National Trails Day 2018 - A Wildflower Walk at Quigley Creek Natural Area

I'm not always the best person to lead hikes - I tend to walk through swamps...

 
Last Saturday (June 2nd) was National Trails Day.  In celebration of the day, the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy hosted two events.  In the morning CWC Board Member and Former Executive Director Stan Lilley led a bird walk at the Hall's Lake Preserve.  In the afternoon I led an outing to search for wildflowers at Quigley Creek Natural Area.  Although I think the beginning of June is sort of an in-between season for wildflowers, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of plants that we positively identified.  Trees are not included in this list because we did not focus on them and only mentioned a few species in passing.

Thank you to everyone who came out and followed their guide (That would be me.) through a swamp.  You were all good sports about the experience!

A dozen people showed up to search for wildflowers.

Now here's the list of species that we recorded.

Herbaceous Plants
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)
Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
Feathery False Solomon's Seal (Maianthemum racemosum)
Big-leaf Aster (Eurybia macrophylla)
Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia) - non-native
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Early Meadow Rue (Thalictrum dioicum)
Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)
Spring Avens (Geum vernum)
Swamp Buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus)
Common Black Snakeroot (Sanicula marilandica)
Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Spotted Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis)
Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)
Hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata)
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Wood Nettle (Laportea canadensis)
Cleavers (Galium aparine)
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
Starflower (Trientalis borealis)
Large-flowered Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Swamp Saxifrage (Saxifraga pensylvanica)
Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)
Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) - non-native

Wild Columbine

Wild Geranium

Swamp Saxifrage

Yellow Flag Iris - a potentially invasive species

Ferns
Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis)
Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum)
Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)

Cinnamon Fern

Shrubs
American Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis)
Running Strawberrybush (Euonymus obovatus)
Bristly Greenbrier (Smilax hispida)

Wildflowers at Williams-Blackburn Preserve (plus a backyard bird!)

On Sunday (06 May) I led a wildflower tour of the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Williams-Blackburn Preserve.  After having beautiful weather for several days, the weather on Sunday was drab and dreary, with the threat of rain throughout the hike.  Despite the weather, a small group of wildflower devotees gathered to explore this little-visited preserve.

Williams-Blackburn Preserve is divided into two parts by the Chippewa River.  A small parcel of the preserve is on the east side of the river along Leaton Road.  The majority of the preserve is located north and west of the river.  This larger portion of the preserve is divided into the floodplain of the Chippewa River and an upland area dominated by an evergreen plantation and large area of invasive Autumn Olive.  Our walk took us into the floodplain area on the east side of the main preserve.  This area looks kind of like Florida in the above map.

The group climbing down into the floodplain.

The spring wildflower season has been both delayed and compressed by the unusually cold spring.  It has been delayed in the sense that many flowers are blooming weeks later than they would in a "normal" year.  It has been compresses in the sense that while the spring wildflower bloom is usually spread out over a couple of months, this year we are seeing species that would have bloomed two weeks ago are blooming alongside species that are right on schedule.

Spring Beauty

We ended up finding eight species of plants in bloom and another eight species that we identified by their foliage (leaves).  The species we found included Serviceberry, Spring Beauty, Common Blue Violet, Wood Anemone, Round-lobed Hepatica, Wild Ginger, Wild Leek, False Rue Anemone, Downy Yellow Violet, Pennsylvania Sedge, Bloodroot, Cut-leaved Toothwort, Blue Cohosh, Wild Geranium, and Cow Parsnip.

False Rue Anemone

Cut-leaved Toothwort

On a completely unrelated note: Baltimore Orioles (Icterus galbula) have returned to the area.  We put up our oriole feeders on Thursday and the birds started to visit within hours.  On Saturday I got my first ever photo of an oriole at our feeder.

An Evening Walk at Forest Hill Nature Area (15 August 2016)

Yesterday, for the third time in a week, Shara and I went walking at Forest Hill Nature Area.  Although the sky was grey and the light was poor, I brought my camera along.  Here are a dozen photos from our walk.

