READING THE LANDSCAPE

March 2, 2023

Nature Journal

It has been a long, long time since I recorded my thoughts about my Nature experiences. Although my adventures into Nature have not been as frequent as in the past due to weather, obligations, and limits on Juno’s excursions, there have been a few unrecorded outings that were memorable. This morning, I shall focus on the end of February and the first of March. On Saturday, February 25, Leslie and I were driving back from Marshall on Division Drive when we encountered depressing scenes of downed Big Trees. Their demise was not because of a storm; they were the victims of a carefully calculated Tree removal. The limbs of the Big Trees had been removed. Their Trunks were piled along side the road. Their sawed-off Stumps corroborated their longevity, i.e., until February 2023. The devastation was startling and was compounded by its stretching for what seemed like miles. Who could have committed this crime against Nature? Was it the landowner? Or was it MDOT or a County Road Commission? I don’t know the answer. I hope to find out more information. I do know that whoever made this decision robbed the public who use of a stretch of beauty along Division Drive. They also robbed the ecosystem of a key component. And the cutting sent entirely the wrong signal regarding Michigan’s commitment to combat climate change and global warming. Alas, this was the fifth gratuitous slaughter of Big Trees in our region that I have witnessed in recent years. -Wes

On a brighter note, we drove out to Lake Albion on the final day of February to see if we could spot the Loon that someone had identified there the day before. We did not find the Loon, but being out and about, we drove to a small farm pond we had named Swan Lake to see if any wildlife was in sight. As we approached, we spotted two large white creatures, in fact, a pair of Mute Swans. Could it mean that they would nest and hatch eggs there this season? In 2021, a pair of Mute Swans raised a family there, allowing Juno, Leslie, and me to witness their beauty and family evolution. That Summer’s experiences included the attempt of Trumpeter Swans to invade the Mute Swans’ territory. (More of that natural conflict later.) The Mute Swans stood their ground and the Trumpeters retreated. Suffice it to say, we were thrilled to see the Swans on the last day of February. At the same time, we are cautiously optimistic given that Swans had made a brief appearance last Spring. However, they relocated. The Summer of 2022 was not a Swan Summer; fortunately, it became a Sandhill Crane Summer at Swan Lake. Bonus: a pair of Buffleheads swam around the Lake while we were busy focusing on the Swans. Circling back toward home, two farm-field pond grazing Sandfill Cranes further brightened the morning. At another little farm pond we call Lilypad Lake, a gorgeous Great Blue Heron was perched atop the derelict upturned hunting blind that draws one’s attention to the middle of the Lake. Although it was a gray day, the experience was spiritually uplifting. —