All walking is discovery. On foot we take the time to see things whole. – Hal Borland
This quote is posted at the trailhead of Michigan Nature Association‘s Wilcox-Warnes sanctuary, the only one in my county. They posted a bit of history of this place recently, and it reminded me I was overdue for a visit. As they mention in their post, this woodland was part of an 1833 land grant from President Andrew Jackson and was owned by the Wilcox and Warne families until it was donated in 1975.
They refer quite appropriately to this place as an oasis, as this area of Southeast Michigan is part of the growing suburban sprawl. Many farmlands around here are being wiped clean and developed into mini-mansions. Macomb County, in general, is quite developed, and it is nice to see a few isolated spots like this preserved for so long, giving you an idea of what this area used to be like.
The quote is appropriate as so many people speed by this little section of woods to take care of the tasks of their daily lives. I am willing to bet many that live right around here don’t even know it exists. The MNA is quite good at keeping their sanctuaries fairly low key with very little intrusion for development and trail maintenance.
It was immediately obvious to me how old these woods were. You could tell just by the soil. Years upon years of decaying logs, leaves, mosses, fungi and other forest undergrowth. One of my favorite finds in the woods is an old, knarly, decaying tree such as the one pictured here. They are bound to have a lot of interesting textures worth exploring, and I spent a good amount of time just in this spot.
It was also an opportunity for me to test out my D800 back from Nikon after my drop mishap. I was very pleased that it didn’t cost a tremendous amount to have it repaired, and they had it back to me in a little over a week. Thank you Nikon USA service! The camera also had my 14-24 lens on it at the time it was dropped. I didn’t send it with the camera because I thought it was fine. However, this walk in the woods revealed that I didn’t test it thoroughly. I came upon one mangled log that I wanted to photograph very wide, and for some reason I was getting wildly overexposed shots, no matter what aperture setting I used. I switched lenses, all exposures were fine. Well, it seems the little lever that controls the aperture mechanics is damaged and who knows what else. So looks like this repair saga is going to be extended longer than I had hoped.
I quickly put that out of my mind though, and continued exploring this very peaceful area. It was quiet, tranquil, effective medicine that prevented me from stressing about the lens. Gear can be fixed. On foot, we see things whole indeed.
lovely images from what looks like a very special place; I would love to visit all of our MNA refuges in this lifetime; how fortunate we are to live in such an incredibly beautiful state.
There are many that I have wanted to visit but haven’t had a chance. Yes, we are fortunate, and fortunate there is an organization preserving some of these sensitive places!
The leaves with all autumn colours look fantastic – isn’t it a fantastic time of the year!
I’m also a bit behind due to vacations but catching up slowly 😉
Greetings from Switzerland,
Sandra
🙂 I certainly love the European appreciation for vacation time! I wish we were granted as much here. Yes, it is a great time – thank you Sandra.
Well, I did see the post of your returning lens, which goes to show you how far behind I am in commenting on peoples blogs. Looking at these images stirs up memories of my time in the Ohio Valley during the fall and walking the trails in the Metro Parks of Columbus. I spent a lot of time in them woods. And, I can smell them right now. Wonder what our world would look like if everyone took a walk in the woods every day, or even once a week. I want to believe we would see the world differently.
I think it would change greatly Monte. I know I always loose some of my stress load when out there.
Fine images – I really like the log background in the first, and the leaves twords the corner.
I spend a lot of my nature time in conservation sites tucked away in the town where I live, suburban more than urban. In the larger ones, you can get out of sight of the habitation and get the feeling of wildness.
When you walk, you get the full sensory experience. Although you can get out of sight of houses and people, not the sounds of humans – I hear cars and birds and the sounds of leaves all in a jumble.
Good luck with the lens! Sorry to read about the fall/drop. I did that earlier this year…
Thanks Tom. Yeah, I guess you know how much it sucks during those initial moments of the drop.
Good point about the sounds. It is hard to completely get away when you are still near a major city. I suppose that is what true wilderness is for. Pure silence is truly a wonderful thing.
The way you talk of this place reminds me of Ribbon Walk, in Charlotte. It’s tucked away just off of a small neighborhood. Lots of old growth and it was formerly a loblolly pine farm, so lots of nice trees standing in a row. Very few people know about it. For me, it was an accidental discovery many years ago. I just happened to be driving by it.
I see that fall has already kicked off in your neighborhood. 🙂 I look forward to more. Glad to hear about the camera, not so much about the lens. Soon, you’ll be back to 100% though … except for in your wallet, maybe. 😉
It is a shame these spots are becoming a bit rare, but at least we DO have them eh?
Yep, fall is coming, trees are still pretty green around here, but in the forest you can find a few of those early starter leaves. thanks Paul.
The end of your essay reminds me of the experience we photographers sometime share when we come up empty. It’s the experience that counts. Unless you have a deadline or project to complete…would that I knew what that is like. 🙂
Old woods are a delight to find and full of little and big discoveries. Here in New England almost all woods have been harvested or totally cut and had some sort of agricultural practice foisted upon them. But we are also lucky that a fair amount has been restored. But there are pockets of old growth with trees of massive girth that scrape the sky.
I always stand in amazement at the base of one of those huge trees. They are certainly far and few between around here. Thanks for the comments Steve.
I agree with the general sentiment of the quote though these days I see so many people walking with their eyes glued to their mobile device that I suspect little discovering is being made. Even in places that simply beg for one’s attention because of their sheer beauty. Oh well.
The photo of the leaves is well done. Beautiful texture of the wood and gorgeous rich colours of the leaves. Real nice.
True. I guess it depends on what kind of discovering. 🙂 At least it is not while driving.
Thanks Cedric.