Mornings at Fenner: A Flurry of Activity!

In today's post, Andrea (our Environmental Education intern) writes about her favorite time of day at Fenner: early in the morning! There's usually lots of activity at Fenner in the mornings - come check it out for yourself!

Fenner Nature Center is a place I love to be at any time of day. There is never a dull or boring moment. No matter the time of day, there is always something to see and do whether you’re simply going for a walk, participating in one of Fenner’s numerous programs, or volunteering. But if I had to pick my favorite time to be there, it would be, without question, early in the morning. This is when Fenner Nature Center is the most peaceful and the most alive.

A few times a week, I arrive at Fenner before the sun comes up. Even before I drive through the gate, I can tell that I’m entering a special place – a place where I no longer make the rules and, if I want to be rewarded, I must follow the rules of nature. As I drive down the road, the trees begin to form a canopy, engulfing me, and it becomes even darker. I stop here for a moment and take a look around. I must be patient – there is more to see here than I think at first. 

As my eyes begin to adjust, I notice a deer standing behind a tree. Her fawn is standing behind her, perfectly still. They know I’m here. As I look closer, I begin to see even more. There is a squirrel on the tree, scurrying down from its nest. Two turkeys begin to slowly meander across the road in front of my car. I begin to notice how loud the silence really is. Somewhere in the grasses, crickets are chirping. In the distance, I hear an owl hoot once more before retiring to its nest. The wind blows and I can feel the damp air on my face through the open car window. It smells like autumn and rain. To my left, leaves begin to rustle and I catch a glimpse of a groundhog waddling through the brush before he disappears. It’s beginning to get lighter out and I make my way down the road. I want to get out on the trails before the darkness disappears completely, because I know there is even more there waiting to be discovered.

We use our senses constantly every day. But when the majority of our time is spent behind a desk, behind the wheel of a car, and in front of a television, the dulling of our senses is inevitable. We stop seeing and hearing everything around us. But when we take a moment to stop, be still, and turn our brains off, our senses begin to awaken again. It’s amazing what nature is willing to show us if only we open our eyes and learn to see.

Animal photos by Sharkey Studios. 

The 39th Annual Apple Butter Festival

We loved this blog post by Lori in Lansing about our upcoming Apple Butter Festival and Beast of a Feast fundraiser, on the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau's Buzz Blog! Check it out, and thank you to Lori and GLCVB for writing a wonderful post!


We have a super weekend coming up for everyone in the family to enjoy and to help celebrate Fenner Nature Center and the fall harvest. The 39th annual Apple Butter Festival is on tap for October 13th and 14th.

But what exactly is apple butter? And how is it made? Wikipedia states that “apple butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce, produced by long, slow cooking of apples with cider or water to a point where the sugar in the apples caramelizes, turning the apple butter a deep brown. The concentration of sugar gives apple butter a much longer shelf life as a preserve than apple sauce.” I don’t generally agree with everything posted on Wikipedia, but …well today I’m giving ole Wiki a pass because they actually reference Fenner’s Apple Butter Festival in their post. The ‘butter’ is in reference to the consistency, and there is actually no butter or dairy involved. In our house, we enjoy apple butter on toast and I have added it to turkey and brie sandwiches. Delicious!

At Fenner, they cook apples over an open fire in a big copper cauldron. People take turns stirring it. I’m not sure how long it takes, but I’m going to say a loooooong time, because this festival lasts a whole two days. And I hear they’ve got some local celebrity stirrers on hand. In addition, they will have arts and crafts, games and more. Yay!

And don’t miss the newest, latest and greatest addition to this weekend…it’s a Beast of a Feast on Friday night. Call up the babysitter and then head over with your friends for some all-you-can-eat pulled pork and live music from the Whiskey Pickers. This is promising to be a great evening of socializing, dancing, eating and just plain fun. And the proceeds benefit this wonderful Lansing gem-Fenner Nature Center. So let’s stir up some great fall fun and make some memories to last a lifetime.


