exploring nature’s infinite connections
One year ago, I wrote about a bit of a rabbit hole I stepped into regarding the name of a local city-owned nature preserve and confusion over some naming on the maps of a couple of streams that run through or around the Plum Brook Nature Preserve (aka. Sterling...
The evening of October 10, 2024 ( a KP index of 9!) brought another spectacular solar storm our way, triggering displays of the Aurora Borealis across Michigan and elsewhere. The Aurora Borealis appears more frequently at lower latitudes because we are likely...
We are fortunate to have a number of designated wilderness areas in Michigan, which can be easy to forget when you live close to one of the sprawling metropolitan areas that seem to keep expanding. It is a constant source of sadness for me to see local woodlands...
Michigan has the largest concentration of freshwater coastal sand dunes in the world, spanning 230,423 acres. Approximately 32 percent of them are classified as "Critical Dune Areas" as designated by State legislation efforts. As defined in this legislation, Critical...
Lake Superior's shoreline in Michigan is highly diverse. From the cliffs of Pictured Rocks, to flat cobblestone covered beaches around Whitefish point, to this area I explored some years back near Marquette. Wetmore Landing is home to some of the oldest rock...
The US National Park system celebrates its 104th birthday on Aug 25, 2020. Here in Michigan, we are fortunate to have 5 National Parks and 2 other national sites managed by the NPS. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Lake Superior, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, near...
Pandemic stay-at-home boredom is impacting me a bit. It has also been hard to keep focus. I have about 5 posts sitting in draft right now that I keep coming back to, making changes, adding, and then hitting writer's block. My photography output is pretty low, even in...
Michigan is home to 57 orchid species, according to the current listing at the University of Michigan's michiganflora.net. It is by far the most comprehensive flora species identification tool when it comes to our state. Wild orchids are typically a cherished find for...
This week I took advantage of a guided hike by Bill Atkinson of the Michigan Nature Association in a new preserve for me. The MNA is one of Michigan's oldest land preservation organizations following a basic philosophy that in order to preserve land, you need to own...