March 15

Arriving at Hall’s Lake Natural Area, 15 miles west of Mt. Pleasant, I begin hiking through a stand of leafless broadleaf trees where patches of snow still linger, even after last week’s 40–50-degree temperatures. After noticing the leaf litter consists mostly Aspen and Oak, I come upon a small tree stump recently shredded by a hungry Pileated Woodpecker (stock photo). While the sunrises through the forest behind me, I head west to the edge of ice-covered Halls Lake. Based on the geologic history of central Michigan, this 50-acre body of water is most likely a “kettle lake”. The basin of this lake was formed thousands of years ago during the most recent ice age as a receding glacier deposited a large block of ice here that slowly melted away and turned into a depression that later filled with rainwater, melting snow and groundwater flowing from springs. Making my way along a bluff above the lake, I can’t help but notice several white birch tree trunks on the ground in various stages of decomposition. Looking more closely, I can see that many are like tubes where the insides have rotted away leaving only the bark. Turns out birch wood is soft, open-grained and very susceptible to invasion by water and various fungi which cause rapid decay. The bark, on the other hand is highly resistant to decay. The cells in the outer layers of bark contain betulin crystals that are arranged in such a way as to reflect light and appear white, protecting it from solar radiation and freeze/thaw cycles. This chemical also protects the bark from fungal decomposers. Also, betulin is a hydrophobic molecule - giving birch bark its superior waterproofing abilities. Glancing once again at the leaf litter, I’m impressed by a collage of oak, maple, beech and bracken fern. Up ahead, sticking out of the leaf litter are several Club Moss plants. Sometimes called “ground pines” because they can resemble pine trees, they are neither pines nor moss. While they’re only a few inches tall, 300 million years ago during the Carboniferous period they were the dominant land plant growing as tall as modern trees. Much of the coal we use today formed from these fossilized plants. Continuing to loop back eastward toward the trailhead, I welcome the morning sun illuminating the saplings of white pine and the mossy green path.  

 

Morning in March

Old man winter won’t let go

Mother Nature still asleep

Trail with patches of snow

Walking a silent forest

Naked maples in my sight

Squirrel tracks to my left

Deer tracks to my right

Facing a stiff north wind

Hands cold, cheeks numb

Few sounds of singing birds

Few clues of spring to come

 

D. DeGraaf