Natural Connections

A crisp fall breeze floated through our group as we stomped through the forest, our shoes crunching on fallen leaves and frost. Fall had arrived in the Northwoods, bringing spectacular colors, cool temperatures, and no bugs. Our group mission, to learn more about the forests of the Northwoods, and the forestry techniques used to manage them. Our galavant was made even more special by our guest for the day, a forester who brought a new perspective to our adventure. It's not often that I wander into the woods specifically to think about how a particular forest could be managed, or think decades into the future and try and imagine what that forest may look like over time. It was an exercise in a different way of thinking, and it was eye opening.

Nosing between two rocks, the snake seemed to be searching for something. But no, that wasn't the place. They swung around and moved along the base of the rock until reaching a long crack. Tongue flickering in apparent recognition, they lifted their head up toward a wide place in the crevice, nosed in, and began disappearing into the dark. Their stripes flowed forward as if the rock was slurping them up like a long, wet spaghetti noodle.

"Autumn has trailed light fingers across the byways and in the wake of that cool touch, the leaves flush or blanch and sink earthward in a silent swoon…The passing of days is swift and soon the glory will fade to the dun shades that precede winter's snow." – Lois Nestel, Wayside Wanderings.

With nearly constant travel and busyness during these last two months, I feel a bit untethered and adrift. The autumn woods are golden, and chickadees call cheerfully from their newly re-formed winter flocks, but it's difficult to get my attention to rest on any one subject. In times like these, I find it's helpful to turn to a wise friend and elder for guidance. And so, I've pulled together a few of Lois Nestle's essays from the Museum's archives. Lois was the Museum's founding Naturalist and Director. In these, she captures both my mood and the antidote. Take a deep breath of the crisp fall air and enjoy!

The mini-bear darted close, then scurried off, posing motionless for brief moments to survey the area for danger. From the top of a lichen-covered rock, they sounded their characteristic clucking alarm call, tail hiccupping with each repetition. Even though they sniffed hard at my little baggie of trail mix, I made sure the chipmunk never got a single peanut. They seemed to be finding their own food just fine anyway. Precariously positioned on flexible stems, a ruffed grouse stretched her neck to rip at scarlet rose hips like a cat playing with a Christmas tree. Deb and I chatted in the setting sun. When we fell into a contented silence, a family of beavers on the far side of the lake took up the thread of conversation with their adorable grunts.

The chipmunks, grouse, and beavers have the right idea, I think. Fall is the perfect season for enjoying good food and fellowship whether you're at a campsite with friends, in a lodge made of sticks, or at your community's harvest dinner.

The crystal clear waters splashed against the pebbled shore as we gathered up our gear. Conifers of every size crowded the distant banks, beckoning us into the wilderness. Our group was full of excited chatter as we piled gear onto picnic tables near the water, our anticipation for the adventure ahead growing with every breath. But our excitement wasn't the only thing growing. With each strong gust of wind, my nerves also began to grow. The winds were already high and growing stronger with every hour. We needed to get on the water now if we were going to make it to our campsite. Otherwise, the winds could become too strong to paddle in, and we would be locked out of the Boundary Waters by mother nature.

"Here is where the journey is," philosophized Doug Wood when I finally picked the book back up. "…why do I go through it? Because no one else can go through it for me." It's true. And I love going through the challenges of a canoe trip. Planning, paddling, portaging, wayfinding, camping, and even cleaning up once I'm back home all carry a satisfying amount of effort and reward. Plus, there are the sunsets.

I wonder, how do geese feel about their endless modes of misery?

"Something smells nice right here," commented my fiancé as we hiked over a rock outcrop strewn with sun-warmed, yellowed birch leaves. The sweet aroma of autumn comes when microbes break down sugars that trees manufactured in the height of summer. Before letting them go, the tree pulled nitrogen and phosphorus out of the leaves and into the twigs, where the molecules will remain on deck to fuel next spring's leaf growth. But the tree doesn't need to save every last molecule of sugar.

"Holy Moly Roly Poly!" This enthusiastic shout came from an adorable, towheaded 4-year old, standing on the far side of a log I'd just rolled toward me. Together, we paused to watch a dozen or more oval gray invertebrates with lots of legs scurry in confusion around their suddenly well-lit home. Just based on that boy's enthusiasm, I knew I needed to write about roly polies. As a start, I uploaded a few of my photos to iNaturalist. To my surprise, all three photos were of different species!

Last week I attended the Outdoor Writers Association of America's annual conference in Madison, Wisconsin. At the conference, it was announced that my third book, Natural Connections 3: A Web Endlessly Woven won second place in the Excellence In Craft Contest's book category. Naturally, I'm thrilled. My essay, "Second Grade Tracking Stories" also won first place in the Family Participation-Youth Outdoor Education category for both blog and newspaper. This week I'll share that essay with you again!

My hands moved slowly over the pebbled beach as the waves of Lake Superior gently lapped the shoreline. I had found myself a nice spot to sit on the beach, close enough to the waterline to gaze at the rocks being gently tumbled by the waves, but far enough back to have a dry place to sit. As I surveyed the pebbles around me, I spotted what I was looking for. The waxy, red-banded surface of an agate poked out from the shore, beckoning me to pick it up. And though I had found the treasure I was seeking, I was determined to find more during my time along the beach.