In 2005, Michigan's Upper Peninsula (the UP) began a new relationship with the natural resources that so define it as a place. Recently, I revisited the site that memorializes that moment, returned to a Lake Superior beach that shaped my relationship to the Great Lakes several decades ago, and thought a lot about the future … Continue reading The UP: Use It, Don’t Lose It
An Earth Day Sermon
In addition to my volunteer commitments to nature, I am also a lay preacher in the Episcopal church. This Earth Day I was asked to give a talk at Christ Episcopal Church in Owosso, MIchigan. I share it here as an expression of my particular spiritual view, but I recognize and appreciate other expressions from … Continue reading An Earth Day Sermon
Curwood’s Legacy
This winter I have continued to follow a literary trail and it recently led to a most rewarding public reading in one of Michigan's shrines of outdoor writing. The reader was Great Lakes author Jerry Dennis (read my review of his most recent book); the place was Curwood Castle, the studio of early 20th century … Continue reading Curwood’s Legacy
The Windward Shore
"What better time than winter, the most private of seasons, to lose oneself in books?" So writes Michigan author Jerry Dennis in his new book The Windward Shore: A Winter on the Great Lakes. I have been wanting to get out for a full-fledged field trip these past weeks, but other demands on my time, … Continue reading The Windward Shore
Sharing a Birthday with TNC
This month, The Nature Conservancy turns 60. I too have a birthday this month (fortunately I am a few years behind TNC in age). You can help celebrate both our birthdays by going to this site (http://www.crowdrise.com/TBC4TNC) and making a donation. This opportunity is part of a larger online fundraising effort that TNC has mounted … Continue reading Sharing a Birthday with TNC
Searching for Sunrise in Saginaw Bay
Sunrise brings hope. The lightening of the sky, the under-cloud illuminations, and then finally the red-orange fire of the sun itself embodies opportunity reborn. I recall an unplanned bivouac in the Sierra spent underneath a space blanket, and I never appreciated more the warm sunrise that brought the ability to see, move, and feel.The Quest. … Continue reading Searching for Sunrise in Saginaw Bay
Learn the Flowers
Sometimes, the news gets me down. A story on the despoilment of a special place, the data on our changing climate, the latest report on the decline of a rare plant or animal, or just a political update can be discouraging. Usually, time outside will cure me of the malaise and give me renewed inspiration. … Continue reading Learn the Flowers
Marsh, fen or swamp?
Aren't they all swamps? I thought as a scientist for The Nature Conservancy explained the two different types of wetlands we were going to see on a recent outing, and explained how they were both different from the moist areas I had seen on my trip to the Saugatuck dunes. I was swatting mosquitoes with … Continue reading Marsh, fen or swamp?
Two Superior Preserves
Michigan author Jim Harrison writes about places which "impart an uncommon sense of well-being," and tries, elusively, to define what characteristics they have which make them so. There is no particular scientific or historical definition, though we often search for one. Eventually, he decides that these uniquely personal places are "simply the soul's best habitat." … Continue reading Two Superior Preserves
An Evening Walk in Saugatuck Dunes
The landscape unfolds and opens up on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. In a State of forests and farms, a walk with wide vistas in a pure and undisturbed place is rare, but the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area offers it. Several miles of trail roll through dunes, reveal … Continue reading An Evening Walk in Saugatuck Dunes
Walks with Tom 