July 10

The early morning sky is clear, with temperatures in the upper 60’s, as I begin a hike in the 13-acre, Stearns Preserve, one of 24 such properties in Mid-Michigan, owned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. After a short distance, I pause in amazement to watch a ¼-inch, female Cross Orb-Weaver spider spinning her web. At the tip of her abdomen are three pairs of spinnerets, which secrete silk used to create the web. These spiders are known to eat their webs each night along with many small insects stuck to it. A new web is thus spun each morning.  “Anita” and “Arabella” were two female Cross spiders sent into space in Skylab 3 in 1973 to study the effects of zero gravity on web construction. Up ahead, I stand at the edge of the Pine River to see its water flow gently past while listening to a chorus of crickets and birds. Glancing down at the water surface, I’m surprised to see Whirligigs and Water Striders moving close to each other. Exploring a nearby meadow, I spot a ¾-inch Grove Snail feeding on a Thistle leaf and a 1-inch Dusky Slug feeding on a Milkweed leaf. These slugs have limited vision and little or no auditory perception. Their primary sense is smell. The olfactory organs are located at the tips of their tentacles. These slugs also have chemoreceptors on their lips to detect toxins. Also in the meadow, I notice a fresh blossom of Goat’s Beard as well as an older one that has seeded out, thus the name. While looking more closely at the Milkweed plants and enjoying the sweet aroma of their blossoms, I observe a ½-inch Red Milkweed Beetle, a ¼-inch instar of a Milkweed Bug and a ¼-inch Darkling beetle. In addition, a mating pair of Grove snails catch my eye. These snails have been known to use a ‘love dart’ during courtship. This is a calcareous shaft coated with pheromone rich mucus which is jabbed into a prospective mate, making the female organs of a hermaphroditic partner more receptive to the retention of sperm. Next, I proceed east into a wooded area on a section of the Meijer bike trail that is part of this CWC preserve. Along the edge of the paved path, I spot ripe, red berries of a Honeysuckle bush. These berries are not safe to eat for humans and can cause illness if consumed in large quantities. Despite having low toxicity, they can cause gastrointestinal upset with vomiting and diarrhea. The berries are a food source for birds; however they contain below average fat and protein that birds need to thrive. Finally, while crossing the bridge, I stop to watch the Pine River flow south through a lush riparian landscape. 

Deep in a stagnant pond

With the leech and scud

Are you an alien creature?

Or simply a nymph in mud

It’s time to climb the reed

Into the warming sun

Amazing cycle of nature

Metamorphosis has begun

Grow wings of cellophane

You're a marvel to see

Dragonfly of summer

Fly now. You’re finally free

 

D. DeGraaf