September 13, 2006

A Visit to Carlos Avery WMA

Last weekend offered gray skies, a cold mist, and a near-hopeless rush to get the fence and pond finished before the snow flies, but that didn't rule out a trip to Carlos Avery WMA, one of the first parks we've been able to visit since early summer.


As we set out, we saw that Autumn color was already creeping along mid-Minnesota's backroads. There were yellow explosions of goldenrod, the rich burgundy of sumack, and fiery orange and yellow creeping into the green mantle of the maple trees like stray grey hairs. Some cherry trees were already bare. We saw the first purples as we drove in Carlos Avery; stands of crown vetch, an invasive weed, thriving along the roadside or sending vine-like tendrils up along the forest edge.


If there's something that sets Carlos Avery apart from the other parks in the area, it's the lack of the human element. Picnickers with noisy children, cyclists with Ipods and sunglasses filtering out the world, cutesy couples asking you to take their photo, you won't fine any of these metro park mainstays in Carlos Avery. Washboard roads aren't just the only way in or out; they're also the only human facility in the WMA. The hiss of wind scratching through the white pines, or animals of the deep woods and marsh seem enough to compel you to whisper.


We didn't hike far out into the park this time, just enough to watch a pair of swans pass overhead, and hear the distant, laughing call of some unidentified bird.

Posted by Beau Bureau at 01:11 PM | Comments (0)

August 25, 2006

Pond Garden 2006

Between work, home repair, and volunteering at the local nature center, it seems like there's never enough time in the day. But then comes the pond garden. This year we've thrown in a second pond, replaced the rigid waterfall with rubber liner, cemented over the rubber liner to give it a more natural look, carved a stream between the old (rigid) pond and the new rubber one, and gone through a literal ton of cement, gravel, and rock in an attempt to blend it with the landscape.

And then there's the leak. My current theory is that the rigid pond liner, being both plastic and light-absorbent black, expands when warmed by the sun, and contracts in the evening. When placed in the ground lined with sand, this wasn't be an issue, however nothing outside of NOTHING will keep a watertight seal between expanding rigid liner and rubber liner that’s been insulated and pinned down with 500+ pounds of sand and rock. That means that even though the two are bolted together, every day the caulk, sealant and waterfall foam that bind the two is stretched, ripped, torn, pulled out of place just a little more.

Which of course, means more lost water. Which means constantly adjusting the timer on the spitters. The solution's simple; rip the rigid liner out and replace it with rubber liner; which means replacing the current shelves and island planter with cinder blocks topped with some rock.

Sometimes it feels like there just aren't enough hours in the day

Posted by Beau Bureau at 04:32 PM | Comments (0)

April 01, 2006

Spring is Here

Though the ice on the lakes is not yet melted, we've already spotted the vibrant red-orange epaulets of the Red-winged Blackbird feeding on our suet feeders, already gathering around their favorite lakes and wetlands around Carlos Avery and the lakes region. Though they still share the forests and fields with traditional winter migrants such as the Dark-eyed Junco, the first Goldfinches have appeared at our feeders with their bright yellow spring coats.

Early preparations for our pond garden have begun, including carving out a new shelf for a waterfall, and adding some chemicals to the open water to steady the PH and remove excess tanin, making it safer for frogs and their young.

Posted by Beau Bureau at 08:41 AM | Comments (15)

January 14, 2006

The Year of the Beaver

I first started visiting the Mississippi River flats and observing its natural history about four years ago when given a class assignment to keep a place journal. While it is no wilderness, this place is still a healthy refuge from the concrete jungle of Minneapolis.

In my first journal entry I noted a telltale sign of beavers once living in this place, dead stumps gnawed to a point. I was not sure how old these signs were, many years perhaps. The habitat looked unsuitable for beaver. Too large of a river to build a dam, too much concrete to excavate a bank den, too urbanized for the likings of a beaver.

Last Sunday I went to the banks of the Mississippi in search of driftwood to use for a taxidermy project. To my surprise the beaver had made a magnificent return. I walked a half-mile or more and beaver sign was everywhere I looked. Stumps surrounded by wood chips, willow branches cached at the waters edge, white sticks that had already been peeled, and beaver scat.

Last October, I watched two gray squirrels squabbling over a mushroom. Although it was deteriorated and chewed up, I believe that it was a Jack O'Lantern (Omphalotus olearius). I went on a little foray afterwards to see what other mushrooms were in the woods and if I could find a fresher specimen to reach a positive identification. I found many woody mushrooms but only took a picture of this individual because of its unique situation.

The boxelder tree where I discovered this mushroom looks as if it has many stories to tell. Since the base of the tree has cracked the trunk forms an archway. The main branches dive into the sand like roots and smaller branches resurge with life and leaves. At one end I can see where a beaver chewed off a limb long ago. And what amazes me the most is that this tree is still alive (Excerpt from 10/25/05).

Today I recognized the same tree by its form, the irregular bow and the knothole where the mushroom once grew, but the beavers have once again added more character. The beavers gnawed off a significant amount of bark and a few branches have been cut all the way through. And for what use? With no dams to build, the sophisticated beavers with their newfound leisure time have began a new abstract art movement. Mallards are flocking to the shores of the Mississippi to catch a glimpse of this exhibit. In another untitled work a beaver has cut down a group of landscaping trees. The beaver that created this controversial work said, "Like it or not, this is a real slice of nature." An estimated crowd of 300 Canada geese was present when the sun opened the gallery this morning.

All humor aside, it is quite evident that urban wildlife has a large presence in the Twin Cities metro area. Today I witnessed literally hundreds of geese grazing on green grass. The field area, a popular recreation area in warmer months, was littered with goose droppings.

People love wildlife, until they create problems. But to me the root of the problem seems to be the invasion of a manmade and altered environment that wildlife must adapt to in order to survive. What I love about the old rugged boxelder and the beaver that felled the landscape trees is that they are nothing like the square and manicured world that surrounds them. Art or not, I think they are more valuable. There is a truth and deep meaning to be discovered behind the creations of nature.

The beaver possesses traits of the highest esteem. They are cooperative, hardworking, resourceful, and wise. Beavers are true to their nature and inspire others to do the same. They have the power to make great changes in their environment while preserving the integrity of natural processes.

Posted by Schmidt at 10:39 PM | Comments (233) | TrackBack (5764)