Cruisin’ Towards Autumn
Every once in a while we send a volunteer out on the nature trails to see what’s going on in the natural world around us. With the cooler temps that blew in this week, it appears autumn is just around the corner. On Sunday, volunteer Kate Kelnberger captures the natural shift towards autumn.
This year’s grouse chicks are all grown up . . . sort of. They’re still a bit smaller than a full grown grouse and they’re awfully friendly. They came right up to Kate when she stopped to take a picture.
In the boggier areas of the property, lots of meadow sweet is blooming in feathery fans. This native plant seems to come into bloom just as the purple fireweed is beginning to go to seed, providing another tall wildflower spire to catch our eyes.
The warm summer gave a lot of little pine seedlings a chance to shoot up.
Another, more unusual seedling, had a chance to put on some leaves this summer: an oak tree! When you keep your eyes open, you never know what you might spot in the north woods.