Butterflies
     Butterflies love the warm, sunny days of summer. So much so, in fact, that you don't see them much if it's overcast or rainy, as we learned the hard way during a butterfly walk this July. (We still saw quite a few, such as the Baltimore Checkerspot pictured below. We just had to look more carefully!) If you'd like to learn to identify butterflies, here are some websites we've found helpful:

Beginner's Guide to Butterfly Identification

Butterflies and Moths of North America

The Potawatomi Trail
     Local resident Mr. Baker knew what he was doing in protecting his land adjacent to the Pinckney Recreation Area! (Photo at left; please see the press release for more details.) At more than 30,000 acres, Pinckney-Waterloo is the largest block of public protected land in southern Michigan. By protecting buffer parcels, the natural habitat is kept intact.
     Summer is a great time to go hiking, biking, or camping in the Waterloo and Pinckney Rec Areas, our local "big wild." Here's a trail map of public trails in Pinckney Rec Area (PDF), including the Potawatomi Trail, which Mr. Baker has helped build and maintain. Happy hiking!

Baby animals!
     Our Stewardship Intern, Jackie Bilello, discovered that one of our protected conservation sites is home to a new family of coyotes. (Apologies for the low-resolution photo, but we simply had to share it!)

The mystery of the missing trilliums
      To prepare for the May 3 wildflower workshop, Catherine & I visited the Reichert conservation property ahead of time. As we wandered around, though, we weren't finding any of the wildflowers we expected: trilliums, spring beauty, wood anemone, etc. We started feeling mildly concerned about the pending workshop. Where were the wildflowers? As we continued around the site, we made note of something we *did* see: a smallish yellow-orange flower called hoary puccoon. And that was the clue Catherine needed to solve the mystery.
      Hoary puccoon (lithospermum canescens) is an indicator of dry soils, such as those in certain prairies and oak barrens -- and that was the habitat that was actually in front of us! -Suzie

News flash: Spring blooms at Creekshead Nature Preserve!
      If you love spring wildflowers, this is the weekend you'll want to visit Creekshead Nature Preserve (the last week of April). The spring blooms are out in force!
      Flowers now in bloom include spring beauty, trout lily, Dutchman’s breeches, blue cohosh, cutleaved toothwort, trillium (multiple kinds, including nodding), and more.
      To visit: Creekshead is just northeast of Ann Arbor, on Curtis Road between Brookville and Five Mile Roads. Park along the west side of the road in front of the woods and please watch for traffic. (Map).

Clockwise from top left: The entrance sign at Creekshead; spring beauty; trout lily; nodding trillium.

A Hopeful Sign of Spring
      Spring has sprung -- and she is so generous that she even let Old Man Winter stop by for another day or two...
      Through the mud, a patch of lingering dirty snow, and the dead leaves left over from last fall...a delicate blue-purple flower unfurls. This photo of lovely hepatica blossoms was taken by Land Trust member Ellie Shappirio at the Land Trust's Sharon Hills preserve last spring.

(Thank you for sending this, Ellie!)

A Tree that Tells a Story
     When you see a large, old tree whose branches reach out to all sides, spreading out wide rather than reaching mostly upward, you know something about this tree, and about the land it grows on: Even if it is now in the middle of a forest, it originally grew in the open. A tree growing in the open will extend outward, while a tree growing in the forest tends to reach upward. These open-grown trees are sometimes called wolf trees. Here's one majestic old tree that is now surrounded by woods, but at one time stood alone:

Winter Wonderland
     A recent walk on one of our nature preserves yielded a snowy treat. When the air is moist, the temperature is cold, and the wind is low, hoar frost can form on branches, coating the trees and berries in a layer of delicate, intricate crystals. Photos of this delightful winter phenomenon:

A Ball of Fluff
     Just like you & me, birds appreciate a down coat when the snow is flying. They have a distinct advantage, though: they can fluff up their own feathers to keep warm! Here's one bird doing its best to stay warm:

A Tree with Leaves like Sandpaper
     On the annual site visit to the Reichert conservation property, we got to visit an unassuming but special tree: a small Dwarf Hackberry (Celtis tenuifolia). Dwarf Hackberries are rare in Michigan. They are small, shrubby trees that prefer dry, open oak forests. Their leaves have a distinct feeling of sandpaper.

Autumn in the Woods
     Early October. Glorious day, clear and cool. In the 100-acre wood, autumn color is just beginning to turn everywhere you look. Wild orchids spotted where there were none. Bullfrogs commenting to one another on the perfect weather. Spice bush giving off its delightful scent. Even the poison sumac, dangerous to touch, is a dazzling crimson. One part of the wood is called "The Chapel," and you can see why. Property lines, township lines--manmade constructions all--melt away as we watch the clear creek run past us. Staff and volunteers alike walk, and touch, breathe deep, and sigh. Good conversation and sweets from the local bakery top off a perfect day.

     If you'd like to volunteer to help with annual site visits in 2008, please call us at 734-302-5263 or email info@washtenawlandtrust.org.

      More information about the 100-acre wood

Your guide to the ferns of Sharon Hills Preserve
     As you walk along the trails at the Land Trust's Sharon Hills Preserve, here are some of the ferns you may see. For more information on these ferns, stay tuned for the Autumn 2007 Journal. (Thank you to Laura Liebler of Sorus Plants for the fern information, and to Rick Neubig for these great photos!)
Map to the Land Trust's Nature Preserves (PDF)

   
Ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron) Spinulose wood fern (Dryopteris carthusiana)

Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis)

Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

A Tasty Nut to Crack - September 2007
      While on the annual site visit to one of the Land Trust’s conservation properties, Suzie noticed two beautiful and enormous trees that towered over the open grassy field. A quick look at the bark led to identification: Shagbark Hickory! The Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) is recognized by its alternate, compound leaves and loose-plated bark that peels away from the trunk. The sweet nuts, related to pecans, are said to be among the tastiest of the native hickory nuts (but make sure you know how to identify the tree conclusively, and how to clean the nuts, before attempting this.) The trees can grow to reach heights of 130 feet. Photos:

Nature Spot contest! August 2007
      A recent monitoring of one of our conservation agreements turned up a familiar set of footprints in the mud. If you correctly identify these footprints, you'll be entered in a drawing for "In Drought Time: Scenes From Rural and Small Town Life," a lovely anthology of local poetry, photography, and art from Mayapple Press. Please email your answer to mark@washtenawlandtrust.org by Monday, August 20, 2007. Happy sleuthing!

A Wild Find
      I had a great deal of fun visiting one of our protected farms last week. In addition to saying hello to the horses, chickens, goats, sheep, bees, and even a llama or two, we ran across a plant in the swampy area that our farmer/land protector couldn't identify. It's a grass-like plant, green and tall, but with a spiky ball at the top, like a green star with spikes pointing in all directions. A quick pic emailed to naturalist Catherine Marquardt yielded a positive ID: Gray's sedge, Carex grayii. Nature likes to show off, too, and this is proof. - Mark

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The first land trust established in Michigan, Washtenaw Land Trust protects the natural areas and rural landscapes that make our community a great place to live.  Since 1971, this growing organization has directly protected 52 properties totaling 2,899 acres throughout Washtenaw, Jackson, and Ingham counties through voluntary land conservation. 

The Washtenaw Land Trust is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. For more information please visit www.washtenawlandtrust.org, or contact the Land Trust at info@washtenawlandtrust.org or 734-302-LAND (5263).

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