Beast of a Feast Fundraiser: Friday, October 12, 6-10 p.m.
$25 pre-event ticket or $30 day of the event ticket.
  
Apple Butter Festival: Saturday and Sunday, October 13-14, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. each day

Admission is free!

Check out the original post at the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau's Buzz Blog.

The People Behind the Scenes at Fenner Nature Center

In today's post, Ken Sattler writes about the staff and volunteers who make our many programs possible, and who are dedicated to keeping Fenner looking beautiful too. Consider becoming a volunteer for our upcoming "Beast of a Feast" fundraiser and our Apple Butter festival by filling out this quick application. 

My last couple of posts talked about the wonder, discovery, and ‘literal awesomeness’ of Fenner. To be sure, it’s a fantastic place – a gem in the Lansing community. But my intent for interning here was to learn what makes an amazing place like this tick. What I’m finding is that it’s a complex chemistry between a staggering array of variables. There are, of course, the big, highly visible things which need to be coordinated – the excellent day camps, school programs, and festivals to name a few. These all require countless hours of planning and organization. There are also endless minutiae that must be addressed – things that the average visitor to Fenner will likely never notice, but which would be sorely missed if they were to go neglected.

At the end of the day it all really boils down to a small fleet of very dedicated people putting in a lot of hard work and careful planning.  Many of the people who put in the work on the grounds and the programs and advisory boards are volunteers. Personalities need to mesh, and that doesn’t always happen smoothly. Agreements must be reached – sometimes compromises must be made. Funding must be found to implement plans, and that takes a whole other set of people working behind the scenes to make sure that Fenner can continue to be the haven that it is, and can run the excellent programs that it does.

To walk the grounds at Fenner is to experience a peaceful respite amid the bustle of the City of Lansing. Behind the serenity of nature is a flurry of activity – plants and animals working in cooperation and in competition with one another to survive and to thrive. Behind the serenity of Fenner is a similar struggle. These dedicated staff and volunteers are creating the partnerships and wrestling with the issues that need to be faced in order to keep Fenner running smoothly. Like the rest of the wildlife here, they can be hard to spot at times. But they’re around, if you know where to look. If you happen to cross paths with any of them, take a moment to let them know how much you enjoy Fenner, and appreciate the work they put in to keep it running.

On October 12th, Fenner will be having their first annual "Beast of a Feast" fundraiser, complete with tasty food and drinks, a silent auction full of exciting items (like this roadside rescue dresser), and a great local band, The Whiskey Pickers! And on October 13th and 14th will be Fenner's 39th annual Apple Butter Festival complete with live music, old-fashioned games, food, and of course the stirring of the apple butter! 

To make all of these wonderful events and celebrations possible, Fenner needs the help of many volunteers. Please consider giving a bit of your time and fill out this application to let us know what you would be interested in doing as a volunteer. And enjoy all the festivities too!

September Bird of the Month: Black-and-white Warbler

In today's post, Nathan Martineau writes about the Black-and-white Warbler, a bird that can easily be found at Fenner right now. Come to Fenner to see it yourself!

The month of September brings the opportunity to see many birds during their fall migration here at Fenner--including the Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia). Also, this month the Capital Area Audubon Society is leading Fall Migration Bird Walks here at Fenner on Saturdays (9-11am), which is another great opportunity!

The Black-and-white is different from other warblers because first, it is one of the few members of its family that does not change appearance between spring and fall, while the others transform from their bright spring plumage into "LBJs" or "little brown jobs." In fall, these"LBJs" are quite dully colored and similarly patterned and sometimes prove an extreme challenge to identify by species. 

Secondly, the Black-and-white Warbler has a very unique habit of hitching up and down tree trunks and branches while foraging for food, quite like a woodpecker or a nuthatch would do. Only one other species of warbler exhibits this behavior (the Prothonotary Warbler if you are curious), and even they only do it occasionally. 

