2023 52 Card Project: Week 37: Nature

[pegkerr]

Here we see an example of the limitations of my self-imposed rule that the titles for these collages must be one word. Rightfully, the title of this one should be "Nature Walk."

Perhaps I'll relax that rule next year.

So, anyway, a friend notified me about the monthly nature walks led by a retired naturalist, Dave Crawford, organized by an organization known as the Friends of Minnehaha Park. (Facebook page here). So we signed up and showed up at the Wabun Park picnic grounds, and under Dave's guidance, we took an interesting, slowly ambling hike that lasted about an hour.

Minnehaha Falls is entirely dried up, because of the drought. This area was originally oak savannah, and Dave explained how the arrival of settlers and their agricultural needs gradually changed the plants growing in the landscape. He had some interesting historical tidbits to add, as when he pointed out a clump of white snakeroot, for example. If you allow your cattle to graze in a patch of white snakeroot and eat it, their milk can turn poisonous--that's what killed Abraham Lincoln's mother, for example.

It was fun. Friends of Minnehaha Park has nature walks with Dave scheduled on a monthly basis, and there are also future dates on the calendar when people are encouraged to gather to join work crews eradicating invasive buckthorn.

Tell me about a little-known thing that's fun to do that you've discovered in your town or city.

Image description: Background: semi-transparent picture of oak savannah. Top: the words "Friends of Minnehaha Park." Bottom center: a man with glasses, in a straw hat and jacket (Dave Crawford) smiles slightly at the camera. Scattered over the oak savannah are small tile pictures of plants: Pagoda Dogwood, Canada Goldenrod, Meadow Rue, Wood Nettle, Hackleberry Tree, Yew - possibly English Yew.

Nature



Click here to see the 2023 52 Card Project gallery.

Click here to see the 2022 52 Card Project gallery.

Click here to see the 2021 52 Card Project gallery.

Comments

[pameladean]

Long ago, MinnStf had a picnic meeting at Wirth Park, and at dusk David Crawford took us for a walk in the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden. The garden closes half an hour before dusk; I don't know if he was working there then or just had an in. But he led us stealthily along the steep trails, identifying the occasional moth or night bird's call. My primary memory is of his stopping and hushing us with a hand motion, and then turning his red light on a little screech owl sitting on a branch at head height, preening itself. It eventually got huffy and left, but I'd never seen one at all, let alone so close.

I was sorry to miss the walk you went on, but hadn't gathered that David does them regularly.

P.

[carbonel]

I think this might have been the first one Dave has done for Minnehaha Park, but he's planning to do more.

I'm glad that Karen Cooper mentioned it on the Natter list, because that's how I found out about it. (I'm the aforementioned friend, and was able to snag the last three spots at the last minute for Peg and Pat and me.)

I'm on their mailing list now, and am looking forward to other events (but I'm wimping out of the hackberry removal one).