Welcome Lakeshore Dreams readers!
We’re always happy to welcome new readers to our site. Here’s what you’ll find on MyMinnesotaWoods.org:
1. Woodland ecology and management information from the University of Minnesota Extension. MyMinnesotaWoods has everything you need to know to take care of your Minnesota woods. Look for this in the links on the left side of our homepage, or search for keywords there as well.
2. Five things every woodland owner needs to know. This post appeared in the July 2009 edition of Lakeshore Dreams magazine. On the version on our site you can post comments, ask questions, or follow many links for more info about the content of the article. The online version is here.
3. A free monthly email update. We’ll send you one email per month with links to all the best new content on our site. The June 2009 email is here. We’ll never sell or share your email address. Take a moment and sign up now!
4. A discussion board. Got questions about your woods? Post them on our discussion board, or just see what others are talking about.
Again, welcome. We’re glad to have you.
Add comment July 2, 2009
Northern Minnesota phenology report: July 2009
By John Latimer, KAXE radio, Grand Rapids
Swamp milkweed. Flickr photo by Anita Gould. Click for original.
July 1, 1991 The first pin cherries are turning red. I wouldn’t call them ripe because it will take a bit of time before the sugars in the fruit really begin to develop. I ate my first ripe raspberry today so as I wait for the pin cherries to ripen I won’t starve. The water hemlock has begun to bloom. Another flower seen blooming today is the swamp milkweed. The beautiful red flowers are a delight to the eye.
July 14, 2002 The Atlantis fritillary winter survival must have been great because I can’t remember seeing this many before. They can be told from the great spangled fritillary by the presence of a black border along the trailing edge of both wings. The absence of the black border on the trailing edge of the wings and the broad stripe of yellow on the underside of the wing set the great spangled fritillary apart from its close cousin the Atlantis fritillary. The day of the butterflies ends with an observation of the Harris checkerspot. All three of these butterflies are mostly orange, though the smaller checkerspot has more black than the others.
Atlantis fritillary. Flickr photo by Jerry Oldenettel. Click for original.
July 25, 2007 There are two Eastern pondhawk females sitting on a rock wall near Prairie Lake. They are startlingly green with black on the last few segments of the abdomen and the very tip is touched in white. The smooth aster, Canada goldenrod and the pearly everlasting are all beginning to bloom today. The Canada goldenrod is a favorite among the goldenrod gall flies. The select this variety almost exclusively to lay their eggs upon. Their feet taste the plant when they land, and they can tell whether or not this is the proper species.
A warm sunny day can be a perfect time to observe butterfly behavior. The males of many species are quite territorial. The sulfur butterflies are a good species to watch defend their area. A male will spend a good deal of energy and time flying after other males that attempt to infringe upon his space. These skirmishes usually involve a spiraling flight that begins low near the ground and can climb to fifty feet or more.
Eastern pondhawk. Flickr photo by Vicki DeLoach. Click for original.
Puddling is another behavior that can be seen without great effort. Sometimes just driving around after a rain storm will afford a chance to watch as males gather and share a drink at the edge of a puddle. Or if you have ever seen butterflies congregate on feces and wondered just what was going on, both of these activities are related. Typically these are male butterflies and they are attracted to these spots in search of trace minerals.
One of the current hypotheses about this behavior is that the males, by concentrating these trace minerals; make themselves more desirable to the females. The females need these minerals as well and can get them from the male during copulation. This transfer, think of it as a dowry, allows the female to spend more time and energy developing the eggs that will be the next generation of the species.
One hot July day I spent an afternoon moving a pile of bricks that had been salvaged from some demolished building. I was re-acquainted with a world I had left behind as a child. There was an entire ecosystem living in there. Ants, salamanders, spiders, millipedes, beetles of unknown names, were all living in the crevices surrounding the bricks. It was a menagerie of the miniscule.
Some of these insects are remarkably well defended. Ants carry chemicals which alert one another to the presence of danger. The millipedes secrete hydrogen cyanide through pores located near the legs. This poison is strong enough to deter almost all of the predators they are likely to encounter. Among the beetles are the bombardiers whose scalding hot spray can be selectively shot in any direction. And the spiders, those wolves of the insect world, stand ready to attack anything that crawls or flies into their range. They use chemicals to subdue and liquefy their chosen prey. For all of the innocence of its appearance it is a dangerous world down there among the rocks, bricks, and leaves.
If you are one of those people who like to tramp the woods all year around then in July keep a look out for the blue bead lily or yellow clintonia. This lily is quite common across the eastern half of the United States and can be found as far south as Alabama. The bright blue berries are a most tempting sight but close observation will reveal few if any attempts at eating them. That is because they contain calcium oxalate crystals. Sharp microscopic needles, these crystals imbed themselves in the flesh of the mouth and throat and cause pain and swelling. Look for a cluster of two to five or six berries at the top of a single stalk above a pair of lily-like leaves. And then avoid the temptation to taste them.
