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

November 27

Under partly sunny skies and frigid temperatures in the upper 20’s, I make my way into the Hiawatha Preserve, five acres adjoining the Chippewa River, west of Mt. Pleasant. Moving north to the river’s edge, I gaze through the clear flowing water at a couple of three-inch, Mussel shells lying on the stony bottom. These bivalves, (also called “clams”) spend their lives underwater, buried in river sediment. As filter feeders, they draw water in through a siphon, strain out free-floating microscopic organisms, digest them in their gut, and expel wastewater through an outlet siphon. Because of their filter feeding strategy, mussels contribute to keeping the river water clean.. A healthy mussel population can filter many thousands of gallons of water per day. Researchers, including CMU faculty and students (stock photo), have reported a decline in the local mussel population due to a number of factors such as invasive species (including zebra mussels), contaminated waterways, and low water flows. Nearby, perched on a downed tree trunk, I spot a well-camouflaged, Eastern gray squirrel feasting on a nut. These squirrels have a rogue gene that determines how much of a dark pigment, called melanin they have in their hair. The black squirrels, seen around here, are exactly the same species as gray squirrels, except they have additional melanin. Recent research shows we have more of these black-morph squirrels now than in the past. Moving along, I get a close up view of never-before-seen Pixie-Cup Lichens. The tiny little golf tee-shaped parts are their fruiting bodies. Spores produced in them will be splashed out of the cup by raindrops. Along the bank, I observe a dead tree most likely killed by never-before-seen Bootstrap fungi. This disease is caused by honey mushrooms, which are parasitic on live wood and send out long root like structures called rhizomorphs between the wood of a tree and its bark. When fresh, these rhizomorphs are cream colored but darken to brown or black as they age. The fungus is also called root rot or shoestring root rot. Heading back to the car, I come upon a huge Sycamore tree with its mottled trunk bark and olive-size spiny seed pods, hanging from its branches. After a short drive around to the other side of the Chippewa River, I enter the two-acre Neyer Preserve and stop at the 8-ft x 8-ft deer exclosure where, for the last 10 years, CWC staff have been researching the effects of deer browsing on forest vegetation. Proceeding to the river’s edge, I pause to watch the water flow gently past. 

I walk a different path today

My favorite trail is far away

Tis the time to kill the deer

Shooting guns, far and near

Unsafe to walk that ground

Too many hunters around

Hope the whitetails find a way

Escape the bullets of death today

Hope these creatures find a place

Where pursuers cannot trace

I wish hunting season to end

So I can hike my trail again

 

D. DeGraaf

November 20

The early morning skies are mostly sunny, temperatures are in the upper 30’s and winds are light from the west as I begin my inaugural hike in Starks Preserve. This 8-acre parcel is Chippewa Watershed Conservancy’s newest acquisition. Soon, I come upon a Multiflora Rose bush with its bright red berries, called hips. This fruit can be eaten raw but making a hot or cold tea out of them is a popular way to enjoy their unique flavor. Also known as Japanese Rose, this bush has become invasive in many parts of the United States and Canada.  Up ahead, I spot signs of seasonal change, including the seeding out of Aster and Clematis blossoms. Passing by several White and Red Cedar trees with their characteristic trunk bark, I come upon the base of one with its ornate root structure. This part of the tree is valuable for its use in making furniture. (stock photo). On the muddy trail below, I’m not surprised to see deer tracks, but am surprised to see geometric ice crystals, formed during an overnight freeze. Still looking down, I come upon a fresh pile of diarrhea-like Raccoon scat filled with lots of undigested berries. Overhead, I notice an odd-looking, 18-inch growth on a Maple tree trunk, called a Burl. This tumor-like structure formed because the tree’s growth hormones were disrupted due to an injury or fungal infection. Oddly, burls do not kill the tree. It can live out its entire lifespan with this growth attached to it. Because of its unique beauty, the wood cut from a Maple burl is quite valuable in making furniture (stock photo). Further ahead, I pause to watch a Pileated Woodpecker fly over and land in a nearby tree where I notice this beautiful bird is a female because the red coloration is only on top of her head while in a male the red coloration extends down to the bill (stock photo). The word “pileated”, from the Latin pileatus, meaning “capped”, refers to the bird’s prominent red crest. I continue to watch as she whacks away on a dead tree in search of her main prey, carpenter ants. She also uses her long, barbed tongue to extract wood-boring beetle larvae or termites, lying deep in the wood. When hammering into this soft wood, Pileated Woodpeckers use their long neck to pull far back from the tree, then make powerful strikes. Following the trail back toward the car, I come upon a few plants that still have plenty of chlorophyl in their leaves, including Canadian Thistle and Curly Dock.

Woods of November

Season of the gun

Whitetail of the wild

You’re on the run

Scent of humans

Flurries of snow

Whitetail of the wild

Time to lie low

Creature of nature

One of the best

Whitetail of the wild

No time to rest

 

D. DeGraaf

November 13

It’s a mostly sunny morning with temperatures in the low 40’s as I hike west on the paved Heartland bike trail near Montcalm County’s village of Vestaburg. On both sides of the trail, I see several Tag Alder shrubs, displaying their reddish male catkins and dark female cones. Nearby, I pause to examine a small, nearly dead, needle-less Red Pine tree with woody, tumor-like galls on some of its branches. Called Pine-pine gall rust, this disease is caused by a fungus that infects the vascular cambium and can kill young trees. Continuing west, I enter the northern section of the Vestaburg State Game Area, consisting of nearly 3000 acres of wetlands (stock photo). Amid the stark landscape, colors that catch my eye, include the pink, terminal twigs of Gray Dogwood and the red fruit of High Bush Cranberry. This fruit will soften and sweeten over winter to provide food for Cedar Waxwings and Robins. Up ahead, I come upon a dense patch of tall Phragmites with their feathery flowerheads, in the background mixed with a few cigar-shaped cattail flowerheads, in the foreground. Over the past few years, I’ve watched this patch of invasive reeds expand rapidly into the wetlands and overtake acres of native cattails. Along the way, I begin to see shrubbery having recently been cut down by Beavers. Up ahead, I come to the place where the water of a narrow Wolf Creek is supposed to flow freely under the bike trail, only to see that the beavers have built a dam of branches to block the flow and created an acre of flooded wetland. In addition, I notice they constructed a dome-shaped lodge just off the trail. Since the lodge can only be accessed by underwater entrances, it gives them protection from predators such as bobcats and coyotes. High above the flooded wetlands in a leafless tree, I spot a Mourning Dove (not Morning), named after its call that is often found to be sad or mournful. This call is generally referred to as the “perch coo”, sung by an unmated male on a perch. Surprising to me, this bird is hunted across much of the United States, 41 states in all. Thank goodness it’s protected in Michigan. It’s hard to imagine harvesting this bird for meat since an average adult weighs a mere 4.5 oz. Each breast fillet is about as long as a thumb and weighs one ounce or less before cooking. Turning around, I retrace my steps back toward the car, where I notice a decaying log displaying orate Turkey tail fungi and the paved path at my feet displaying a leaf litter of Maple, Oak, Aspen and Pine. 

Gone are the days when

Maples turned gold

Now is the time for

Winds to blow cold

Gone are the days when

White Asters bloom

Now is the time for

Gray clouds of gloom

Gone are the days when

Log turtles lie

Now is the time for

Juncos to fly

 

D. DeGraaf