Male

Female

The Black-and-white, as well as other warblers, can be found in any wooded setting throughout the park in migration, although the migrant birds tend to concentrate around the Woodland and Field Ponds, and the parking lot.  This may not be true on some days, though, as migration is always hit-or-miss and each day is different. Black-and-whites can be very common on a good migration day. They can be found here from late April through late May and again from September to early October.   

A Night Hike at Fenner

In today's post, Jen Ismirle writes about enjoying the glimpses of animals and their activities she observed on our last night hike of the summer. 

For the past few weeks, I've been wanting to go on Fenner’s Summer Night Hike, but because of family plans and the rain, I kept missing out. But finally, last Friday, my schedule opened up and rain was absent in the weather forecast; it was all systems go!

There ended up being 12 of us total on the hike, including myself and our guide, Martha. She gave a brief presentation in the library first, showing us pictures of various animal we might see and also playing the sounds that different owls make. The screech of the barn owl was particularly interesting, and scary: click here to hear it.

We headed outside after that, and it was still light out as we began our trek. I was excited though to hear Martha say that this night hike would be the darkest one yet, as it is starting to get darker earlier. As we walked about, she stopped us a few times to play bird calls from a tape player she had, but apparently the owls and other birds were feeling shy or just weren’t around right then, because the calls didn’t lure them out.

Although I was disappointed that we didn’t happen upon any owls, we definitely weren’t alone on our walk. There were many squirrels rustling around nearby, and we also saw two deer, separately. We only caught a quick glimpse of the first one as it dashed behind some trees, but we were able to watch the second one romp across the entire field before it too disappeared amongst the trees. We saw a rabbit as it wandering through the forest too, just before we headed out into the field. Unfortunately, I was too slow to catch any of the animals with my camera.

By that point, it was starting to get dark and we could see a couple bats darting around in the sky as they were catching insects. When we walked over to the Field Pond, the children on the hike spotted a spider on its web, and were extremely interested in investigating it up-close. I stayed back as I am not big on spiders myself, but it was fun to watch the kids so fascinated by the spider and asking questions about it. They were fearless!

As it grew entirely dark, we winded our way through the rest of the field and around the Central Pond. Throughout the walk, we could rustlings all around us and many different bird calls, but we could no longer see what was making these noises. The children and some of the adults whipped their flashlights around, but it was difficult to catch a glimpse of these creatures of the night. We could also hear splashes from time to time in the pond, but only see the ripples on the water.

After we made our way back to the Visitor Center, it was time for a bonfire and s’mores! And after that, since we hadn’t been able to see any owls in-person, Martha brought out some owl pellets for the kids to dissect. They were able to find quite a few animal bones inside the pellets, including a rodent skull (which is on the right below).

I am very glad I was finally able to attend one of these night hikes, though sadly it was the last summer night hike for this year. It was interesting to witness (through sight and sound) the nocturnal activities of so many different animals, which I didn't even realize are happening nearby while I am sound asleep inside my home.

Starting September 1^st, there will also be Fall Migration Bird Walks, led by the Capital Area Audubon Society. Check out Fenner’s calendar to learn more.

Roadside Rescue Dresser for Fenner Nature Center

This year, we will be kicking off our annual Apple Butter festival with our "Beast of a Feast" fundraiser! One feature of this fundraiser will be a silent auction with many exciting items. 

**To help make our auction a success, please consider donating nature-related items to be auctioned, such as gift certificates or "gently used" outdoor gear such as kayaks, snowshoes, skis, fishing gear, and more. Together, we can connect even more people to nature!

Today's guest post comes from Karin Balkon Chudy, who writes about restoring this "roadside rescue" dresser (with the help of Katie Woodhams) to be auctioned off at our silent auction. Come out to Fenner on October 12th to make a bid on this gorgeous dresser yourself!