Milkweed in a restored grassland area

Dueling Monarchs

Mountain Mint

Queen Anne's Lace

Honeybee on Mountain Mint

Grey-headed Coneflower

Sparrow in the restored grassland

Queen Anne's Lace

Early color change

Lack of rain means small berries

Black and Yellow Argiope

Red-osier Dogwood berries

Nature Walks for National Trails Day

Saturday was National Trails Day.  To celebrate the event, I led two walks for the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy (CWC).  The morning walk was held at the Sylvan Solace Preserve.  A dedicated group of five nature lovers spent almost 2.5 hours exploring the preserve's trails.  One of the highlights was seeing a White-tailed Deer fawn - unfortunately no one got pictures of it.

In the afternoon, our travels took us to the Audubon Woods Preserve.  The same group of five was joined by three more walkers.  At Audubon Woods we explored a new section trail that I had not walked before.  A highlight of this walk was CWC Executive Director Stan Lilley using an electronic call to lure in a Scarlet Tanager that we could hear calling from the trees - the bird eventually ended up in the tree directly over Stan's head where everyone (but Stan) was able to get a good look at it.

Here a few of my photos from the two walks.

Sylvan Solace Preserve

Common Blackberry flowers

Upcoming Events - National Trail Day Walks (04 June 2016)

The first Saturday in June is celebrated as National Trails Day!

Sponsored by the American Hiking Society, this event has been held annually since 1993, this event commemorates and celebrates America's more that 200,000 miles of public trails.  Events are currently scheduled in all fifty states and territory of Puerto Rico.

Join me on Saturday June 4th for one of two local trail walks.

From 9:00AM to 11:00AM, I will be at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Sylvan Solace Preserve.  The trails at Sylvan Solace are flat, wide, and easy to stroll along.  The trail winds through a pine plantation, open meadow, and mature woodland.  The total distance of the walk will be approximately 1 mile.

Trail at Sylvan Solace Preserve (October 2015)

In the afternoon, from 1:00PM to 3:00PM, I will be leading a walk at the CWC's Audubon Woods Preserve.  The terrain at Audubon Woods is a little more challenging with some hill-climbing along the route.  The trail at Audubon Woods is through a mature deciduous forest.  This route is about 1/2 mile in length.

Floodplain forest at Audubon Woods Preserve (May 2015)

During both walks, we will stop frequently to observe and discuss the natural world.  You never know what we might find - during my last visit to Audubon Woods, I repeatedly heard a Barred Owl calling during the daytime.

Both of these events are free and open to anyone, but donations to the CWC are always appreciated.

Upcoming Event - Winter Animal Signs (23 JAN 2016)

Pointing out shrew tracks during a January 2015 walk at the CWC's Sylvan Solace Preserve

Join me on Saturday January 23rd at 10:00AM at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Hall's Lake Natural Area for a winter walk.  The walk will begin at the Neely Preserve at the corner of Broomfield Rd. and Old State Rd.

This walk will focus on locating and identifying signs left by the preserve's resident animals.  If you want to learn more about animal track identification or how to "read" animal signs this is the event for you.

I have never explored the Hall's Lake Preserve during the winter months and have never visited the Neely Preserve portion so I don't know what surprises we shall find.  This should be an adventure for everyone!

Please call the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy at (989) 772-5777 to register for this event.  There is no cost to attend, but donations are always appreciated.

The Shortest Day

Today (21 December) is officially the shortest day of 2015.  Mid-Michigan will only receive 8 hours 55 minutes 23 seconds of sunlight today - or we would if it wasn't supposed to rain all day.  From now until June 21st, the length of each day will lengthen until Mid-Michigan receives 15 hours 26 minutes 57 seconds of sunlight, at which point the length of days will again begin to decrease.  The days when the length of daylight is at its minimum and maximum are known as the solstices.

