Diario de friendofnature2

Dear I-Naturalist Community,

I have read articles about how I-naturalist was used by scientists to see downward trends in population size amongst starfish on the pacific coast. Now we have an opportunity to make observations count toward the iconic Monarch Butterfly. I quickly took note of how many observations have been made over the past 10 years in Michigan.

In 2012, only 12 observations of Monarch Butterflies were made by 5 observers for I-naturalist in Michigan

Since then, the number of observers and observations were:

2013 only 6 observations by 4 observers
2014 there were 30 observations of monarchs posted
2015 there were 35 observations of monarchs posted
2016 there were 35 observations of monarchs posted
2017 there were 144 observations of monarchs posted
2018 there were 489 observations of monarchs posted
2019 there were 874 observations of monarchs posted
2020 there were 869 observations of monarchs posted
2021 there were 990 observations of monarchs posted by 500 observers!

This year the monarch butterflies were placed on the endangered species list. Michigan currently only has 192 observations made by 144 observers this year. It would be great to see over 1000 observations in Michigan for 2022. It would be awesome to have over 500 observers post monarch butterfly pictures this year. There is a lot we can do to help monarch butterflies, with an easy first step being to go out and record where they are. I-naturalist is such an awesome, easy tool to use. The information can be used by scientists who cannot be everywhere in Michigan at one time.

Last year our family had 19 observations of Monarchs by July 23rd, and they were incidental observations, not trips to find monarchs. This year we only have one observation of a monarch and haven't seen a caterpillar yet. It could be site specific on our part, but that is a large change in our family's observations. I could not believe that I was so unaware of its drastic decline out west. Hopefully in Michigan we can do our part to help it be brought back to prior numbers. It would be great to see lots of posts in Michigan for Monarchs on I-naturalist. Best Regards, Friendofnature2.

Young goslings and ducklings are now on their own, swimming about in the lakes and ponds apart from their mothers. Canada geese and wood duck mothers still swim along with their young, but more and more are allowing the next generation to find their way. The young common and hooded mergansers are still fluffy and small. The young wood ducks appear as miniatures of their mother.

Tiny toads and silver-dollar sized turtles are out and about, without the leadership of parents to find their way. Adult garter snakes were abundant around the ponds, taking advantage of the easy protein of the young toads that were new to dry land.

The next generations are finding their way. As parents, we try to model for our children how to be successful, hoping that they will have meaningful lives that are enjoyable to them. My oldest child has less than 500 days now until she is 18 years old, the age society considers our young to be adults. To imagine how challenging it must be for a toad, turtle, or young snake to find its way without parental help.
I am encouraged by the maturity of my children and their love for the environment.

Earlier this week I met a group of young scientists who encouraged me with their interest in the environment, specifically fish ecology. They were visiting our local state fish hatchery and learning about Michigan's Arctic Grayling Initiative. They will be the ones to carry on the work of inspiring future generations to care for our planet. They will be the professors and teachers of our children in colleges and agencies around the world.

As seasons change and time continues, may we always be people of compassion, kindness, love for our world and those who are finding their way in life's journey.

This past week we had our first taste of spring weather with temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit once, and above 40 degrees for part of the week. Our signs of spring are beginning to appear, with more and more of nature's cast of characters appearing every day. More and more birds are singing with the calls of Red-winged Blackbirds and honks from alarmed Geese being heard again today. Canada geese, Red-winged Blackbirds, Sandhill Cranes, and Robins are all now back in town. High in the sky the eagles are migrating too. Reports from the past ten days include 23 Golden Eagles and 51 Bald Eagles over the skies in Mackinaw City from the official counter at that Hawkwatch site. Nearly 68,000 raptors were observed last year at that location, so the season is just beginning.