WHEW!!!!!! That is the first thing I have to say about this baby! The second thing I should tell you is the BACK STORY... A couple weeks ago, my niece contacted me about donating a piece of furniture for an AUCTION for Fenner Nature Center for whom she works. I of course said... "HECK YEAH"... :)

I said, "I have some small pieces," but I told her that if she came upon a dumpster dive or a ROADSIDE RESCUE that would be cool. Seeing as it was for a Nature Center, I thought it would be poignant that we saved something from the landfill. She said she would keep her eyes peeled. Well, no more than a few days later, she sends me a picture of THIS!!

A SOLID mahogany 4 drawer dresser just sitting on the side of the road... WHAT THE HECK!!! Some girls have all the luck... :) We got to scheduling a date when she could come stay for the weekend and we could knock out this project.

And knock it out we did!~ Here, she is making me laugh at the fact that she had no sooner backed up her truck and I was attacking the dresser like a PIT CREW in a race. 
I don't like to waste time...

We stripped off the old worn and broken brass pulls and filled the old holes.

Here is my niece Katie getting ready to sand the top. (I don't mind telling you that I loved having an ASSISTANT to do this job!)

Above is the solid mahogany stripped bare, and below it is stained with a nice mix of cherry and walnut stain.

Now for the fun part. We were really trying to keep our "footprint" as small as possible on this project. I KNEW what paint I wanted to use. 

Even better, the color I had pictured in my head was an exact match to Ce Ce Caldwell's MICHIGAN PINE... If you have not guessed yet, we are from MICHIGAN... It doesn't get any better than picking an environmentally safe paint, for a rescue project, for an auction, for a Nature Center, IN MICHIGAN... and its named MICHIGAN PINE... are you hearing angels singing yet????? :) I was.

So here we were... only about 3 hours in and we are already painting the dresser.

This is how we left it for the night... It was waiting for its... "BEAUTI-FI-CATION."

When Katie and I had gone back and forth in emails talking about what we wanted this project to LOOK like... we had finally decided on a FERN... But we didn't want the regular Fern that everyone thinks of... We wanted something STYLISH...

So I had researched some ferns and this is the one we decided on. (I am not a botanist and I KNEW artistic license would be used... so we have NO IDEA what type of Fern this really is... :)) We drew it on in the morning and got to painting!!

I can't tell you how much FUN I had working on this project. Having another artist to work with and being able to have your idea come to fruition on the canvas (in this case the dresser) was amazing. Even though it took us 6 hours combined, just to paint on the Fern. :)

Here I am distressing everything that we spent all our time painting... LOL!!

and HERE is our mess!!! LOL!!

But it was all worth the MESS for the finished product....

With her new crystal knobs,

and the fern gracefully flowing along her body, she is back to being a BEAUTIFUL part of Nature.

Here is Me and my Gorgeous Niece Katie... all cleaned up trying to look as BEAUTIFUL as this dresser... which will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Going from Ugly Duckling to BEAUTIFUL Swan!!

To find out more about the auction you can visit Fenner Nature Center. The auction goes straight to Fenner Conservancy to help them meet their mission of connecting people to nature!

Thank you all, and thank you so much to my Niece Katie Woodhams, for allowing me to be a part of this!! We both didn't know if we could let our baby go... but we know its for a great cause. I hope you all have a BEAUTIFUL day!!

Check out Karin's original blog post too.

Nature Day Camps

In today’s post, Abby King writes about our variety of nature day camps this summer, and her favorite activities: "cave painting" and making paper. 

When I was a child, I spent a week or two every summer at Chippewa Nature Centers Nature Day Camp in Midland, Michigan. I cherish the memories I made there: games, camp outs, crafts, pond dipping, river walks, and more.

When I started my internship at Fenner Nature Center, I was happy to learn that it has a similar program. Because one of my areas of study at school is art and design, I was asked to plan and participate in a nature-themed craft once a week with the campers here. Though I don’t have much experience working with children, I agreed.

Each week of camp here has a different theme. There have been camps about weather, wilderness survival, bugs, vertebrates, nature art, pond life, homesteading, and ecology.

