August 20

Last Wednesday, I drove 18 miles southeast of Alma to hike on the nature trail in Gratiot County’s 100-acre Reed Park. The mid afternoon weather was partly sunny with a temperature of 86 degrees and no wind. From the parking lot, I walked north to the trail and followed it into dense forest of mature deciduous trees where I spotted some colorful fruit of Highbush Cranberry. Following the Beech-Maple Trail east, I scanned the landscape and noticed several trees with trunks of various colors and textures. Those that were easy to distinguish included: American Beech, Yellow Birch, Black Cherry, Musclewood and Hop Hornbeam. As the trail turned to the north, I noticed trunks whose differences were more subtle without seeing their leaves including: Sugar Maple, Red Oak and Basswood. Speaking of leaves, I gazed up at the forest canopy that was nearly enclosed. Continuing north, I spotted a recently fallen chlorotic maple leaf on the leaf litter as well as some acorns and an Acorn Plum Gall. This gall grows on Red Oak acorns in response to eggs laid by a female Cynipid wasp. Cutting the fleshy gall in half revealed tiny larvae that will soon pupate and turn into adult wasps. Following the trail as it turned west then south, I was serenaded by sounds of Cicadas. On my left, I came upon a patch of Elderberry bushes with their compound leaves consisting of seven leaflets. On my right, I spotted the fruit of False Solomon’s Seal. Near the trailhead, I came upon a large decaying stump where I spotted the silken-lined burrow of a Wolf Spider. Also, I observed a Harvestman (Daddy long-legs) whose body was about 1/8 inch in diameter and legs about an inch long. Watch how this amazing creature uses its legs to probe the surroundings (while a Housefly ignores it). These legs, especially the second pair, serve as ears, nose, tongue, and even as supplementary "eyes." They are loaded with nerves and literally thousands of tiny sense organs that lie inside microscopic slits. Finally, I completed the circuit and made it back to the car for my trip home.

Forest of summer

Trail through trees 

Time of the year

To show off leaves

Towering Maples

Stand all around

Spreading their green

Shading the ground

High in the canopy

Beyond my reach

Seeking the sun

Oak and Beech

D. DeGraaf