Nature Immersion

Standing on the edge of this incredible prairie restoration. One of the most beautiful Michigan prairies I've ever seen.

Prairies one covered an estimated 2.35 million acres across Southern Michigan, with oak savannas making up a large portion of that. But agricultural destruction, an overabundance of invasive species, and a lack of the necessary wildfires that helped prairies flourish, have whittled our prairies down to less than 1% of what they were.

Prairies are one of the most diverse habitats in the state and provide crucial habitat for numerous important native pollinators, other insects, and birds. Not to mention the wide variety of plant life a prairie supports. Prairies are also an incredibly important ecosystem, as native prairie plants, with their deep root systems, help prevent erosion and improve the water quality of the groundwater and runoff.

This place was so amazing. Dozens of different species of butterflies, including monarchs, several different species of swallowtails, cabbage whites, and others, along with bumblebees of different species, grasshoppers, crickets, and other insects that feed on the prairie plants, attract a variety of insect eating birds, as evident by the numerous butterfuly and other insect wings scattered along the trail. Field sparrows were heard in abundance, as were wood peewees and chickadees. I'm sure if the day hadn't been so hot there would have been more bird activity but *shrug* it is August in Michigan.

Protecting what is left of Michigan's prairies is crucial to the biodiversity of our state. Losing prairies doesn't just mean losing countless native plants, but also losing the insects, birds, and larger predators that eat the birds.

Some day, God willing, I hope to be in a position to purchase old agrictural fields and vacant lots destines to be bulldozed for the next apartment complex or random commercial whatever, and work to restore even just small portions of Michigan's prairies and grasslands. Even creating protected green spaces within an urban setting can help to reverse the effects we humans have had on our natural ecosystems.

Start 'em on that life young! Nothing more fun that poking around in a vernal pond. Can't wait to come back and see what's in there when it get warmer. Plenty of frogs in the background so hopefully soon we'll be seeing some tadpoles swimming around.

It's been a while, hasn't it. Life has been, a lot recently, and u just haven't had the motivation or energy for nature shenanigans.

But I can't ignore the nice weather we've had recently. Tonight was a prefect early spring evening, so we headed to the playground. As the sun set over the playground, this funny little noise in the background, barely audible over the stands of delight as the small human went down the slide, kept snagging my attention. I'd heard it before, but never in the wild, and the nagging though as I went round and round the play structure of "I know what makes this sound but I can't think of it" drove me crazy.

So, when Hubby took the kiddo to see if the drinking fountains worked, I wandered off with Merlin at the ready to see if I could ID the sound. And boy was I delighted to see American Woodcock pop up. I've always wanted to hear this birds "peenting" call as it circles and projects its adorable sound in all directions in hopes of attracting a female. And while I couldn't see his little spiral flight, I could hear it. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to the record button to capture it and there was so much road traffic at that moment yall probably wouldn't have been able to hear it anyway.

But I did get some pretty good "peenting". So, I hope you enjoy the dightful, unique song of the American Woodcock on what was a quintessential spring evening in Michigan.