In this issue:

• Happy 23rd Anniversary, EIC!
• Ticked OFF!!
• Evening Lecture Series
• Upcoming Programs
• Programs for Young Children
• Tales From the Trails: Lakefront Living
• Greenways: Hold On to Those Balloons!

Ticked OFF!

A heightened awareness of ticks has permeated our outdoor experiences. Many places previously not known for ticks are now receiving reports of ticks from visitors. For my first twenty years or so in the campus’ Environmental Study Area (ESA), I could confidently say ticks were not an issue. That is not the case at this time. 

The prevalence of ticks in Michigan has increased over the years and climate change is a factor. Warmer winters have resulted in more active ticks, potentially extending the typical April-September season through some of the winter, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

Ticks are external parasites that survive by attaching themselves to humans, birds and reptiles and feeding off their blood. Some ticks carry diseases, the most harmful being the bacterium borrelia burgdorferi which can cause Lyme disease if a person is bitten by an infected tick. 

Unfortunately, we can’t count on the toothy grin of Virginia opossums for tick control. Once thought to be a tick consumer, research on opossum stomach contents do not bear this out. However, reducing non-native honeysuckle shrubs can mitigate the abundance in tick populations.

(Opossum photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

A 2010 study conducted in the St. Louis, Missouri, region “found that white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), a preeminent tick host and pathogen reservoir, more frequently used areas invaded by honeysuckle. Since white-tails prefer honeysuckle and its habitat as a food source and safe cover, these areas contained a greater number of ticks infected with pathogens than those with fewer honeysuckle shrubs. The researchers report, “We confirmed this biotic mechanism using an experimental removal of honeysuckle, which caused a decrease in deer activity and infected tick numbers, as well as a proportional shift in the blood meals of ticks away from deer.” Another good reason to promote native plant species and remove nonnative invasives!

The MDHHS offers extensive information about tick issues, including on the image below, as well as preventive measures to help reduce your chances to "pick up" a new friend on your outdoor adventures.

Hope to see you on the trails!

Dorothy McLeer, Program Manager

Mushroom Identification 101

Speaker – Mike Solomon, EIC Staff Naturalist

Date – Thursday, May 23 (the EIC's 23rd anniversary!)

Time – 5:00-6:00 p.m.*

EIC Naturalist Mike Solomon will share some of the basic techniques of mushroom identification, as well as showcasing some of the incredible diversity and adaptations of fungi!

Mike is a 2023 graduate of University of Michigan- Dearborn, as the Honors Scholar in Environmental Studies (Naturalist Concentration). Mike is a Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) through the National Association for Interpretation (NAI). He spends much of his free time outdoors, hiking, fishing, and exploring.

*Lecture will be followed by a short walk to attempt to locate and identify some mushrooms! (Foraging is not permitted in the Environmental Study Area.)

(Chicken of the Woods photo by Alexander 62)

Please register for this program.

Summer Young Naturalist Program

Monday - Thursday

9:30 am -12 noon

Ages 7-9: July 8-12

Ages 10-11: July 15-18

Get your child outdoors and learning about nature! Led by EIC staff and UM-Dearborn student interpreters, this science-oriented program provides direct, hands-on learning in a beautiful natural setting. Session topics will include pond life, birds, insects and spiders, and frogs and turtles.

The program fee is $60. Registration is required.

They're Baaack...The Birds AND

Public Bird Walks

Saturday, May 11, 18, and 25

9-11 a.m.

Join Rick Simek on the trails to welcome the spring migrant back to the Environmental Study Area. Whether just passing through on migration or raising a "brood" or two here, this is an important bird habitat. (Male Wilson's Warbler photo by Alexander Viduetsky)

Crepuscular Caper*

Friday, May 24

8:00-9:30 p.m.

Join EIC Naturalists for a casual walk in the Natural Area at twilight. Crepuscular is derived from the Latin word Crepusculum, meaning “twilight”. Crepuscular wildlife are animals that are mostly active at dawn and dusk! Dress for the weather, whatever it may be...

Please register for this program.

*We will be taking a break from this program until the daylight hours become shorter again.

Photography Walks Spring 2024

Thursday, May 30

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. Please dress appropriately for walking outdoors. This event is free and open to the public. Please register for this program.

Nature Walks for Mental Health

Wednesday, May 22, June 5 & 19

1:30-2:15 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.

Lakefront Living

The Environmental Study Area (ESA) has become the site of a new bird conservation housing project, inspired by a local birder. We recently installed four Prothonotary Warbler nest boxes along the west side of Fair Lane Lake. Mounted onto tall metal posts that are set into the lake bottom of the lake, the boxes are placed about 10 feet from the shore. Each box stands about 5 feet above the water’s surface. (Prothonotary photos by Geoffrey Clarke)

Prothonotary Warblers occasionally show up in the ESA during spring migration, usually in late April or early May. Most often, they leave after a brief stopover, but last year a male Prothonotary Warbler stuck around and clearly exhibited territorial behavior. It sang frequently from a location next to the lake, and was observed putting bits of moss into a small cavity in a dead tree along the lake edge. It discontinued this effort after about a week and disappeared soon after.  

Unusual for a warbler, Prothonotary Warblers nest in cavities made by woodpeckers, often in dead standing trees near water. They also use nest boxes of specific dimensions. 

To enhance the nesting site options for Prothonotary Warblers in the ESA, Mike O’Leary, a local birder who regularly frequents the ESA, recommended that we put out some nest boxes for them. We were happy to take him up on his suggestion. Mike kindly offered to build the boxes, and we installed them on May 4. EIC staff member Mike Solomon donned waders and did the work of setting the boxes out. (Photos by Rick Simek)

Let’s hope that these lively and beautiful birds will take us up on our invitation to stick around and do some house hunting in response to the new "lakeside living" options offered to them.

Rick Simek, Natural Areas Manager

Hold On to Those Balloons!

Calling all celebrants! 'Tis the season to recognize and honor rites of passage and accomplishments, but sometimes the after effects are nothing to celebrate.

So, even though having or releasing balloons is a colorful and exciting addition to your graduation celebration, they may not be the most sustainable way to decorate for your party. Instead, you can use a variety of other alternatives, including lights, lanterns, paper chains, streamers, and garlands. 

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!