October 26

The late-morning temperature is in the mid-40s under sunny skies as I walk along the Pine River in St. Louis, Michigan, listening to the distant calls of Canada geese. At my feet, I discover a few husks and nuts that have fallen from a nearby Pignut hickory tree. These nuts provide important food for squirrels and chipmunks. The unusual name dates back to early settlers who sometimes fed them to hogs. Far out on the millpond, I hear the familiar quacking of Mallards. Along the bank, I notice seedheads where the yellow blossoms of Beggar-ticks once flourished (stock photo). Nearby, a row of American Water Horehound plants displays dark clusters of tiny nutlets along their stems. Continuing along the shoreline, I'm surprised to discover a few lingering blossoms of Daisy Fleabane this late in October. Less surprising are the bright red hips of Swamp Rose. These fruits provide food for birds such as American Robins and Cedar Waxwings. Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, rose hips have long been used to make teas and jellies. Scattered among the duckweed floating on the water, I notice several goose down feathers, likely shed during routine feather replacement or preening. Farther along, a patch of cattail-like Bur-reed catches my attention. Although closely related to cattails, Bur-reed produces distinctly different flowers and rounded, spiky seedheads. Its dense vegetation provides valuable shelter for aquatic insects, amphibians, and small fish. My peaceful walk takes a sobering turn when I pause to read a warning sign about the river's contaminated fish. Although the water appears clean, toxic chemicals persist in the bottom sediments and accumulate in fish. Even here, roughly two miles upstream from the former Velsicol Chemical plant, the legacy of DDT, once manufactured at the facility, remains. Another contaminant, PBB, is associated with Michigan's notorious 1973 livestock-feed contamination disaster. Eating contaminated fish can expose people to chemicals that may accumulate in their bodies and threaten their health. Moving on, I notice clusters of blue-black berries on European Privet, an ornamental shrub introduced from Europe and western Asia, particularly for hedges. Considered semi-evergreen, its leaves may remain green well into winter, depending on the weather. Underfoot, fallen leaves reveal the distinctive shapes of Chinquapin and Bur Oak. As my walk concludes, the geese remain noisy, the river continues its quiet journey, and autumn's colorful remnants surround me. Yet I'm reminded that appreciating nature means more than admiring its beauty. It also means recognizing its vulnerabilities and striving to protect and restore places like this.

October's river show
Awaiting flurries of snow
Fallen leaves lose their glow
A restless buck seeks a doe

Turtles settle deep below
River currents ebb and flow
From woods afar, calls the crow
While redwings left long ago

Cattails sway as cold winds blow
Seasons change, we well know
Along the river, soft and slow
Autumn changes undergo

 

D. DeGraaf