June 14

Wednesday, Remi stayed home while I traveled 10 miles west of Alma to the village of Riverdale to hike the 13-acre, Stearns Preserve, operated by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. The early morning weather was partly sunny with a temperature of 66 degrees and still air. Parking the car in the Riverdale access parking lot of the Meijer Heartland Trail, I proceeded north across the paved trail into a 2-acre, open field where I noticed several large patches of Wood Anemone blossoms. Turning east, I hiked to the edge of the Pine River where I paused to take in this scenic riparian landscape. Walking south along the bank, I spotted one of many Ebony Jewel-wing damselflies perched on a Wood Anemone blossom and a Fiery Skipper Butterfly perched on a Red Clover blossom. Next, I returned to the paved Heartland Trail and followed it east through a corridor of leaning Box Elder trees where I notice a few small yellow blossoms of the poisonous Greater Celandine plant as well as purple blossoms of Nightshade. As the trail crossed the river, I paused on the bridge and gazed up in a tall leafless tree to enjoy the sights and sounds of an Indigo Bunting. Still on the bridge, I turned south and watched the river as it flowed through a very dense wooded area that formed the southwestern boundary of the preserve. Continuing east, I turned north off the trail and climbed down a steep bank into a muddy floodplain where I noticed some blossoms of Wild Iris. Back up on the bike trail, I continued east where I spotted blossoms of Mayweed and Northern Bush Honeysuckle. Also, I stopped to observe a colorful Little Wood Satyr Butterfly. Further east, I came to the boundary of the preserve that was subtly marked with a small yellow label attached to a tree trunk. Finally, I turned around, retraced my steps back to the car and headed home.

Running fast, running slow

Carries leaves, broken twigs

Around a bend, on you flow

Water striders, Whirligigs

Swollen channel, banks erode

Cattail seeds, floating logs

Water treasure, precious load

Mallard ducks, leopard frogs

Summer rapids, winter ice

Earth’s resource, life giver

Much too nice to sacrifice

Nature’s wonder, Pine River

D. DeGraaf