Glennwood Nature Preserve, Kosciusko County

http://www.acreslandtrust.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=44551&PID=701968

     What a beautiful day for a hike!  Hank, Evelynn, General Lee and I hit two nature preserves on the last day of our spring break.  Glennwood Nature Preserve was our final stop on this glorious, hiker-friendly day.  It is not a large preserve, but it proved interesting for my near-weary companions.  

Duckweed is eaten by humans in some parts of Southeast Asia.  It contains more protein than soybeans...yum!

     One of the first sights greeting us was this quaint little pond nearly covered with duckweed.  When I was very young our trips to town would take us past a pond similar to this, and my response was always, "eww, look at all the slime on that swamp!"  I couldn't have been more wrong.  Duckweed isn't slime at all, but rather tiny little individual plants, floating on or just below the water's surface.  Also called "water lentils," duckweed is an important high-protien food source for waterfowl, hence the name "Duck"weed.  

The Glennwood bog is unusual because it's PH is neutral.  Acidic peat bogs are much more prevalent. 

     Glennwood contains a circumneutral bog, one of only 15 in Indiana.  A circumneutral bog is a bog-like wetland that receives non-acidic groundwater.  This bog was once a lake, but it is now nearly filled with a springy mat of mosses and ferns, resting on a bed of peat.  The day we visited Glennwood, the ground was very wet, making our hike a bit tricky at times.

A pleasant view of the bog.  It won't always be this water-y, but no matter how dry the summer gets, bogs usually retain some amount of moisture.  

At this point, our hiking trail took us through the bog.  It was a bit too muddy...er, boggy?...for us to go much further in this direction.  But look at those trees in the distance...

If I didn't know better, I'd think it was autumn!  You never know when one of those pesky time-space continuum portals will pop up and transport you back a few months.   Actually, some trees have springtime buds that appear red, like Red Maple and Ash.  

Taking a little break.  Except General, who is always on the lookout for the next critter naive enough to cross his path!

     As we hike further and further into the springtime season, we are never disappointed with the prevalence of Indiana wildflowers.  It is nearly impossible to look in any direction and not see a myriad of these beauties...

Rue Anemone

Wooly Blue Violets

Garlic Mustard.  A highly invasive species of wildflower with few (if any) natural enemies.  Except perhaps humans. Garlic Mustard has been eaten in salads and other recipes since the 1800's.  If you can't beat it, eat it!!

"Nature made ferns for pure leaves, to show what she could do in that line."  ~Henry David Thoreau

     We can't wait to see where our next hiking journey takes us, and what new things we can learn about Indiana's natural splendor while we're there!

Bock Nature Preserve, Kosciusko County

http://www.acreslandtrust.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=44551&PID=701967

    My family has been a member of Acres Land Trust for a few years now, and during those years we have enjoyed only the nearby preserves of our own county. The comfort of the familiar, you know. Shame on us!  Up to now my hiking adventures and blog entries have taken us to those same familiar preserves.  So now...we venture into unknown (to us) territory!  

An addition to our usual merry band of hikers: General Lee

     On this day my entourage and I (plus our dog, General) traveled over 100 miles to visit two nature preserves we had never enjoyed before.  And it was well worth it!  Our first stop was to Bock Nature Preserve in Kosciusko county.  

On of my very favorite things about springtime is looking through the trees, my sight unimpeded by the future's leafy growth, and appreciating the vastness of the space surrounding me.  I love this illuminated view of the woodland floor's green carpeting.

An impressive vernal pool.  Find a description of a vernal pool in my last post, here: http://www.unearthingmycreativeidentity.blogspot.com/2012/04/wildwood-koskiusko-county.html

So large, one photo just wouldn't do!

     It was a beautiful day for a hike, and we saw so many indicators of spring.  I think I'm usually too busy and distracted to notice and appreciate nature's gifts that are able to be seen only in the springtime. 

The sun was behind this tree, effectively "lighting up" these leaves.  I love how they glow!

Blue Eyed Mary
When winter's chill has scarce left earth
And April winds blow "Hey down derry !"
Comes gaily dancing down my hill
Sweet, laughing, Blue-eyed-mary.

She wears a dress of bronzy green
Draped round her light and airy;
She lifts the loveliest face I've seen
Brave, tender, Blue-eyed-mary.

Her eyes shine like the azure sky, Her step light as a fairy; Her face, no crystal drift so white,
Dear, steadfast, Blue-eyed-mary.

My hat is off to Bouncing Bet,
Gill-over-the-ground runs quite contrary,
Black-eyed-Susan is my pet;
But I'm in love with Blue-eyed-mary.

~Gene Stratton Porter

Dutchman's Breeches.  Named for their resemblance to the historical Dutch sailor's pants.  Only upside down.

I wonder what he's drinking?

    The Bock Nature Preserve is 47 acres, but is only half covered with forest.  The other half is an agricultural field that is being converted into native grassland. Tall-grass prairie plants have been established here, and it makes for a very diverse hiking experience.

