Spring Sprong on the Bog

May 13, 2014 — Leave a comment

As the ice disappears in the Northland and everything begins to green, one of my favorite places to explore new growth and look for signs of spring is the bog. Up in the Aitkin area of Minnesota I am surrounded by vast peatlands characterized by the colorful sphagnum moss and forests of tamarack and black spruce. With the onset of spring, the bog wetlands also thaw and the unique plants of peatlands begin to appear.

Due to their formation and make up, bogs (one of Minnesota’s three types of wetlands) are a unique and interesting ecosystem. Bogs or peatlands occur through northern coniferous biomes. In Minnesota bogs cover over 6 million acres and occupy land in the Northwest, Red Lake peatlands, and east over to Aitkin County (John R. Tester, Minnesota’s Natural Heritage). These vast expanses of peatland, the largest in the lower 48, formed when the glaciers that shaped much of Minnesota’s landscape retreated about 10,000 years ago. After the glaciers retreated and the climate warmed, large lakes were left in their stead i.e. Glacial Lake Agassiz and Glacial Lake Aitkin.

With continual warming the lake beds dried resulting in expansive prairie and grasslands. A few thousand years later, the climate became cooler and wetter, resulting in ecological change. The prairie of the lake bed became cold, coniferous forest with deeper wetlands. The basins of these large, glacial lake beds provided little drainage to the wetlands and the cold climate slowed decomposition. So, as plants died or shed, the plant matter settled to the bottom of the lake basin and continued to build up over time, creating peat or compacted, dead pant matter.

After thousands of years of filling in and peat build up, these shallow lake basins fill in and collect water within the peat to form a wetland bog. The water in the sponge like peat is cold, has a low oxygen content, and is acidic (Tester). Decomposition is still slow, bacteria do not fare well, and nutrients are not abundant. Thus, a bog is a difficult ecosystem and habitat for many plant species. However, the plant species which have adapted to the harsh conditions of the bog ecosystem are pretty neat indeed.

Below is an early spring adventure of mine on the bog. Many of these plants are common in peatlands and there are some more rare which I haven’t seen yet listed below.

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Cool Fungus on the bog. I do not know my mushrooms, this one seems upside down, but I have no idea the species, etc.

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Last season’s cranberry fruit (still taste good) among the bog characterizing plant, Sphagnum moss. Sphagnum moss has cool antibiotic properties and was used for bandaging in WWII (in England and other places with peat) when supplies ran low. Also, the water you can squeeze out of the moss is okay to drink!

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Pitcher Plants coming up on the bog. 1 of 2 carnivorous plants on the bog (other is the sundew). Cool adaptations to get nutrients that the substrate of the bog does not supply:

Pitcher to capture trap insects- small hairs growing downward keep insects from escaping. Plant digest and absorbs insects in pitcher part.

Odor of rotting and lines like weans to attract prey.

 

Other plants to find on the bog:

Tamarack

Black Spruce

Cotton Grass

Lady Slippers (on the edge)

Marsh Marigold

Bog Laurel

Bog Blueberry

Leatherleaf

Labrador Tea

Overall, the bog is great place to explore and think about earth/environment history. Being a wetland and harsh environment, it is easy in Minnesota to find unaltered expanses of bog and peatland. Although some places are harvested and used, others remain untouched. I recently asked a local geologist about the specific bog and place I visit-an unaltered parcel at the conservation center. I wanted to know how old the substrate is I am walking on as peat is not fully decomposed and succession is slow, I was guessing pretty old…He told I could be walking on plant matter from 25,000 years ago and that is pretty darn cool!

Natural Wonders of Winter: Apostle Islands Ice Caves

February 26, 2014 — Leave a comment

If you live in MN or WI, you have most likely heard of the Apostle Islands Ice Caves on Lake Superior…maybe you even had a chance to visit. This winter, harsh and chilly as it may be, does have some positive attributes. This persistent cold created the perfect conditions for expansive ice formation across the entire Great Lakes system, the most ice coverage since 1994. With quite a few mild winters in the past years, we have not had the opportunity to explore all winter has to offer, including some amazing examples of nature’s architecture. This year on Wisconsin’s northern shore of Lake Superior, an ice bridge has formed from the mainland to the Apostle Islands, where many sea caves have developed stunning chandeliers of icicles and multitudes of cool ice formations. With the lake frozen over, people can explore these rarely seen caves on foot and marvel at the geological formations of sandstone and ice. These caves are an example of Winter’s Natural Wonders, and are quite the sight to see. This past week I had the chance to explore the caves, below are some of my photos.

If you live in the Great Lakes area, I would strongly suggest making a visit to the sea caves. Plan for a whole day adventure, and try and go on a weekday-these are a growing tourist attraction! If you are planning a visit, check out these resources.

