Environmental Interpretive Center eNewsletter Oct. 18, 2024 | |
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In this issue:
- Art + Stewardship
- EIC Staff Honored!
- Upcoming Programs
- Stay Tuned for the Photo Contest results...
- Tales From the Trails
- Greenways: Don't Make Your Treat a Trick!
- Partner Event
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Art + Stewardship
Earlier this month, the University of Michigan Arts Initiative made it possible for the EIC to collaborate with papermaking artist, Meg Heeres (pictured left). Formerly based in Detroit, Meg has been no stranger to creating and implementing community-based art.
Cue The Invasive Paper Project! As the name suggests, Meg processed invasive plants from the Environmental Study Area into usable plant fibers for papermaking. Each sheet comprised a new mural that calls the EIC its home—an abstract yet symbolic piece inspired by the natural landscapes around the facility.
Meg and a relentless team of volunteers harvested common reed (Phragmites australis), Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), narrowleaf cattails (Typha angustifolia), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinaceae ), and yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus). These pervasive plant pests are invasive to Michigan. Despite their foreign origins, they thrive in our local biome. As they grow and multiply, they deprive native species of limited yet vital resources.
Finding a practical use for these unwanted plants made for a communal and immersive artistic experience. After the arduous harvesting process, the raw plants were snipped, stripped, and chopped every which way. Now in more manageable pieces, the plants take a scalding water and lye bath to loosen the precious cellulose fibers from other unwanted components.
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The boiled material gets, quite literally, “beaten to a pulp.” Taking on the form of a uniform mash reinforces bonds between individual cellulose fibers, making for a stronger sheet of paper. Together with various public and student groups, we used specialized screens to form each sheet of paper the final mural. | |
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My time as Meg’s assistant throughout her guest appearance at the EIC left me with a strengthened sense of community, new skillsets, and a few paper pulp stains on my uniform—this process was a messy, full-body effort! My heartfelt thanks go out to all who made this experience possible, and I’m excited to see new partnerships being fostered here at the center. (The author making paper.)
-EIC naturalist Dalia Rabbah
Editor's note: a week-long parade of community members, professors with their students, and the EIC staff are all grateful to Meg and her wellspring of energy on this unique project.
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EIC staff naturalists Mike Solomon and Donna Posont each received awards at the recent Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education conference in Grand Rapids. Mike received the Rising Star Award for demonstrating leadership, innovation, as well as exhibited best practices in environmental and/or outdoor education. Donna and her Birding by Ear and Beyond program was awarded the Recognition Award for making significant contributions to the fields of environmental and/or outdoor education, in a specialized area. Donna was also featured in the recent Audubon Magazine for her work! | |
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An Evening Stroll with the Naturalists
Friday, October 25
6:30-8:00 p.m.
The sun is setting earlier, and that means our “EIC After Dark” night hikes are back! Join EIC Naturalists on October 25th at 6:30pm-8:00pm, for the first in a series of relaxing evening hikes in the Natural Area! Many animals conduct most of their activities after sunset, and they are often overlooked! We will be using our “night vision” and adjusting to the darkness, but feel free to bring your own flashlights with you. Please register for this event. (Photo by Brian E. Small/Larkwire)
Nature Walk for Mental Health
Tuesday: Oct. 29th, Nov. 5, 19, Dec. 3
2:00 -2:45 p.m.
Relax, unwind, and get outside; with brief guided meditations, and 45-minute nature walks. You will be entered into a raffle for each event you attend, where winners will be announced at the final walk and celebration. Please dress appropriately for walking outdoors. This event is free and open to the public. Please register for this program.
Photography Walk
Thursday: Oct. 24
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Take a hike with an EIC Naturalist and Nature Photographer! Bring your own cameras and accessories, we supply the scenery. There will also be opportunities to submit your photos to be displayed in a Photography Showcase in April. Please dress appropriately for walking outdoors. This event is free and open to the public. Please register for this program.
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The Return of Art in Nature Walks
Thursday: Nov. 7 & 21,
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Meet new EIC student naturalist Morgan Corley who will lead these art-inspired walks. Some materials provided, but feel free to bring your own! Please register for this program.
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Pollinator Photo Contest
The results of the Pollinator Photo Contest will be announced next month--stay tuned...