We could see that the grasses had been very tall.  Today they were mostly flattened from the winter snows and rains.  

    In it's past life, this preserve was a portion of a family farm for over 100 years.  The windmill on the property remains as a reminder of the land's past use.

A memorial of a past life.

Next stop: Glennwood Nature Preserve!  See you there!

Wildwood, Kosciusko County

http://www.acreslandtrust.org/wildwood

Recently my faithful companions and I attended a bird-banding at Wildwood Nature Preserve near Silver Lake, Indiana.  A bird banding is when birds are humanely captured within a mist net, examined, measured, banded, then released unharmed.  

Does this photo look a bit blurry to you?  That's because this researcher is standing behind a mist net, a very fine and soft, nearly invisible net designed to safely capture the birds as they fly into it.

This was a great opportunity to see birds up close and learn about local bird species and the international bird banding program. If a captured bird is already wearing a band, their activities can be tracked throughout their lives.  If a bird isn't wearing a band, one is placed on their leg, and they are entered into the banding program.

The band for this tufted titmouse was very small. Bird bands come in many sizes and are light, comfortable and unobtrusive for the birds. Each band is stamped with a tracking number.

Special pliers are used to tighten the band so it fits the diameter of the bird's leg just right.

After the bird is measured and banded, all this data is recorded into a notebook, then later in a computer program and shared with the world.  And of course, the birds are released safely back into the wild.  

Evelynn got to hold and release a chickadee.

Hank's bird was very ready to escape captivity!

After the excitement of the bird banding, we headed out into the wilderness for our hiking adventure.  It was no accident that Wildwood was choosen as the site for a bird banding. There are many different species of birds that call this preserve home. Including the pileated woodpecker. 

Pileated woodpeckers are the largest of the common woodpeckers found in most of North America. These crow-sized birds present a memorable sight with their zebra-striped heads and necks, long bills, and distinctive red crests.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/pileated-woodpecker/

We didn't see any woodpeckers on our hike, but the evidence of thier existence was plentiful!

Pileated woodpeckers forage for their favorite meal, carpenter ants, by digging large, rectangular holes in trees. These holes can be so large that they weaken smaller trees or even cause them to break in half.

Our hiking adventure brought us to many bodies of water. Wildwood has a small pond, vernal pools, and numerous wetlands.

A vernal pool is a depression in the land that accumulates water with the rising water table of fall and winter or with the meltwater and runoff of winter and spring snow and rain. They contain water for a few months in the spring and early summer. By late summer, a vernal pool is generally dry. Learn more here: http://www.vernalpool.org/vpinfo_1.htm

Wetlands are places where there is shallow water or very soggy soil at least part of the time. There are three major wetland groups: swamps, marshes, and bogs. It’s easy to tell the difference between the first two. Swamps have mostly trees or shrubs. And marshes have mostly grassy plants. Bogs are spongy, mossy wetlands where plants pile up faster than they can rot away. All those plants form thick layers of peat. http://www.nwf.org/Kids/Ranger-Rick/People-and-Places/Whats-a-Wetland.aspx 

And all throughout our hike, I was pleased as punch to FINALLY be seeing some signs that spring has sprung! 

"If one daffodil is worth a thousand pleasures, then one is
too few." ~William Wordsworth

Mayapple
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/mayapple.htm

Bloodroot.
A very  helpful website if you are interested in identifying flowers...
http://uswildflowers.com/wfquery.php?State=IN&Color=White It is categorized by color!

I can't wait to see what lies ahead in our next hiking journey!  See you then!!

"Camp" Kokiwanee

http://www.acreslandtrust.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=44551&PID=635732

Just barely a mile from my childhood home lies140 acres of wonderful wooded wilderness, Kokiwanee Nature Preserve, otherwise known to my family and many others as "Camp Kokiwanee." Camp Kokiwanee was formerly a Girl Scout Camp, originally purchased in 1943 by the Kokomo Kiwanis, hence the name "Kokiwanee." (How the Girl Scouts were tied into the Kiwanis, I'm not really sure.) When Kokiwanee was purchased in 1943, the land was $64.18 an acre, for a grand total of $16,000!  What a steal! 

Kokiwanee is adjacent to Salamonie State Forest. After we climbed almost straight up this bluff, I had to sit for a (long) while. Luckily the view was a welcome distracion during my sweaty, huffing, heart-palpitating, near death break. 

While I was never a Girl Scout myself, my mom and dad were members of the Girl Scout organization. So during certain times of the year when the camp was closed for the Girl Scout-ing season, my family would have opportunities to camp there.  We would clean the lodge, help with tent maintenance, create paths, and other things related to closing or opening the camp for the season.  I don't remember the work much. But I totally rememember the fun of camping, hiking, riding my bike around, swimming in the lake, canoeing, pot luck meals featuring campfire cuisine, and the friends we made with the other families. 

A beautiful reflection on the lake. I can remember many-a-time spent on, in, and around this lake. 

