December 25

In 1926, when George Beck of Ithaca learned that one of the last stands of White Pine in Gratiot County was going to be cut down, he called on local lumberjacks and rivermen to buy a 40-acre tract to preserve these majestic conifers. In 1927, these woodsmen organized an association and raised $3000 to purchase the land that became Lumberjack & Rivermen's Park. Between 2016 and 2018, I was pleased to lead an effort to establish a network of five nature trails within the park. The morning skies are mostly cloudy with temperatures in the upper 20’s and a west wind as I leave the Madison Rd. trailhead where I notice the skeletal remains of a Whitetail deer (likely a decomposed roadkill). Proceeding north, I pause to look at the snow-covered boardwalk and reminisce on its construction, seven years ago. After crossing the board walk where I spot some fox tracks, I come to a small pond covered with ice and Duckweed that surprisingly remains green and alive despite freezing temperatures. Arriving at the footbridge over Mud Creek, I remember completing its construction six years ago as we set two, 30-foot telephone poles across the channel and then built a walkway out of oak lumber, milled from trees in the park. Following the Mud Creek trail north through towering Red and White pines, I circle around, continue west on the Riverview Trail and pause at the edge of the Pine River as its water flows gently past. On a nearby snag, I notice seepage of sap called Slime flux. Also known as wet wood, this seepage is foul-smelling. Slime flux is caused by common surface-inhabiting bacteria or yeast fungi that enter the trunk through wounds. Following a steep bank to the north, I pause at a favorite vista of this watercourse. After crossing the Lumberjack Rd bridge over the river, I follow the Campground Trail south along the bank as the water flows over some boulders. Upon a closer look, I spot a fresh deer carcass stuck on some rocks, perhaps mortally wounded by a hunter’s bullet. Continuing on the Campground trail, I come across some more green vegetation, including fronds of Christmas ferns and a leaf of Wild Yam. I continue south through the vacant campground on an aisle of fallen leaves and a leafless canopy of Oaks and Maples, overhead. Leaving the trail, I once again pause on the river’s edge to watch water from Mud Creek flow into the main channel. After completing the Campground trail, I stop on the Madison Rd. bridge to take one last look at the river as it meanders south toward Riverdale.

Christmas sanctuary

No windows or walls

No carol music playing

Only a Chickadee calls

Christmas sanctuary

Choir of gathering geese

Gratitude for solitude

Planet Earth at peace

Christmas sanctuary

No ringing silver bells

Early morning hike

Mother Nature dwells

 

D. DeGraaf

December 18

There’s a slight westerly wind and partly sunny skies as I watch the water of the Chippewa River flow gently north through Meridian Park. Early morning temperatures are in the mid 30’s as I notice an ice-covered Viburnum shrub nearby and two pair of Mallards swimming along the far shore. Following a narrow trail along the riverbank, I come upon the base of a tree trunk with its bark stripped off by either a Pileated Woodpecker or more likely a Porcupine. I gaze afar skyward to the north and spot a likely nest of a Bald Eagle, wedged in a tall, leafless tree. These nests are made with large sticks and may be lined with moss, grass, plant stalks and sod. They’re usually about 4 to 6 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep. These birds are very territorial and most breeding pairs return to the same nest site year after year, adding more sticks and making it larger. Following a trail away from the river into a woodland, I observe a white Birch tree trunk displaying a pattern of holes made by a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a few willow trees displaying densely growing twigs, called “Witches Brooms”.  In medieval times, mysterious and unexplainable occurrences were often blamed on witchcraft. Brooms during that time were made of bundles of twigs. A number of stresses, both biological and environmental, can lead to the formation of brooms. Organisms such as fungi, mites and aphids can cause these abnormal growths when they attack a host tree. Some brooms appear to be caused by genetic mutations in the buds of the branches. Other observations, include litter of decaying maple leaves and the unique design on the trunk of a White Poplar tree. Continuing north, I climb a steep, sandy bank and look down at a marshy, wet area that was a partial oxbow lake,10 years ago (stock photo). The complete lake was most likely formed during a big flood event when swift, raging water took a short cut directly across the neck of a river meander (curve) and carved out a new, straightened river channel (stock photo). Cutoff from any inflow or outflow it began drying out eventually formed this marsh. Oxbow lakes get their name because their shape starts out resembling the “U” of the old wooden oxen yoke, like the one being formed to the east (stock photo). After pausing to scan the river, I turn around and make my way back where I notice a patch of Reindeer moss on the ground. Just before getting in the car, I watch a few Dark-eyed Juncos foraging along the edge of the parking lot.

