November 2

Near the end of my journey to reach the source of the Pine River, I’m a mile south of the village of Remus overlooking Pine Lake, a private, 16-acre impoundment of the river. Under overcast skies and temperatures in the low 40’s, I follow a leaf-covered path to the water’s edge to view the mirrored surface of this secluded, private lake. Tracing the river upstream from the lake, I find a narrow channel of water slowly flowing from north to south. Exploring the surrounding area, I glance up a huge Maple trunk to spot some edible, Chicken of the Woods mushrooms. In the leaf litter, I spot some unusual looking Aspen leaves. These yellow leaves with patches of green are not quite dead. Residing in a tiny pocket of tissue near the base of the green patch is a translucent 2mm. caterpillar (stock photo) feeding on tissue. The larva secretes an anti-senescent hormone that keeps part of the leaf alive so that it can keep eating. Soon, it will pupate for winter and emerge as a tiny adult moth (stock photo) in spring.  Next, I drive about a mile north to Wheatland Township Park in Remus to search for the actual terminus of the Pine. Hiking south from the car, I notice the leaf litter has Maple leaves with dark patches called Tar spot-a fungal disease that attacks the leaves but does not kill the tree. Overhead, as a gust of north wind blows, I observe leaves of a Willow tree sway against the gloomy sky. Continuing south, I trudge through a large wetland that, in-fact, is the ultimate source of water for the Pine River to begin flowing. Along the way, some plants with lingering fruit catch my eye including: Winterberry, Privet and Virginia Creeper. Finally, I come upon what can be called the beginning of the river channel-a narrow stream of water covered with a green blanket of highly invasive, Water Hyacinth. This free-floating aquatic plant forms dense mats that block sunlight from what once was open water. This drastically reduces the number of native algae and plankton in the water, which in turn disrupts the food chain. Native to South America, Water Hyacinth was introduced in the United States as an ornamental pond plant in the 1880’s. Spreading through the southern states, it’s now reached Michigan, although its impact is less since it dies back in sustained freezing temperatures. With gratitude for a successful journey from end to beginning, I bid farewell to the Pine River.

 

End of the beginning 

Falling into springtime

Over months of weekly days

Flowing down upstream

Along narrow channel wide

On gentle current strong

Straight meandering course

With flooded shallow banks

Through vast fields of forests

Under clouds of sunny skies

Witnessing wildlife of death

Pine River with me, without

 

D. DeGraaf