Planning a craft for each of these camps has been more difficult than I expected, but luckily, the camp counselors and Program Manager here have been more than helpful in coming up with ideas.

My favorite week has been the nature art week, which was ironically the only week that I didn’t plan the crafts. Instead of one craft that week I did two. On Tuesday that week we did “cave painting” in the observation blind here with paints made from mud and fruit.

On Wednesday that week, we made paper from paper. Old papers were blended into a pulp, which was then pressed onto screens and left to dry into new, textured sheets of paper. 

The Role of Fenner Nature Center

In today's post, Ken Sattler writes about the important role of Fenner in his life - a place that reminds him of the marvels of the natural world and provokes a "desire for discovery." 

The Woodland Pond at Fenner.

I’m always amazed at the sense of wonder and discovery around Fenner. It makes me wonder if I’ve become jaded.  Every day, without a second thought, I look right past a whole host of amazing things – things I often take for granted. 

For example, there are a pair of box turtles that share an ‘office’ with me here at Fenner (it’s actually the library). Anyone who comes through unfailingly geeks out about the turtles and gawks at them as if they’ve never seen one before. Some of them possibly have not. But I take my lesson from the ones who have, and still are giddy at the sight of them. Even though they may have seen many a box turtle – perhaps even box turtles more lovely than Ruby and Tabitha, though that’s hard to imagine – they still value the opportunity to see another. The fact that something is there day after day, that it has become a part of one’s expected background, should not diminish its wonder, and certainly not its value.

As these visitors stream through the center and continue to marvel at Ruby and Tabitha I am reminded that, despite the fact that I see the pair day in and day out, they are no less amazing than they have ever been, and that I need to be more intentional in my appreciation of their presence. Then I realize that Fenner and its visitors are inspiring me toward something much bigger than a pair of turtles. Ruby and Tabitha, for all their celebrity, are allegorical to the entire natural world. That subtle reminder opens the door to deeper rekindlings of appreciation for all the natural processes, which surround me every day, and for how many of them I – quite literally – could not live without.

This is an important role that Fenner plays for me, and that I hope it plays the same role for many others in Lansing. Here is a place whose major purpose is to connect people with nature. It is a place where people can come and be intentional about discovering, or rediscovering, their own reliance on, and alliance with, the natural system. It becomes increasingly important these days to be deliberate about appreciating our world. In a culture where we are becoming less and less connected to the natural processes on which we all depend for life, Fenner is an anchor that helps me not to stray too far from that connection. I don’t feel like it’s an exaggeration to say that it is vital to remain aware of and to place a high value on nature. The moment we begin to take a thing for granted, and to assume that it will always remain constant, is the moment that we open the door to the possibility that it will diminish in its ability to hold our wonder and interest, and possibly losing it forever.

Ruby and Tabitha outside for some exercise.

Ruby and Tabitha recently had their cage renovated. During that time they had to live elsewhere. I lost count of the number of people who came through and asked me where they were. Even the people who had never seen them before looked at the tank and recognized that something important was not where it was supposed to be – something crucial was missing. If Ruby and Tabitha have become my metaphor for maintaining a wonder at the world around me, then the sense of loss at their absence has a place in my philosophy as well.  How many of the other things that surround me every day would I miss exponentially more if they were unexpectedly lost?

Fenner is a place that helps me to maintain a sense of marvel at the natural world. That sense of marvel provokes a desire for discovery. Discovery leads, inevitably, to esteem. Esteem drives me to a sense of equity and responsibility that underpins my interactions with nature, and with the world in general. Thank you, Fenner.

Canine Adventures at Fenner: Starring Texas

Meghan Martin, a member of Fenner Conservancy’s Communications Committee, is our guest blogger today. She writes about bringing her dog, Texas, to enjoy our trails!

