Field Notes Archives | Page 2 of 2

What the river knows: Chasing Wisdom on the Maumee

Recently, I have been telling everybody I know about the Maumee River. Among the first things I usually mention are that it sits at the center of the largest watershed in the Great Lakes region, that it drains more than 6,600 square miles of land in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, and that it has a ...

02/01/2018
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Into the Woods | Are you ready?

Heading into the woods, wetlands or prairies for your first, or first-in-a-long-time hike? Are you wondering what to bring, wear or what you’ll see or do in an ACRES preserve? What to bring? You really only need to bring your curiosity, awe and gratitude. If you’re not feeling these attitudes, perhaps the trails will bring ...

08/30/2017
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Color Me Bright, Color Me Orange

Article and photos by Fred Wooley, ACRES member, former Wing Haven caretaker and retired DNR Pokagon State Park naturalist Every growing season, changes take place in the wildflower world. Although we may not always consciously think about these changes, we may be noting them in our subconscious. They are as subtle as the changes in daylight when spring ...

07/19/2017
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Bee happy: summer solstice in the field!

When you help ACRES donors and members protect land, you’d better spend some time walking it, wondering over it – and working it. You also need to appreciate natural cycles. Last year, ACRES Land Trust staff launched quarterly staff development days in honor of seasonal changes. The ACRES Office is closed for the spring and ...

06/22/2017
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Digging our region’s natural groove: Cedar Creek’s Tunnel Valley

You’ve probably read about the Cedar Creek Corridor, but have you stood 80 feet over the creek and wondered how this dramatic topography happened? Right here? Recently, Tony Fleming, geologist and long-time ACRES friend, shared geologic theory and evidence as we walked along the corridor’s 80-foot elevated Lanham’s Promontory overlooking Cedar Creek in the Tom and Jane ...

06/16/2017
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ACRES’ Bird Blitz Final Tally

Greetings, fine-feathered friends, Many thanks to the 76 volunteer bird-counters who put in hard work and had fun identifying birds for the first annual ACRES Bird Blitz! 76 of you went out there to tiptoe through 35 different ACRES properties, binoculars and field guides in hand. Your results are in: 89 species of birds were identified, ...

06/08/2017
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What is a Fen? The Nature of ACRES’ “Springy Places”

“Springy places” the early pioneers called them…probably because the pioneers frequently encountered springs of water emanating from these wet landscapes, or maybe because walking on these bouncy wetlands put a spring in their step. These globally rare ecosystems are also known as “fens” or “prairie fens.” Prairie fens are found in the glaciated regions of the upper Midwest: predominantly in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, ...

05/22/2017
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Field Notes: early March birds, blooms & ballads

While spring has not yet officially sprung, the preserves are already increasingly active. Spring wildflowers are beginning to bloom and wildlife is returning. As hikers do the same, they’re capturing images and video of the hullabaloo. Enjoy these sights and sounds of early March from ACRES preserves across our region. In video: March 7, 2016 | ...

03/08/2017
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