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News from Nature |
By Chad Steele, Park Manager, Bluebird Farm Park With winter halfway over and subtle signs of spring beginning to appear, you can come out to the parks and see in person the events unfolding even as we wrongly believe that everything is in hibernation mode. First, check out the maples. Their buds are a sure sign of spring when they swell up when March comes around. Well, did you realize that those buds are actually flower buds? And that the trees prepared for this spring way back last year when those flower buds were set in late summer? Now that’s preparation! Wow, If only I were that organized! The two types of native maple trees that show their flower buds to us are the Silver Maple and its close relative the Red Maple. Their flowers are fuzzy and extremely small, and range in color from light yellow to deep red, giving the appearance of a colored mist covering the tree. When the weather co-operates bees and many other insects get their first taste of nectar of the year from maple flowers. Many times the flower color indicates what color the leaves will turn later in the fall. A tree with dark red flowers usually turns shades of red in the fall! Second, look for the skunk cabbage flowers. Even as I write this in January, the flowers are emerging from the ground. Skunk cabbage grows in wet areas that have not been disturbed in a long time. A great place to look for them at Bluebird Farm Park is near the covered bridge, by the small stream that joins Indian Fork Creek. It is actually best to have snow on the ground when looking for the flowers because the flower actually generates heat that melts the snow! Up close (but not too close--they smell bad) the emerging plant is a marbled brown-green with stripes and blotches, shaped like an urn. Totally unique and over-looked because it blends in with leaves and other debris from last fall, but for those who photograph flowers, it makes a very unique close up photo. The seeds are alien looking, with square segments on an oblong, greenish brown pod that is hidden under the gigantic leaves all summer. Look for them after first frost when leaves disappear! Third, keep an eye and ear out for the birds. Many different species are at the park and many you won’t see at your feeder. Red-tailed hawks, pileated woodpeckers, crows, screech owls and great horned owls all call the park home. January and February is the courting season for the huge great horned owls. Listen for them as night begins, as this time of year they are very vocal, males and females calling to each other and proclaiming their territories. The eggs will be laid in early March, the first of the bird species to nest in the area. At the edge of the park inside the village limits is a little known roost for turkey vultures. Although they have migrated south for a few months, look for them to be back soon. Early morning as the sun comes up you can see them from the restaurant parking lot, lifting off on the thermals of warm air that rise off of Alamo Road to begin their day of soaring. In closing lets not forget the awesome gem that Mrs. Hannon gave us to enjoy, Bluebird Farm Park. She enjoyed the wonders of nature and all the surprises that come with it, and hoped that others could as well. So come on out, walk the trails and lower your blood pressure, by observing the many surprises that surround you when walking through the park. Park Manager, Chad Steele News from Nature By Chad Steele, Park Manager, Bluebird Farm Park Cabin Fever got you down? On the next sunny winter day come out to Carroll Community Park or the Bluebird Farm Park and see that winter is losing its grip on the area and spring is winning! When walking the roads and trails watch for robins. Most robins migrate but there are many that stay all year. We don’t usually notice them unless there is a winterberry holly growing in the area. The robin is very secretive in winter. It doesn’t sing and sticks to wooded areas where there are plenty of multi-flora rose bushes that offer both fruit (rose hips) and cover to escape from the sharp shinned and cooper’s hawks that would like to make a meal of robin. The above-mentioned deciduous holly, (botanical name is Ilex verticillata) is a multi-stemmed shrub native to wetland areas but rare to find growing wild in our area. It resembles forsythia in growth habit and pretty much looks like any other leafy green shrub during the summer. It does however, have a secret during the summer that won’t be revealed until October and lasts through winter until the next spring. You see, being a holly it has fruits that are bright red, and during the summer those fruits are green and hidden by the leaves. Then, in fall the leaves turn color, and unlike evergreen hollies, they fall off, and all that remains are the beautiful bright red fruits! After the snow is on the ground they become beacons in the landscape. A 5-year old and up, un-pruned plant, can stop traffic. If you chose to purchase this plant keep in mind these few quirks: 1. ONLY female plants produce fruit so you will also need a male plant. Plant the male anywhere you like, as insects will carry the male’s pollen to the female. The ratio of males to females is 1 male to every 8 to 10 females. (For example, if you purchase 3 females you only need 1 male plant.) 2. Pruning or shearing these plants can be done but they will never look appealing. It’s best to put them in an area that they can grow uninhibited. Figure at least a space of 10’ x 10’ for each mature plant. Grow the female as a specimen plant in the landscape, where you would put a dogwood tree or tree hydrangea. 3. Water it A LOT the first year. Remember it grows wild in wetland areas but it does equally well in landscapes IF it has extra water while putting out new roots the first year you plant it. After that they don’t need much help unless we have a drought. 4. Plants in full sun have the most fruits. Less sun means less fruit for the winter robins. Deer and rabbits will eat the entire plant during the winter. Spray with repellants or fence it in for the winter. Other birds that are attracted to this shrub include bluebirds, cedar waxwing, and mockingbirds. Check out the patch of winterberries at Bluebird Farm Park. They are located at the upper gate/scenic trail entrance of the upper parking lot. Hurry though, the resident robins and bluebirds are feasting on them. Look for more of these plants in the future in key areas of the parks. Park Manager, Chad Steele News from Nature By Chad Steele, Park Manager, Bluebird Farm Park What do totem poles have to do with the parks?? Well, there have been a couple of large trees that needed to be removed due to disease and safety issues around the Bluebird Farm Park. The resulting stump of the maple near the restaurant was left in hopes of an imaginative carver turning it into a work of art! The other stump is behind the museum, on the edge of the woods and visually right in the center of the arbor (when standing in the lawn of the garden). Any chainsaw carver who is up for a challenge and would like to volunteer his service is encouraged to contact us at 330-627-7980. As unfortunate as it was to remove the maple behind the restaurant, but around 4 years ago we knew it would eventually have to go. When you stand next to the giant tree’s trunk, look closely and notice that there are two young maple trees planted 4 yrs ago to replace the old tree. Once they were settled in and growing it was time for the old tree to go. Now that they are not overshadowed they will really take off growing. See the robin’s nest in the one next to the restaurant deck? Also down in the yard below the restaurant parking lot look for a little maple growing that has wire surrounding it. That seedling is also an offspring of the old tree. So although the old tree is gone it really isn’t. Speaking of seedlings, many people remember the “100 yr old oak” down by the arched bridge over the stream. The giant tree lost its battle with the elements several years ago when a swollen and fast moving Indian Fork Creek undercut the bank and caused the giant tree to topple over. Well, when walking the scenic trail that winds around the toppled giant, look just behind you and slightly uphill into the woods. There are several 20+ yr old white oaks that are growing straight and tall. These are the future 100 yr old oaks. I remember Joyce being so excited about this when I told her of those offspring of her beloved old oak. In the restaurant parking lot is piece of the trunk of the old oak. Try counting the growth rings. (Hint: use a toothpick to help you keep from going cross-eyed from counting.) There are several maples competing with the young oaks and to give the youngsters some help, the maples will be girdled to slow them down and give the much slower growing oaks a better chance in life. As you walk through the park you will see wire surrounding young trees. This is an attempt to keep the deer and rabbits from chewing them and to try to reduce the amount of repellant I spray. (Last year alone it was around 108 gallons of repellant spray.) Luckily eggs, milk and lemon balm mint are not that costly and make a great homemade repellant. For a copy of my repellant recipe see me at the Bluebird. I’ll be happy to help! Park Manager, Chad Steele |