Pin cherry fruit. Flickr photo by George Bott. Click for original.
As July comes to a close there will be several tasty fruits ripe and ready to tempt you. The blueberries will be ready, though much depends on the weather leading up to the end of July. A frost at the wrong time or the wrong amount of moisture can wipe out a crop. Pin cherries ripen in July. Some find these a bit tart, but if you can wait and the birds don’t eat them all, they become quite sweet. And if you are a wine maker you should be watching the chokecherries. They are a bit too astringent for my palate, but they make a wonderful wine.
John Latimer is well known throughout northern Minnesota for his phenology work. He appears weekly on KAXE radio in Grand Rapids, and audio and twitter archives are available here. We hope his work will be a frequent feature on MyMinnesotaWoods. This article also appeared in the Duluth Senior Reporter. It is printed with the author’s permission.
Add comment July 2, 2009
New publication: Diseases of spruce trees in Minnesota
Announcement received today from Michelle Grabowski:
Lirula needle blight. Photo by P. Hennon, http://bugwood.org
Just wanted to let you know about a new tree resource. With the help of Cyndy Ash Kanner, and reviews from Joe O’Brien of the USDA Forest Service and Jim Walla of NDSU, we now have a new publication on diseases of spruce trees including photos, id info, biology and management. The spruce diagnostic tool will be coming soon and will link directly to this pub for management info.
Add comment June 17, 2009
WI COVERTS project signup deadline: June 15, 2009
Applications Due by June 15th
Building on its success, the Wisconsin Coverts Project will be expanding to two workshops in 2009. Both workshops will be held at the beautiful Kemp Natural Resources Station near Woodruff, WI. The first one will be from August 13 – 16 with a second one planned for August 27 – 30. These 3-day sessions have had rave reviews from past attendees that have become Covert Cooperators through past workshops. Now starting its 16th year, 374 cooperators have attended these workshops. Sharing with others what they have learned these Coverts Cooperators have influenced the management of over 434,000 acres of land in Wisconsin. This workshop is highly recommended for those landowners interested in better understanding their role as stewards of their property.
For additional information on the workshop contact Jamie Nack at 608-265-8264 or by email. Attendance is limited. More information is available on the Coverts Project website.
[Looking for workshops in Minnesota? Check the Woodland Advisor class calendar. -ed.]
Add comment June 10, 2009
Emerald Ash Borer Update
MDA survey finds 59 St. Paul trees infested with emerald ash borer
A multi-agency survey found 59 trees infested with emerald ash borer in and around the St. Anthony Park neighborhood where the pest was first discovered in May. All 59 trees are within a half mile of the first infestation site. Crews have already removed the 59 trees. Read the recent news release.
Monitoring efforts using purple cardboard traps and “trap trees” is underway.
Homeowners are asked to join the effort by watching their ash trees for signs of infestation. These signs include:
- dieback of leaves in the upper third of the tree’s branches
- heavy woodpecker activity
- D-shaped exit holes in the bark
- S-shaped tunnels under the bark
- water shoots on the trunk
Think you might have it?
If you think you might have Emerald Ash Borer use his checklist(pdf) to determine if you should get in touch with an EAB First Detector.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Quarantine
On May 15th, 2009 the quarantine (previously applied to Houston) added Ramsey and Hennepin counties to prevent the spread of Emerald Ash Borer to new areas through the movement of infested wood and tree parts. Besides applying to all ash tree parts, the regulations apply to all non-coniferous firewood. Read more about the quarantine(pdf).
Don’t remove your healthy ash trees
MDA reminds homeowners that it is not necessary to remove healthy ash trees. Homeowners with questions about disposing of ash tree material should contact their city forester for guidance. Improper disposal of infested ash material could accelerate the spread of EAB.
What does EAB mean for the woodland owner?
Should you try to harvest your ash as quickly as possible? How should you manage your forest? Should you just let nature take its course? There are no simple answers to such questions, but the Michigan State University Extension put together a helpful publication to help woodland owners prepare for EAB.
For more information
University of Minnesota Emerald Ash Borer Page
Add comment June 9, 2009
Poem of the Month: The Porch over the River
The Porch over the River
In the dusk of the river, the wind
gone, the trees grow still–
the beautiful poise of lightness,
the heavy world pushing toward it.
Beyond, on the face of the water,
lies the reflection of another tree,
inverted, pulsing with the short strokes
of waves the wind has stopped driving.
