Wednesday, Remi and I hiked at the Alma College Ecological Station, commonly referred to as the Vestaburg Bog, located 12 miles west of Alma near the village of Vestaburg. The early afternoon weather was mostly cloudy with a temperature of 63 degrees and no wind. We left the car and headed south into the property where I was greeted by a dense swarm of pesky mosquitoes. Along the edge of the path, I spotted the white blossoms of False Solomon Seals and Maple-Leaf Viburnum. A few red blossoms of Columbine were also on display. Turning east, I headed deeper into the forest where I noticed the sac-like nest of a Baltimore oriole hanging down from the branch of a Witch Hazel tree. Growing near the ground was a young Sassafras tree. I turned south again, descended a slight hill and walked onto a boardwalk that was floating on a mat of sphagnum moss covering part of the bog. Heading toward open water, I stopped to admire some beautiful Pink Lady slipper orchids growing near the boardwalk. I came to the end where I stopped to scan the 10-acre, circular lake at center of the bog. On the shore nearby, a few insectivorous Picture plants were growing from the sphagnum mat, some displaying their striking red blossoms. I turned around and headed back to the forest trail where I saw a lush Cinnamon fern with its familiar brown fruiting stalk. Nearby, was a patch of the Club Moss. Continuing back toward the car, I spotted a few tiny, white blossoms of Canada Mayflower. Finally, we reached the car, hopped in to escape the mosquitoes and headed back to Alma.
Signs of spring abound
Mother Nature thrives
A frog sits and hops
A Grebe swims and dives
Nests fill with hatchlings
Meadow fills with green
Yellowthroat on a branch
Is heard but seldom seen
Seasons are changing again
Summer will be here soon
May is a distant memory
Time to welcome June
D. DeGraaf
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