I would share the photo.

Three Spiny Softshell Turtles (Apalone spinifera)

Two Ponds in Two Days - Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Sampling

One of the best things about my work is having the opportunity to get kids outside and expose them to the habitats and wildlife in their own hometown.  Last week I was able to get five classes off of school grounds to explore a couple of local ponds.  Here are a few pictures.

The first pictures were taken at Mill Pond Park in Mt. Pleasant on Thursday May 29th.  Two 3rd grade classes from Ganiard Elementary walked down the street from their school to join me in searching for aquatic macroinvertebrates.  The other two 3rd grade classes from the school will be doing the same thing later this week.

On Friday May 30th, the 3rd - 5th grade classrooms from Winn Elementary met me at a private pond near their school.  We were lucky to receive permission from the land owner to use this pond.  This meant that the students were able to walk to this site, instead of having to take a bus to a location far from their school.  Many students pass this pond every day on their bus ride to school.  Now they know what kinds of animals can be found swimming around in it.