Weathering the Winter, Singing for Spring

February 22, 2014 — 1 Comment

This winter has been one for the record books. With more snow than we have had in years and long bouts of bitter cold temperatures, we Minnesotans have been weathering the many different winter storms and unprecedented cold. We survived the cruel visit from the polar vortex, are shoveling ourselves out of winter storm Nika, and have our sights set on spring. We are not alone in our tribulations. Throughout winter a cold hearty, feathery friend has been keeping us company, pulling through the winter, and now signaling that spring will actually arrive.

The Black-Capped Chickadee weathers winter as well as any tough Northerner. A small and common songbird, weighing only about 10 grams, stays up and active throughout the winter season. The chickadee is a curious songbird interested in learning all it can about its territory, even the human inhabitants. Thus, a chickadee is a common bird to see at feeders, and is easily identified by its small rotund shape, distinct black cap, and various songs. Even in the blustering cold and snow, the chickadee is commonly seen visiting the feeder and flying with the flock.The chickadee possesses a few great tools to make it through a tough winter; from staying warm, to finding friends.

Winter Survival Guide, Black-Capped Chickadee Edition:

1. Expand your Brain. Literally. Every fall the chickadee expands the part of its brain responsible for spatial memory (the hippocampus). By increasing the brain capacity by 30% the chickadee can work to gather and store food for the winter, then recall where dinner is on the worst winter day.

2. Insulate. A chickadee’s spherical shape is mostly feathers. A thick down layer covers a tiny body to insulate in the cold winter months.

3. Just keep eating. In the winter, chickadees eat enough seeds and berries to put on 10% of their body weight in one day, and in one night it is all burned off.

4. Get a little help from your friends. A chickadee flock uses multiple calls and songs to communicate with one another, and in the winter often associates with other bird species, such as; nuthatches, woodpeckers, kinglets, creepers, warblers and vireos.

The chickadee has survived the majority of winter and has its sight set on warmer days, more food, and mating season – oh the wonders of spring. As daylight increases, so do their songs; raising our hopes for the end of this relentless winter. When the sun shines again, listen for the “SPRING time” call of the chickadee. As the frequency of the song increases, the days of winter dwindle down, signaling to us that spring is truly not too far away.

The Upside of Cross Country Skiing

January 25, 2014 — Leave a comment

Recently, I transformed from a cross country ski novice, skiing one or twice in my life, to being a ski instructor.

At my current job, naturalists (teachers at the conservation center) teach fifth and sixth graders a variety of programs in environmental education, conservation practices, and outdoor recreation. So, one week I was scheduled to attend an instructor training in cross country skiing, and three days later, I was strapping on a pair of skis with 20 or so students and hitting the trails. And it went well…down…then down again, falling, slipping, loosing my footing…down, down, down. I counted 7 falls in that class; a student reassured me that he fell 21 times exactly, so I was doing “pretty good”. However, I wasn’t quite consoled. I thought I was going to be swift, strong, a perfect example for the kids. Turns out my inability to ski, or stay upright on my skis, was an unseen teaching moment for me. One, I had to show the kids how to fall and how to get up (demonstrated multiple times). Two, my class of novices and I figured out together what made skiing easier, faster, smoother, and less painful. Students who already got the hang of skiing, demonstrated some helpful techniques. In no time we were gliding on the trails with only minimal falling.

After some practice and quick lessons from students and co-workers, I am finally feeling confident on the cross country ski trail. For the most part, traditional cross country skiing is just as they say “a push and a glide” and as easy as walking (once you learn how). The learning process took about three good practice runs, but was worth the sore backside. Today, I skied for about 5 miles around Long Lake, and everything about the ski trek was favorable:

1. It didn’t matter if it was -20 degrees and snowing. Skiing is a full-body, aerobic workout and even in this MN cold it is possible to stay warm! Again, a FULL BODY WORKOUT and all I had to do was step onto the trail. Cross country skiing,  practiced with ample speed and good distance, can burn more calories than any other sport!

2. Skiing allowed me to travel miles in snowy conditions in a relatively short amount of time. If I had set out on  a hike to get my nature fix, I would still be out in the woods trudging through snow 6 hours later. On the ski trail I got in some birding (Pileated Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, and heard the sounds of a Barred Owl), observed a dozen different tracks  traveling the snowy forest floor, and even had time to take some pictures.

The benefits of cross country are just astounding. I was excessively happy with my nature filled full body workout, and even a little bit proud of my newly honed skiing ability. With practice under my belt, plans to practice skiing often, and all this excitement about a newfound hobby- I cannot wait to get back out on trails with students and teach with a discovered positivity for cross country skiing. I know I will still slip up and fall; but now instead of failure, a fall means a short rest and better view of the birds in the tree tops

Falling is A okay!

Falling is A okay!

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