Deep in the woods    

Noises cease               

Sounds subdued

Nature at peace

Mid of December

End of the year

Mother prepares

Slumber is near

Tucks her children

Turns down light

Covers them up

Blanket of white

 

D. DeGraaf

December 11

The early morning sky is clear with temperatures in the mid 30’s, as I make my way eastward toward the rising sun, over a patch of crunchy snow on the Meijer bike trail, near the tiny village of Cedar Lake. Just off the trail, I notice a narrow stream of water flowing through some lush Watercress, the only plant that is still displaying lots of green chlorophyl. Not surprising, I spot several deer tracks in the snow and a couple crossing the trail in the distance. Evidence of recent Coyote activity, include its linear gait pattern of snow tracks in a bike tire track on the trail and its scat containing strands of hair and fur. Birds that catch my eye, include a pair of Mourning Doves and a female Downy Woodpecker. After a mile hike, I reach the Wolf Creek bridge to check out the beaver activity that I discovered a month ago, on a previous hike. Sure enough, the branches they stuffed under the bridge were still in place, damming the creek and creating a large pond for their lodge. Turning around, I spot a perching Eastern Bluebird. Years ago, these birds would have migrated by now to warmer climates of Texas and southeastern states. However, because of milder Michigan winters, more and more of them are situational migrants, meaning they are residents that stay in the vicinity of their breeding territories year-round. However, snowstorms and blizzards may force them to temporarily migrate. These birds eat mostly insects, wild fruit and berries. Occasionally, they have been observed capturing and eating larger prey such as shrews, salamanders and tree frogs. These birds are skilled fliers with incredible vision. They can spot an insect on the ground from 60 feet away. Heading west, I first observe a few Opossum tracks in the snow and then I look hard, through a dense stand of tall Phragmites, at a stand of cattails, reminding me that the invasive species continues to push out the native species. Proceeding west, I’m surrounded by Tamarack trees whose dead needles have dropped to cover the trail in front of me. This tree, sometimes called an Eastern Larch or Hackmatack, is a unique deciduous conifer that displays green needles in the spring and summer (stock photo), that turn yellow in the fall (stock photo), before dropping to the ground. Similar to Cedar, the wood of this tree is virtually rot-proof, making it ideal for making shingles, patio furniture and decks. Porcupines eat the inner bark. Snowshoe Hares eat the seedlings and Red Squirrels eat the seeds. Nearing the car, I gaze at a stark landscape, colored with scattered branches of leafless Red Osier Dogwood shrubs.

Blossoms of pink

Finches of gold

Dormancy and death

Have taken hold

Voice of the Vireo

Pines embrace

Song of silence

Has taken its place

For other seasons

Do not yearn

Nature is ready

It’s winter’s turn

 

D. DeGraaf

December 4

It’s mostly sunny with freezing temperatures as I begin my early morning hike in the 14-acre Stearns Preserve, one of 25 preserves operated by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy and the only one in Gratiot County.  After admiring a Gibbous moon against azure blue skies, I proceed to the edge of the Pine River to watch its water flow gently through a pre-winter landscape. Moving up to the Meijer bike trail, I proceed east where I spot red berries of Viburnum and a few fading leaves of Honeysuckle, the only green foliage I can find. Continuing toward the bridge, I’m reminded of how different this view was on my hike back in June. Likewise, from the bridge, I look down to watch the river flow south through a stark landscape and compare this with the view I had back in June. Across the bridge, I make my way down a steep slope to the edge of the river, follow it upstream and turn to view the bridge from afar and compare it with the one I had back in June. Along the way, after ducking under thorns of Prickly-ash, I come upon a 12-inch stump displaying a variety of colors, including tiny Orange Cup fungi, pale green Foliose Lichens, black mold, green algae as well as white snow and ice. Back on the bike trail, I walk through a corridor of leafless Box Elder trees and recall doing the same thing back in the lush surroundings of June. Up ahead, I leave the paved path, descend a steep bank to the north and enter a landscape rarely seen in these parts. Referred to as a Rich conifer swamp or Cedar swamp, this groundwater-influenced, forested wetland is dominated by northern white cedar and thick layers of moss that insulate saturated soil. Due to anaerobic conditions associated with a high water table and organic soils, trees are shallowly rooted.  As a result, leaning, bent, or fallen trees are common, creating tip-up mounds, abandoned root pits, and coarse woody debris. The complex community structure is further enhanced by root hummocks of cedar, which are often elevated above adjacent saturated or flooded organic soil. Cedar swamps provide a food source as well as sanctuary and shelter for dozens of species during winter, especially White Tail deer. During a severe winter with deep snow, swamp temperature is warmer, wind speeds are lower and the snow is shallower than the surrounding area. Back to the bike trail, heading for the car, I catch a quick glimpse of a Dark-eyed Junco in flight (lower left corner) with its white tail feathers. 

 

River water

Gently flows

Seasons change

Nature knows

Barren bank

Green no more

Geese midstream

Icy shore

Rising sun

Clouds of gray

Morning hike 

December day

 

D. DeGraaf