As a Lansing resident who lives in the city, I get really excited to find new and interesting places to take my dog, Texas (or just “Tex” if he’s not feeling fancy), for walks to “stretch his legs.” While our little yard works for him, it is nothing compared to the sights and sounds we find at Fenner Nature Center. We recently made a trip together to visit Fenner and see our longtime friend, Katie, now that Fenner allows guests to bring their furry family members. As we pulled in, Tex was ready to get out of the car STAT, because it was an especially hot day and he was excited for a new place to roam.

On hot days like this, it is important to remember water for your dog. While the Nature Center has multiple bodies of water there may be, like in this case, low water levels—this gets water-loving dogs like Tex very MESSY. Also, if your dog is roaming in the water, you may miss some of the wildlife that lingers there. Tex and I happened upon a crane while we were there, but it unfortunately flew away before I could get a shot of it with my camera.

This may be a good time to point out that, if you choose to bring your dog to the Nature Center, be sure to put him or her on a leash. Your dog should be on a six-foot leash and be under control at all times (so, as smart as your doggy may be, don’t let him “walk himself”). As was the case with Tex, we found out that he really likes getting up close and personal with wildlife at Fenner—he nearly introduced himself to a wild turkey roaming around the picnic tables next to the Butterfly Garden. I don’t think Tex had ever seen a wild turkey up until that point—it was quite the discovery for him!

I was happy that Katie was able to walk around the trails with us, because she gave us a lot of insight as to what we were looking at—well, Tex was looking at squirrels and sniffing shrubs, but I was interested! I had no idea the history that was in that area; remnants of the Turner farm can be found in the form of old foundations along the trails, and it was neat to hear about the property’s role in the founding of Lansing. We got to talking ghost stories and she showed me the creepy baby doll that somehow ended up in a tree, some fifty feet or so in the air….Maybe we’ll come back around Halloween and take a “haunted dog walk” around that area…

One of the best parts about our visit was seeing the vast size of Fenner. It’s nice to know that the next time we visit we can take an entirely different route through the paths and see completely new aspects of the park. This time we cut it a bit short because it was so hot, but maybe next time we’ll take a long meander through the trails—there were so many options on which trails to take!

After we said our “farewells” to Katie and I packed up my pooch, we left Fenner with hopes to come back soon. I thought of all my friends with dogs that would enjoy what we call a “Doggy Date” there. I can imagine that Tex was thinking about how much he enjoyed our walk there, but I think he was focused on the woodchuck that crossed our path on the way out. Seriously, he almost jumped out of the car. You’ll have to look for him next time, Tex!

Side Note: Please pick up any unwanted “donations” left by your little friend. There are doggy deposit bags and receptacles throughout the park.

August Bird of the Month: American Goldfinch

In today's post, Nathan Martineau writes about the American Goldfinch, a bird that can be easily found at Fenner right now. Learn more about this small finch below, and come to Fenner to find it yourself!

At my feeders, the molting of the male American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) from his drab winter plumage into his brilliant summer garb is always the first sure sign of spring. You can find goldfinches almost anywhere here at Fenner, and in fact across most of this country. Its year-round range encompasses most of the USA except the southernmost tier of states, where it is a common winter resident. The winter range also extends south along Mexico’s Gulf Coast. Its breeding range includes much of southern Canada.  

Breeding Male

Adult Male in Winter

 




That said, the American Goldfinch is one of the commonest and widespread native birds in North America, just behind such birds as the Red-winged Blackbird and American Crow. This fact really becomes apparent once one learns their contact call, a whistled Po-ta-to-chip or per-chic-o-ry.  

Breeding Female

Male with Nest and Young

The American Goldfinch is an exceptionally late nester and is one of very few birds that nest into mid-August and even September.  There are two reasons for this: first, their primary nesting material, which is fluff from thistle and milkweed plants, is not normally abundant earlier in the year. Secondly, goldfinches are one of the strictest granivores (something that feeds on seeds and grain) in the bird kingdom, only accidentally eating the occasional insect. This means that they are better off to wait to nest in late summer, when nutritious seeds, such as those from thistle, burdock, pigweed and teasel, abound.