Weekly Wanderings: October 5

Monday, October 5, 2020

October 5

With a chill in the air and the early morning sun at my back, I’m standing on Isabella County’s Roland Rd. bridge as the Pine River flows gently under me. Descending the roadbed into the floodplain, I make my way gingerly toward the channel through a very wet stand of matted down Reed Canary grass. This cool-season perennial grass thrives in conditions like this. However, it’s highly invasive and spreads rapidly through rhizomes to produce dense stands, preventing the growth of native wetland species. Arriving at the bank, I look around to see the delicate web of an orb weaver as well as seed pods of Swamp Milkweed. Nearby, decaying tree trunks display rarely seen Liverwort and Elegant Sunburst Lichen. Also known as the “space lichen”, this species was sent to the International Space Station and exposed to the vacuum of space. After surviving for 18 months by drying up and going dormant, it began to grow when given water upon returning to Earth. Moving along the bank, I first hear the faint call of a solitary Chickadee and then spot a few berries of Bittersweet Nightshade. There is much disagreement over the toxicity of these berries. Some say that paralysis can result in humans that have eaten as few as six berries. Cases of poisoning in cattle, horses, and sheep have been documented. Concentrations of toxic compounds within plants may vary with growth stage, and chemical components may vary from one individual plant to the next. Working my way back to the road, a Maple tree with leaves changing colors catches my eye. After crossing the bridge, I begin to explore the far bank where I observe a Crane Fly resting in the undergrowth, a few berries still clinging to a Silky Dogwood bush and a Curly Dock plant loaded with seeds. As a relative of buckwheat, Dock seeds are edible. Nature foragers strip them from the stem and grind them into flour that is high in fiber and gluten free. Along the way, I notice lots of Joe-Pye weed fully seeded out and a decaying tree trunk loaded with aging and browning Oyster Mushrooms. Turning around, I make my way back toward the car where I’m surprised to see a few colorful blossoms, including White Sweet Clover and Red Clover Also, the colorful leaves and hips of a Wild Rose vine catches my eye. Back in the car, I take off down the road noticing “road apples” deposited by a half dozen Amish horse and buggies that I saw during my hour-long river encounter.