In a time when men no longer
can imagine the lives of their sons
this is still the world–
the world of my time, the grind
of engines marking the country
like an audible map, the high dark
marked by the flight of men,
lights stranger than stars.
The phoebes cross and re-cross
the openings, alert
for what may still be earned
from the light. The whippoorwills
begin, and the frogs. And the dark
falls, again, as it must.
The look of the world withdraws
into the vein of memory.
The mirrored tree, darkening, stirs
with the water’s inward life. What has
made it so? –a quietness in it
no question can be asked in.
–Wendell Berry
Add comment June 8, 2009
Northern Minnesota phenology report: June 2009
By John Latimer, KAXE radio, Grand Rapids
White-faced meadowhawk. Photo by Anita363
6/16/2001 There are two great crested flycatchers in the garden with a phoebe and an oriole. This is the first time I have seen so many flycatchers in one place. Toss in the oriole and you have a pretty good day in the garden, unless you are a flying insect. The great crested flycatchers are more common than you might suspect. Listen for their loud “Wheeep! ” call. Once you learn that sound you’ll find it easy to spot one. They are not shy, and like many of the flycatchers they often sit on an exposed perch and sally out to hawk insects. The great crested flycatchers are gorgeous, pale yellow on the belly, gray below the beak, with an olive green back and cinnamon red tail. It is well worth the trouble to learn their call and search them out.
Spreading dogbane. Flickr photo by edgeplot
6/24/1997 Spreading dogbane has begun to flower. The beautiful white bell shaped blossoms are streaked with pink. These are a favorite plant for many of the summer butterflies. On one spectacular day I found ten species of butterflies and one moth. Off the high ground down in the swamp the pitcher plants are blooming. They augment their energy requirements by capturing insects. Many of the plants in the nutrient poor swamps have made one or more adaptations to survive.
A warm sunny day can be a perfect time to observe butterfly behavior. The males of many species are quite territorial. The sulfur butterflies are a good species to watch defend their area. A male will spend a good deal of energy and time flying after other males that attempt to infringe upon his space. These skirmishes usually involve a spiraling flight that begins low near the ground and can climb to fifty feet or more.
Puddling is another behavior that can be seen without great effort. Sometimes just driving around after a rain storm will afford a chance to watch as males gather and share a drink at the edge of a puddle. Or if you have ever seen butterflies congregate on feces and wondered just what was going on, both of these activities are related. Typically these are male butterflies and they are attracted to these spots in search of trace minerals.
One of the current hypotheses about this behavior is that the males, by concentrating these trace minerals; make themselves more desirable to the females. The females need these minerals as well and can get them from the male during copulation. This transfer, think of it as a dowry, allows the female to spend more time and energy developing the eggs that will be the next generation of the species.
One hot July day I spent an afternoon moving a pile of bricks that had been salvaged from some demolished building. I was re-acquainted with a world I had left behind as a child. There was an entire ecosystem living in there. Ants, salamanders, spiders, millipedes, beetles of unknown names, were all living in the crevices surrounding the bricks. It was a menagerie of the miniscule.
Some of these insects are remarkably well defended. Ants carry chemicals which alert one another to the presence of danger. The millipedes secrete hydrogen cyanide through pores located near the legs. This poison is strong enough to deter almost all of the predators they are likely to encounter. Among the beetles are the bombardiers whose scalding hot spray can be selectively shot in any direction. And the spiders, those wolves of the insect world, stand ready to attack anything that crawls or flies into their range. They use chemicals to subdue and liquefy their chosen prey. For all of the innocence of its appearance it is a dangerous world down there among the rocks, bricks, and leaves.
Bluebead lily. Flickr photo by manual crank.
If you are one of those people who like to tramp the woods all year around then in July keep a look out for the blue bead lily or yellow clintonia. This lily is quite common across the eastern half of the United States and can be found as far south as Alabama. The bright blue berries are a most tempting sight but close observation will reveal few if any attempts at eating them. That is because they contain calcium oxalate crystals. Sharp microscopic needles, these crystals imbed themselves in the flesh of the mouth and throat and cause pain and swelling. Look for a cluster of two to five or six berries at the top of a single stalk above a pair of lily-like leaves. And then avoid the temptation to taste them.
As July comes to a close there will be several tasty fruits ripe and ready to tempt you. The blueberries will be ready, though much depends on the weather leading up to the end of July. A frost at the wrong time or the wrong amount of moisture can wipe out a crop. Pin cherries ripen in July. Some find these a bit tart, but if you can wait and the birds don’t eat them all, they become quite sweet. And if you are a wine maker you should be watching the chokecherries. They are a bit too astringent for my palate, but they make a wonderful wine.