Since 2003 Kokiwanee has been owned by Acres Landtrust.  Kokiwanee features bluffs along the Salmonie River with several streams flowing down several waterfalls to empty into the river.  If you walk the path along the river, you will see at least 4 waterfalls! 

Several of the waterfalls have names, and there are signs directing you to the paths that will take you there.  However, I don't remember which waterfall this is. 

Hank and Evelynn relaxing on a bed of moss.  They recovered from our nearly vertical climb up the bluff much more quickly than I did!

Brand new moss sprouts.  Did you know moss can make its own soil from particles found in the air?

My favorite place at Kokiwanee has always been "Mossy Heights." Mossy Heights, when it's not recovering from the winter, is the largest area of land blanketed by moss that I've ever seen!  When the moss is thick and green, it is like walking on puffy clouds.  One could literally lay down and take a nap on a proverbial "bed" of moss. (If one wasn't freaked out at the possibility of tiny creatures and creepie crawlies climbing into one's ears and nose, and all over one's clothes while one was sleeping!) Later in the season you can find many varieties of odd and unusual fungi growing among the moss beds, too. 


  Don't you just love this enchanted looking mossy path?  I felt like a fairy tale character as we took this route.

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."  ~John Muir

Until we meet again!

Hanging Rock

After a couple of weekends of sickness and all-around crappy weather, Hank, Evelynn and I made our way to Hanging Rock.  Hanging Rock is a very small nature preserve, but also a National Natural Landmark!  It is a special place to me because it is about 1.5 miles from where I grew up.  It was one of the first places that I was allowed to ride my bike to ALONE.



http://www.acreslandtrust.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=44551&PID=701991



Hanging Rock is a hundred-foot tall out-cropping of rock overhanging the Wabash River.  The cliff is actually part of a silurian reef composed of three different types of rock: dolomite, fossiliferous limestone, and dolomitic siltstone.  The silurian reef layer of the earth in this area was depostited during the Paleozoic era, 540,000,000 years ago.  (I'm not really this smart...all of this information -and more- is available on a couple of very helpful signs at the preserve.)



While I am quite impatient for trees to begin leafing, this time of year provides an excellent view of Hanging Rock!

I would be seriously remiss if I did not share the "Legend of Hanging Rock" with you.  Hanging Rock is a wonderful national treasure right here in Indiana, but that's nothing compared to it's haunted heritage! The story begins with the beautiful Miami Indian maiden, Wy-nu-sa, who thought she was in love with two handsome and strong Indian braves. (Well who hasn't been there?!)  Both of the braves were, of course, deeply in love with Wy-nu-sa.  So she devised a plan...

A portion of the "hanging" rock, no longer hanging.

Wy-nu-sa agreed to marry the brave who could survive a duel to be held at the summit of Hanging Rock. The unlucky-in-love loser would be plunged to his death in the "swirling waters of the river below."  As Wy-nu-saw secretly watched the battle from the shadows, she realized which of the Indian braves she truly favored.  And of course, he was the one who lost the battle and fell to his death. 
 

More sections of Hanging Rock that have fallen into the river over time.



When the victorious Indian brave came to claim Wy-nu-sa as his bride, she screamed, "I do not love you! You have killed my one true love. I cannot live without him!" And she threw herself over the cliff's edge and joined her true love in the Happy Hunting Grounds.  With flashlight under my chin...And it is said that the Indian maiden still lurks among the fallen stones at the base of Hanging Rock, mourning her one true love. And in the darkness of the night, passers by can hear her moaning, "You killed my one true love." 

I was really impacted by the massive quantities of exposed root systems I saw at Hanging rock.  The effects of rain and wind erosion on plants growing on a nearly vertical surface, I suppose.  A little alarming, but simultaneously quite beautiful. I love the twisting, entangling, weaving lines of the roots. It is a tiny peek at the amazing and mysterious root structures hidden below the earth's surface. 

I find these intertwining roots symbolic of the tangled heart-strings in Wy-nu-sa's legend. 



Did you know that together with their water-dwelling cousins, snails are number two on the list of most species on earth, second only to insects? There are 43,000 snail species living in the sea, in freshwater or on land. Five hundred land species live on North American soil.

One of about 100 snail shells I found in one particular area of the cliff-side.  The snail Happy Hunting Ground. 

A snail's shell consists of three layers: 1) the hypostracum, the innermost layer; 2) the ostracum, the middle layer, consisting mostly of calcium carbonate; and 3) the shell skin or periostracum, which is made of a mix of proteins that hold the shell's color. After a snail dies, this layer erodes away, exposing the white or gray color of underlying calcium carbonate. This part becomes food for next year's snails. (Answering my burning question...do new snails "move in" to old, abandoned shells? No. They EAT them.)  Again, I am not really this smart.  I found this, and a bunch more really interesting snail (and other creatures) information at www.welcomewildlife.com  



Finally! At the very end of our hike one of the kids found a sign of spring, albeit tiny!

Just down the road from Hanging Rock is our next stop, Kokiwanee Nature Preserve. Stay tuned...