Blue skies and sunny days are being experienced again. Cold nights and warm days have the sap beginning to flow for great Maple Syrup. It is a strange time, with people out ice fishing in the lakes while others stand on the shoreline fishing for steelhead in our half-frozen rivers. I am looking forward to our forest floors being covered in green again, but maybe I am getting ahead of myself. It is still March, and our average last snowfall is April 4th in this region, more than two weeks from now. For now, I will enjoy our cast of early spring while looking forward to the welcome music of Spring peepers and sight of woodland flowers in the weeks to come.

Below are a few poems written by Anna, an amazing 10-year-old member of our family team:

"My favorite place to be in the spring is the pond at Thorne Swift nature preserve. I like to go at dusk and dawn, when the crickets are chirping their click like songs, the frogs are croaking in pitches low to high, and birds in the colors bright yellow, vivid green, dirt brown, and bleak grays are fluttering branch to branch and tree to tree. This is my favorite place to be."

"Life, the beautiful flowing, colorless loop of existence. It comes and goes endlessly. Bio's time is an unknown piece of the puzzle. Precious life ends as quickly as it starts. An array of animals all connected by the arrows that make up the cycle of life."

"Beautiful thundering copper brown white-water falls, biology is all around. There's a barking sandy brown basset hound, a jumping silver coho salmon, an ocean of beautiful swaying blazing orange trees, and several smoke grey gulls and midnight black-capped colored terns. This is Tahquamenon falls to me."

She is a great nature writer with an eye for beauty and the cycles of life all around.

Some days the cold can be felt though out a person's soul. This week has been a series of such days. The winds have been bitter, cutting through even the layers and numbing my nose and fingers. There were very few animals out, and the ones that were out provided lessons that warmed my heart.

The feral pigeons sat in a flock on a silo, flying about together in mass. Mallards were paired everywhere I found them, as though having a partner kept their hearts warm even when sitting in nearly frozen water. Crows and eagles worked together in groups to find carrion, sometimes along the side of the road, sometimes on the ice, tolerating and even working together at times. Chickadees and Goldfinches in flocks, turkey in large groups with clear leaders and protectors of the flock standing in the road as the group crossed.

Most have gone south or are bundled up in dens to stay warm and sheltered from the winds. Those who are in the cold have ways to stay warm. Friends, family, and community do warm the heart and help during short days, when the cold and the wind let us know that we are in the midst of winter. This is only a season though, and in the winter much beauty can be found, many lessons learned, and growth during the difficulties.

In time the fields will be full of grain, nests will be made with young chicks to raise, and our friends from the south will return to our beautiful countryside. Between now and spring find friends to be with, companions to warm your heart, and work with those who remain in these times. Protect and provide for those who depend on you, sing out to each other as the chickadees do and let others know that they are not alone. Winter is more than just the physical. It reaches deep, shaping and creating a layer that we would be incomplete without. Let the winds and cold be what they may, beauty can still be found to warm our hearts.

Rough-legged hawks, Common goldeneye, and our Snowy owls are back! Squirrels are busy collecting acorns, ducks and geese congregate at the river mouths where our waters are still open. A brief warm spell feels out of place before winter sets in again. Lake trout wander the shoreline and harbors. Steelhead still linger and continue to be caught by fishermen. It is a quieter time, but not silent. The red squirrels and flocks of geese still let us know how they see us walking their way. The jays and crows call out from the treetops. There is plenty to go and see. Black and white seems to be the colors that most are sporting now. The spruce, pine, and firs stand out in green. Visitors to our home are braver now, looking for food and warmth, the field mouse, opossum on the deck and birds frequenting the feeds that have yet to be filled again. It is a beautiful time to slow down and enjoy the winter season.