John Latimer is well known throughout northern Minnesota for his phenology work. He appears weekly on KAXE radio in Grand Rapids, and audio and twitter archives are available here. We hope his work will be a frequent feature on MyMinnesotaWoods. This article also appeared in the Duluth Senior Reporter. It is printed with the author’s permission.
Add comment June 8, 2009
Birch Bark Canoe Workshop
Have you ever seen a birch bark canoe being built? Check out the upcoming Language Immersion & Canoe (Jiimaan) Building Project being held from 08 – 28 June at the Fond du Lac Reservation Cultural Museum. A team of master bark canoe builders and Ojibwe language experts will guide 8 students through the harvest of materials and creation of a birch bark canoe, a process that takes around 3 weeks. The daily workshops are open to the public and those interested can attend for as little or as much time as desired. The FDL Cultural Museum is located at the intersection of Big Lake Road and University Road off of Hwy 33 in Cloquet. Canoe building activities will occur outside under the wigwam. For information contact the Museum at 218.878.7582.
Add comment June 4, 2009
Building Fences and Partnerships
By Julie Miedtke, University of Minnesota Extension-Itasca County
Early in May, Grand Rapids High School Students and Woodland Advisors took to the woods to install a deer exclosure at the Forest History Center. Working side by side students and volunteers cleared vegetation, dug holes using post hole diggers, and by mid-afternoon the fence was raised.
Roxy Knuttila with finishing touches on the fence with students.
Keith Matson, a man who wears many hats: US Forest Service-retired, Woodland Advisor, and Itasca County Private Woodland Committee, organized the activity and remarked “these students certainly had ample horse power for the job and we enjoyed getting to know them and hear their interests in forests, wildlife and being outdoors. We certainly hope to continue this partnership with these future landowners. This activity has been a good experience for everyone”. Other woodland advisors helped with the project including Jim Columbus, Floyd Hovarter, Roxy Knuttala and Ralph Olson.
The Forest History Center has several ancient Eastern white pines (Pinus strobus) scattered throughout the site. Many of these conifers are “super canopy trees” standing taller than any other trees in the area and you can find many of the reigning monarchs growing on the banks of the Mississippi River. The Woodland Stewardship Plan written by Dan Hertle-DNR –Forestry, indicated that the site was favorable for growing white pine and suggested the project.
The fence was installed in a very visible location along a primary trail leading down to the Mississippi River. The purpose of the fence was to prevent deer from browsing young white pine seedlings that have naturally seeded into the area. And the project will also demonstrate to folks how a growing deer population is impacting forest vegetation. Given the high deer population in the area, it is expected that there will be a noticeable difference in the shrubs and tress within a few years. Materials used for the fence were purchased locally.
Growing white pine
Landowners that are looking to increase the conifer component on their land can hand plant white pine seedlings—an obvious choice if your land doesn’t have any. Landowners that have white pine may enjoy working with Mother Nature. White pine will generally produce a good seed crop every three to five years with the seed capable of traveling 200-700 feet or more. Scarifying the soil prior to seed dispersal will create a seedbed for natural regeneration. Once established, white pine will continue to need care to ensure their growth and survival. Competing vegetation (grasses and shrubs) and management of the overstory keeping some shade on the site are two important considerations for young trees. While growing, white pine will need to be pruned to help reduce damage from white pine blister rust and help to improve the quality of the timber. Growing white pine is the preferred tree of choice for active folks that enjoy being out in the woods.
Add comment June 4, 2009
New web resource: Caring for deer and forests
By Susan L. Stout, US Forest Service
A Resource Center for Eastern North America
Deer, forests, and people are connected. Forests provide food, cover, and clean water that deer need. Forests growing on nutrient-rich soils with many food plants can support many more deer than forests with poor soils and few forest floor plants. That is, they have a higher carrying capacity. Deer add grace and beauty to the forest. What they eat affects how forests grow, how many deer they can support, and habitat for other wildlife. Hunters seek deer for meat and for the love of the hunt as they have for hundreds of years. Peoples’ understanding and choices about deer and forests shape all these connections.
This new site has two main goals:
- to provide information and examples about these connections — about deer habitat, deer impact, and strategies to care for deer and forests together; and
- to serve as a clearinghouse for resources about connections among people, deer, and forests.
You are invited to share your stories, pictures, and resources that show deer and forests in eastern North America.
Click here to visit http://www.deerandforests.org
The site was developed by a team of scientists and extension educators with input from a broad-based advisory team, and funding from the USDA Forest Service Electronic Commons project and Northern Initiatives. It is maintained by the University of Georgia, Penn State University, and US Forest Service Research & Development.
Add comment June 2, 2009