In honor of the Winter Solstice, the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy scheduled a sunrise walk for this morning at the Sylvan Solace Preserve west of Mt. Pleasant.  Unfortunately, the dreary weather limited interest in the event.  Nevertheless, a small group of four dedicated nature lovers made a walk around the property's River Loop trail. 

Trying to call a late-to-bed Eastern Screech Owl

Checking out a QR code

Observing the Chippewa River

Overcast skies hid the sunrise from view

A White-tailed Deer Skull along the trail

A close-up view of the deer skull

Looking along the River Loop trail

Pileated Woodpeckers have been hard at work

CWC intern Jonathon Breithaupt has an eye for debris

American Beech saplings hold tight to their leaves

A small colorful fungus or lichen covering a dead sapling

Upcoming Event - Sylvan Solace Winter Solstice Walk (21 DEC 2015)

The Chippewa River at Sylvan Solace Preserve (27 JAN 2009)

Join me and Chippewa Watershed Conservancy (CWC) Executive Director Stan Lilley as we celebrate the Winter Solstice with an early morning walk.  This walk is scheduled for 7:45AM to 9:30AM at the CWC's Sylvan Solace Preserve.  The early time will allow us to celebrate the sunrise on the shortest day of the year.  Hopefully we will catch some of the preserve's other early risers out for a stroll or maybe see some that are late getting back to bed.

Sylvan Solace Preserve is located at 4561 W. Pickard Road, approximately 8 1/2 miles west of Mt. Pleasant, between Gilmore and Littlefield Roads.  For more information about this event and about the Sylvan Solace Preserve in general, please visit the CWC's website.

Upcoming Event - Mt. Pleasant Area Native Plant Garden Walk (Monday 10 AUG 2015)

Saginaw Chippewa Academy Native Pollinator Garden (31 July 2015)

If you read this blog on a regular basis then you have probably seen posts about the native pollinator gardens that I have helped establish and maintain.  Three of the garden are located on school grounds and the fourth is at the Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum.  Because these garden are all in public spaces they are potentially seen by hundreds of people every day (especially during the school year).

Next Monday (10 August 2015), I will be leading a tour of these gardens for the Mid-Mitten Chapter of Wild Ones.  Wild Ones is a national organization that teaches people about the benefits of growing native wildflowers in yards and public spaces.  The Mid-Mitten Chapter regularly meets in Midland at the Chippewa Nature Center.

This tour will begin at 6:00PM at the Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum (5093 E. Remus Road, Mt. Pleasant) with stops at the Saginaw Chippewa Academy, Morey Public School Academy, and Winn Elementary to follow.

At each stop I will be talking about the history of the garden, the challenges (and opportunities) that each site possesses, the plants that can be found in each garden, what has worked out, and what hasn't worked so well.

The public is welcome to attend this walk.  If you are interested in attending please send me an email so I know about how many people to expect.

More information on the gardens and my "gardening philosophy" can be found in this post from 2013 or for all the posts about gardens, type "gardens" in the search box to the right of this page.

Photos from the field (28 July 2015)

These three photographs were taken in the field behind our office.  I needed a few minutes away from my desk so I wandered outside with my camera.

My footprints through the waves of grass

One of many Red Milkweed Beetles (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus) peers over a Common Milkweed (Ascleipas syriaca) leaf

 

A Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle (Labidomera clivicollis) on the underside of a Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) leaf

While these photographs may not be the best in the world, any time spent outside is quality time. 

Get outside and see what you can see!

Upcoming Event - Winter Wildlife Walk (Saturday 21 FEB 2015)

On Saturday 21 FEB 2015, I will be leading a walk at Deerfield Nature Park.

This walk is scheduled to begin at 9:00AM and is open to the public.  The main focus of this walk will be on animal tracks and other sign.  People are asked to pre-register for this walk because space is limited.  Admission to the park is free for this walk. 

Deerfield Nature Park is located at 2425 W. Remus Road (M-20) west of Mt. Pleasant.  This walk will start at the Fussman Pavilion.