June 15

The early morning humidity is high under partly sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 60’s as I leave the car to start my hike at Stearns Preserve, a 15-acre parcel in Gratiot County’s village of Riverdale owned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. Exploring the 1-acre meadow on the west boundary, I spot a 1-inch Common Ringlet Butterfly perched on a thistle leaf displaying its grayish underside wing pattern. An orange color and eye spot is revealed with the wings open (stock photo). After about 2 months as caterpillars (stock photo), adult butterflies emerge. Up ahead, I come upon a 1-inch frothy, white glob attached to a thistle stem. This substance is created by immature nymphs (stock photo) blowing air through their waste as they feed on plant sap. In mid-to-late summer, these nymphs mature into winged "froghoppers" (stock photo). Continuing to explore the meadow, I notice large patches of Field Club Moss dotted with white blossoms of Cranesbill (stock photo). Resembling miniature, evergreen conifer trees club mosses are extremely slow-growing and were historically over-harvested for holiday wreaths. Currently, all clubmoss species are legally protected in the state of Michigan. Proceeding east on the Meijer bike trail that bisects the preserve, I notice a tiny yellow blossom of Greater Celandine, a plant that I’ve never seen before. A perennial species in the poppy family, it’s known for its thick, bright yellow-to-orange milky sap- a latex-like fluid that oozes from broken stems, leaves, and roots. While historically used in folk medicine, it is highly toxic and can cause severe skin irritation, blistering, and corneal damage if it comes into contact with the eyes. Ingestion can cause severe gastrointestinal distress, nausea, and vomiting. Up ahead, I spot one of my favorite harbingers of summer-an Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly fluttering by and landing on a Honeysuckle leaf. While the adult is very attractive, the nymph is not so much (stock photo). Turning around at the boundary marker, I head back and pause at, once was a railroad bridge, to watch the water of the Pine River flow south toward Elm Hall, then Sumner before turning toward Alma. Near the car, I spot a 1-inch black Ichneumon Wasp perched on the underside of a Milkweed leaf. As parasitoids, females track down the larvae of wood wasps, beetles, and caterpillars, injecting their eggs directly into the host. When the larvae hatch, they slowly consume the pest host, eventually killing it. As I complete my walk and return to the car, I am grateful for preserves like this. Whether from an asphalt or earthen trail, nature is on display to those willing to slow down, observe and appreciate her handiwork.

A speeding car

Or Killdeer afar

Coo of a dove

Or airplane above

Buzz of bees

Or blower of leaves

Passing cloud

Or yelling loud

Babbling stream

Or sirens scream

Nature’s path of peace

Human noises cease

 

D. DeGraaf