October 21

Last Friday, while my wife, Caroline was attending a conference in nearby Charlotte, Remi and I hiked in the 540-acre Burchfield Park, located on the Grand River, 10 miles south of Lansing. The early morning weather was mostly cloudy with a temperature of 41 degrees and a light variable breeze. We left the parking lot and hiked east on a path that was barely visible under a thick layer of fallen leaves. Soon I arrived at the bank of the Grand River where I paused to watch the water drift slowly as a gentle breeze swayed the leaves of an overhanging oak. From here the river flows north to Lansing and then curves west through Grand Rapids and onto Grand Haven where it empties into Lake Michigan. Turning north along the river’s edge, I could hardly make out a Great Blue Heron, standing motionless on the far shore. Continuing north, the leaf litter revealed a variety of proximate trees including: Sycamore, Tulip Poplar and even Pawpaw. Next, I came upon an unfamiliar, late-blooming plant that I guessed to be Parry’s Wallflower. Turning west away from the river and following a trail through a mature forest, I noticed, as with many of my recent hikes, a variety of fungi including: Rusty-gilled polypores, some type of Stereum and Funeral Bells that contains deadly poisonous amatoxins - the same kind of toxin found in the Death Cap. These toxins cause sickness and vomiting followed eventually by liver damage and, if not treated promptly, death. Further ahead, on one tree trunk I spotted Whitewash fungi and on another, Christmas wreath lichens. Looping back toward the parking lot, I paused to scan the forest landscape where the understory, dominated by Spicebush, was ablaze in yellow. Finally, we found the car and headed back to Charlotte to pick up my wife before heading home.

Showy leaf

Autumn day

Won’t last

Won’t stay

Red to yellow

Fades to gray

Brown to black

Mold and decay

Disintegrates

Without delay

Joins the soil

Nature’s way

D. DeGraaf

October 18

Tuesday, Remi and I traveled 6 miles west of Alma to hike on friends’ property east of the village of Riverdale. The early morning weather was partly sunny with a temperature of 72 degrees and a stiff wind out of the southwest. We left the car and followed a path north where I noticed some signs of the season as Wild Raspberry leaves were changing color and a gaggle of Canada Geese were foraging leftovers in a recently harvested soybean field. Meanwhile, the morning sun made a brief appearance before being shrouded by clouds. Next, I veered west and hiked into a mature forest where a stand of Sassafras trees stood out with their bright yellow leaves. Also, I came upon a Red Oak tree whose leaves had turned rusty brown. After turning around, I began following a path east along the edge of a wooded pond where I spotted lots of dying Cottonwood leaves floating near the shore. Scanning the surrounding wetlands, I enjoyed listening to a chorus of Redwing Blackbirds that most likely stopped here on their migration south. Following the trail north, I spotted a Milkweed Bug resting on a Milkweed seedpod and could barely make out a grasshopper sitting on a Queen Anne’s lace blossom. Nearby, I noticed lush patches of young Wild Carrot plants (another name for Queen Anne’s Lace). So I picked a few leaves to smell the fresh “carrot” aroma. Glancing again at the wetlands, I noticed the cattails in front of me were swaying with the gusty wind. Continuing around the wetlands, the bright red stems and seeds of Pokeweed as well as the cup-shaped seedpods of Velvet Weed caught my eye. Finally, I turned around, retraced my steps back to the car and headed home.

Summer leaves

Captured the sun

Green and lush

Each and everyone

Bright yellow and reds

Dingy beige and grays

Cover dying foliage

In these autumn days

No matter the hue

No matter the shade

Nature has no favorites

For her colors displayed

D. DeGraaf

October 11

Tuesday, Remi and I traveled 23 miles southeast of Alma to hike the Wintergreen Trail, located east of Ithaca at the end of Filmore Rd in the Gratiot-Saginaw State Game Area. The early morning weather was partly cloudy with a temperature of 54 degrees and a light breeze from the south. We left the car and headed south on a sandy, 2-track where I noticed signs of the season as some green foliage was beginning to redden, including Red Maple and White Oak. Further ahead was another sign, as brown needles shed by a mature White Pine tree blanketed the trail in front of me. Although these trees are evergreen, many of their needles die and fall off during this time of the year. Continuing south, I came to a fork in the trail and veered left into a recently logged open area where on the ground, I saw a colorful Orange Peel fungus as well as a young rosette of Common Mullien with its velvety leaves, Next, I came upon a patch of American Wintergreen which this trail is named after. So, I picked a leaf and crushed it to smell the distinctive fragrance, although subtle now compared to spring. Those who enjoy the wintergreen flavor often make tea from the leaves and/or berries. An essential oil obtained from the leaves contains methyl salicylate, which is closely related to aspirin and is an effective anti-inflammatory medicine. Years ago, this chemical was obtained from Wintergreen plants for use in medicines and fragrances; however, now days it is produced synthetically. Nearby, I spotted a type of club moss, called Running Ground Pine, growing among the Wintergreen. After turning around, I began retracing my steps where I noticed a dense stand of mature Red Pine with its straight rows indicating someone had planted it many years ago. Continuing north, I paused to watch as a gentle breeze blew through some Big-tooth Aspen leaves that were turning yellow. Finally, we made it back to the car and headed home.

October’s well awake

Nature can’t defer

Green lost its hold

Others begin to stir

First, subtle orange

Tempts the maple leaf

Yellow starts its journey

Joins the aspen motif

Red’s wait is over

Responding to its cue

Many trees to cover

Early autumn debut

D. DeGraaf

October 4

Tuesday, Remi stayed home while I drove 13 miles west to the village of Vestaburg to hike at the 200-acre, Alma College Ecological Station along with fellow nature guide and friend, Ivan Palmer. The early morning weather was mostly cloudy, foggy with a temperature of 55 degrees and a slight easterly breeze. We left the car and followed a 2-track south where I spotted my first of many fungi, Common Stinkhorn. In all my years of exploring nature, I have never seen such a large variety and number of fungi throughout Mid-Michigan as I have so far this year. Turning east, the path took us into a dense forest where I noticed Sassafras trees were starting to change color. On the ground, I saw several clumps of Honey Mushrooms as well as Cobweb Mold on a cap of another mushroom. Next, we turned south, descended a steep bank and followed a boardwalk into an ecosystem unique to this area, called a Bog. Bogs are types of wetlands that accumulate peat, a deposit of dead plant material mostly from Sphagnum Moss. They occur where the surface water is acidic, low in nutrients and brown colored due to dissolved tannins in the peat. Reaching the dock, I paused to scan the circular, 5-acre lake surrounded by typical boardleaf trees that were changing color as well as Tamarack and Black Spruce, conifers associated with bogs. Beside the dock, some bright red hips of Swamp Rose caught my eye. Next, we gingerly walked out onto the spongy Sphagnum Moss mat covering the edge of the lake where I noticed a patch of Pitcher Plants, one of several insectivorous plants associated with bogs. Leaving the bog, we continued east where I continued to be amazed by the fungi including: Artist Bracket, Bay Brown Polypore and tiny, delicate Pinwheel mushrooms. Also, we spotted what appeared to be a Death Cap Mushroom with its characteristic veil on the stalk and part of a cup-like volva at the base. Finally, we turned around, retraced our steps back to the car and headed home.

Early October forest

Brushed with green

Is ready for nature

To change the scene

Her canvas is ready

Her easel unfolds

Orange and brown

Release their holds

Red and yellow

Begin their turns

To visit the maples

Fronds of ferns

D. DeGraaf