Layer upon layer the world exists. Like a painting or a song, this world is so beautiful and so complex. Melodies and notes, color, textures, light and darkness. Layer upon layer the colors grow, change, and add to the living place that is our world. Even the rocks are polished by the wind and the waves, colored by minerals, temperature, and time.
What would this all look like if we could see it all at once yet watch the layers be added second by second? What would it sound like if we could hear it all, see it all, and more deeply understand it all? Would I be grateful for the annoyance of a mosquito if I could follow it and watch become part of the picture, eaten by a dragonfly, then changed into a morsel of life that a red-wing blackbird would use. Travel with it as it migrates to the south, a part of a chorus to herald the changing seasons, then passed on in the proteins of an egg that would become another generation of blackbirds, or deposited to form food for a raspberry patch, layers upon layers passed along in time.
What are we in this mosaic of life. Sometimes the word "observer" fits, yet we observe such a small part of it all and are active in laying down layers ourselves in this world. Sometimes I like to think of us all as one color or texture in the tapestry. Like a note in the melody, the song would not be the same without us, yet we are not the song. We are but a note, a pause, a shade of green, a ray of light, a piece of salt, a branch, a seed. Layer after layer this world exists...every part connected to the whole.

On August 31, a member of our team made her goal of observing 120 species of birds this year in Michigan. Her 120th bird was a Baird's sandpiper observed on the breakwall in Petoskey. She is 12 years old, and an inspiration to the rest of our team. Her younger sister has seen 115 species this year and hopes to accomplish the same goal of 120 before December 31st.

Monarch butterflies and Canada geese have been moving in large numbers this past week. Last week was warm and muggy, but the weather has cooled and we have mornings now in the 40's again. The seasons blend, but the shorter hours of sunlight is a sure sign that summer is ending. Virginia creeper and poison ivy are putting on their fall colors, and bracken fern are beginning to brown in places. Salmon are beginning their run, the perch will school up soon, and lake trout will cruise the shallows again as the waters cool. What an amazing place this is and what an incredible journey we are on in life! May we celebrate everyday that we are part of it all.

Taste, sounds, textures, color, smells, and layers. Each trip outside adds to our lives. Layer upon layer our experiences grow. More and more is found when we walk take the time to really look. More and more is heard when we are still and listen. There are layers in a field of tickseed or even in a red pine plantation. Differences and color are fun to see and add depth to an experience. Our eyes enjoy flowers with color and patterns, butterflies and birds add movement and song. A banquet for our senses, different each day,

What colors are seen in the morning light of a forest clearing. Take in a deep breathe. What do you hear when you sit quietly and wait. Do you hear the wind, a squirrel, the rustle of leaves, or sometimes yourself as it is so hard to stay quiet. Stillness seems an illusion. Silence is rarely heard. So much is going on outside each moment. Find the beauty and joy in each piece and then enjoy putting together the puzzle. Try to be empty and bring nothing except your senses, go outside and enjoy the show.

Each member of our team sees beauty in different places and it has been amazing to see the world through each different lens. One member finds beauty in feathers...how they are layered, the different shapes of different types of feathers, and the colors. Another member finds beauty in fish...spots, shape, colors, and how they reflect light.

Our youngest member has recently been seeking out beach glass or "sea glass" when we are out exploring our world. I never thought much about beach glass before she showed it to me. I am usually looking for Petoskey stones, crayfish and frogs, birds, and other things...but she helped me see a different kind of beauty. The glass is just ordinary glass...someone's broken glass bottle that has made its way into our lakes, yet it is transformed by weather, waves, rocks and sand. It is smooth with polished edges. She shows me how it is different than "parking lot glass" which has sharp edges and has not been transformed by nature into her treasures. She has a wooden treasure chest that contains beach glass of different sizes in different jars, an assortment of beautiful colors and shapes that were created by time and change. They are beautiful.

It is good that we all find beauty in different things. I have recently finished reading a wonderful book Beauty and the Soul, by Pierro Ferrucci. He writes, "The more we can perceive beauty in our surroundings, and also inside us, the more we feel at home and glad to exist. Some perceive beauty in the sound of rain and shape of clouds, in people's faces and voices, in birdsong and the rustling of leaves. Some see it in modern design or ancient embroidered silk..." I am inspired by each of our team and by so many others who daily help me find beauty in our world. May each of us find beauty everyday in someone or something that we encounter.