A slow spring

It's the start of May and the forest is not as far along as it was last year. I've been taking photos from the front of the cabin over the past two years (much more often this year than last). According to the news, this cool spring is likely to continue through May, thanks to the rather strong La Nina that is happening this year.


May 2, 2009


April 23, 2010


May 4, 2010

Wind + Torrential Rain + Dead Ash Trees

Walking around the forest, I found one of the continuing impacts of the emerald ash borers that came through Michigan a few years ago, destroying all the planted ash trees throughout the area (including Saginaw Forest).

In addition to the expected ecological changes that are caused by the loss of a significant tree species in a forested area, there are direct physical impacts that are likely to happen, such as winds toppling the trees in the sodden ground caused by recent torrential rains (~1.7 inches in 2 hours). In this case, the toppled tree's roots pulled up parts of the road next to it...

I wonder how I'm going to apply maintenance to this problem:

Another fallen tree & a reminder of things to come

Yet another fallen ash tree met me as I returned home yesterday. I went out with the chainsaw and bowsaw in order to chop it up before the rains came. After about 30 minutes, it was done; the trunk chopped into ~4' lengths.

I think that it might be a good idea to try and at least do a survey of the locations of the ash trees in the forest. Perhaps a better idea to try and chop them down if they are a threat to falling on the road, one of the paths, or on the "Frog man's" research site. Of course, ash trees are really quite a pain in the butt to cut when they are lying on the ground, and I can only imagine how much more difficult they will be to chop down from standing.

Still, there are many dead ash trees in the woods, and it might be an interesting part of the management plan to see if some of these regions can be replanted with something in order to minimize the amount of shrubby and weedy invasions to the affected areas. (After all, if we don't want buckthorn and honeysuckle, then shouldn't part of the plan be to plant these areas with trees that will shade out the early growth of these plants?)

Stuff growing

The small vegetation is growing. Mosses cover the ground and the stumps of trees.


I also was able to cut away some of the trees that fell across trails during the winter.

Strange fauna in the forest

Sometimes, I have stumbled across some strange animals in the forest. "Strange" not in that the animal itself is strange, but rather "strange" in that they are not expected to be found in the forest (or at least a forest in Southeastern Michigan).

Last summer, there were feral cats, preceded in the winter by a Russian duck. Today, it was a peacock.

Spring morning

Waking up today,
I catch the first morning song.
Birds sing in the spring.

Drillers done.... I guess.

So I came home last night to find that the drillers were finished with their work, had packed up, and had left a mud smear and (slightly) torn-up road where they were.