(Photo by previous award-winner Linda Gilson)
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A Super Season for
Sapsucker Migration
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a woodpecker known for drinking sap from holes they make in live trees, is typically an uncommon but regularly encountered migration stopover species in the Environmental Study Area (ESA) in spring and fall. (Photo by Jim Simek)
This autumn’s sapsucker migration has been an exception. Instead of a few scattered sightings in the ESA, sapsuckers have been seen (and heard) almost daily since the first individuals
arrived in late September.
For my own part, I have encountered more sapsuckers this fall than I have seen in total during my 30 years as a UM-D naturalist. Sapsuckers have also seen during several of the EIC’s public bird walks on Saturdays in September and October. Sapsucker migration in our local area runs through about late October, so you may wish to try a sapsucker search of your own in the ESA.
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Listening for them can help. Keep your ears tuned for a thin, rather high-pitched mewing that sounds like it is coming from a worried cat that has climbed up too high in a tree. Follow the sound and look for a woodpecker a little smaller than a robin. As the bird grasps the tree, look for a rather long, vertical white strip on the side of each wing. That will distinguish the sapsucker from other woodpecker species in the ESA. You’ll be able to tell whether it’s an adult or immature bird by the presence or absence of a red throat patch (Photo by Jacqui Trump).
Something you will very likely not see is the yellow belly, which the bird presses against the tree. The person who gave the yellow-bellied sapsucker its common name was probably holding a dead sapsucker, which they had shot, upside down in their hand. That particular distinction seems belong to the English naturalist Mark Catesby, who in 1729 described and illustrated the species in a book about birds of the southeastern U.S and Bahamas. Catesby and other naturalists of his time had no binoculars or cameras to get close up images of the birds they were finding and describing.
It’s interesting to think about why, compared to previous years, so many sapsuckers have, at least so far, stopped over in the ESA this fall. Perhaps they have been influenced by a major weather system, one that shifted their “typical” southbound migration trajectory in a way that concentrated their numbers toward southeast Michigan.
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It’s heartening to know that, no matter the factors that are bringing this banner batch of sapsuckers our way this fall, the ESA is there for them to find important resources that allow them to rest, refuel, and continue on their migrations. Enjoy!
-Rick Simek
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Don't Make Your Treat A Trick!
With the approach of Halloween and other fall festivities, many of you will likely be heading to the grocery store soon to purchase sweets to eat and to share. Even though the treats don’t obviously appear to be hiding any tricks, some of them may contain an ingredient whose harvest can be harmful to our environment.
Palm oil is a common ingredient in many foods that is produced by farming the fruits of palm trees in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. To make space for these farms, vast areas of land are often cleared of other trees and plants, resulting in high rates of deforestation. These tropical forests are home to a diverse range of species, and are essential habitats to threatened species such as orangutans and tigers. This rapid deforestation also contributes to climate change, as the vegetation is often burned away, releasing large amounts of greenhouse gasses.
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Luckily, there are various candies that do not contain palm oil, so buying palm oil-free treats for Halloween or any other holiday is not a difficult task. Various organizations have created palm oil-free candy guides, such as this one from the Carolina Tiger Rescue. If you are not sure whether a food contains palm oil, you can also simply read the ingredients list!
If you would like to get further involved, the University of Michigan-Dearborn has a student-led organization called “Palm to Palm” focused solely on reducing palm oil use, both on and off campus.
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The organization has been instrumental in the university’s transition away from palm oil products towards more sustainable sources. Visit the Palm to Palm website to learn more about palm oil and other ways you can help!
-Valerie Osowski, Cooper Family Intern
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2024 Conference: Birdsong in the City
Saturday, October 19, 2024
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Join Detroit Bird Alliance for a one-day conference at the Michigan State University Community Music School in Midtown Detroit. Unique field trips and great speakers are featured in this celebration. Included are Dr. John Hartig, speaking on rewilding Detroit, the EIC's Donna Posont discussing the Birding by Ear and Beyond program, music educator and composer Andy Jarema sharing his research into the relationship between bird song and music. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.
MSU University Community Music School
3408 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201
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Venturing outdoors and encountering nature is good for your health. Our trails are accessible, so please visit our Environmental Study Area. Stay engaged in learning activities and check out our Remote Learning Activities & Resources page for ideas to create a “Neighborhood Nature Journal” and “Family Nature Walk” activities!
We also hope to see you in person at our upcoming programs!
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Please remember...
The EIC Environmental Study Area is open daily from sunrise to sunset. We would like to remind nature-goers that fishing on site is prohibited and to leave bikes and dogs at home because they cause disruption and stress to the EIC wildlife.
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