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. 

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.

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.

The Joy of Bicycling and My Commute to Fenner

In today’s post, Abby King writes about her love of bicycling, and all the interesting things she sees and experiences on her commute to Fenner each morning.

I have always enjoyed bicycling. When I was younger, my father and I used to take long bike rides along the rural roads near my home. We rarely had a particular destination in mind; instead, we simply bicycled for the joy of bicycling. Even when I fell and was left picking gravel out of my palms and knees, I still looked forward to the next ride. I loved the thrill of coasting down hills and the refreshing wind in my face.

I still like riding my bike. However, I am not a serious cycler; I do not keep track of my miles or venture out for a ride clad in neon spandex. No, these days I bike mostly to get where I need to be. I bike to work, I bike to the library, and I often bike to school.

I find that bicycling has several advantages over other modes of transportation. I have a car, but gas is expensive and the roads are filled with crazy drivers, overcautious slow drivers, and construction detours. Buses keep an unpredictable schedule which makes it nearly impossible to get anywhere on time, and they can be unpleasantly crowded.  Both cars and buses add to the pollution in the air. Walking is much too slow to be relied upon as transportation to all but the closest destinations, and while running is faster than walking, it is slower than bicycling and makes me hot and sticky.  To summarize, bicycling is cheap, efficient, and quick, not to mention a respectable form of physical activity. However, these are all obvious advantages. For me, the real pleasure of the ride comes from when and where I bike. My morning commute to Fenner is one of my favorite routes.

My trip in to work starts at around 6:30am, when I bike from my apartment to a nearby tree-filled park, which takes me to a main road. I take the road into MSU’s campus and from there I can transfer to the Lansing River Trail, a recent discovery of mine. It is a paved trail that stretches through Lansing for about 13 miles. The 2.5 miles of the River Trail that I ride on my commute are mostly wooded, and pleasant to ride through. The River Trail conveniently takes me to Aurelius road, very close to Fenner. From there it is a simple left turn onto Mt. Hope and a right turn into the driveway. This route takes me through woods, next to a shrubby meadow, into the city, and alongside the Grand River. The closer I get to Fenner, the more interesting things I tend to see. Several weeks ago I saw an absolutely enormous snapping turtle, perhaps two feet in length, sunning itself on a fallen tree in the river along the River Trail. Just this morning I saw a doe and her fawn wading into the river, and several minutes later as I turned into Fenner’s driveway I caught a glimpse of another doe, this one with twin fawns, striding gracefully into the long grass.

I cherish my bicycle commute. I am comfortable in the knowledge that I am saving money, reducing pollution, and working my body. Equally important, I know that I am making memories during my summer mornings in Lansing that I can keep for the winter, and for when I leave the region.  

A Summer Night Hike: Taking the “Adventurous” Trail

Today’s post comes from Katie Woodhams, our Program Manager. On a Summer Night Hike here at Fenner, she rediscovered an awe of nature through observing wildlife and the circle of life firsthand. Read about her rich experience, and come to Fenner for our next Summer Night Hike on Friday (July 13), 8-10pm!

Whenever I tell people that I work at a nature center, their first reaction is always some sort of exclamation about how lucky I am to get paid to be outside and having fun.  While I do have fun at work, I have to tell you – it’s a rare occurrence for me to actually get outside!  While our camp counselors and naturalists are out blazing trails, I can usually be found at my desk, in a cubicle, staring at my computer like a zombie!  You probably can understand why I jumped at the chance to tag along for our first night hike of the summer!

As the sun sank lower in the sky giving the prairie grass that lovely golden glow, my fellow eco-explorers and I started off on our adventure with binoculars, field guides, camera, and smart phone in hand, loaded up with Audubon Field Guide Apps.  We had decided that the Visitor Center needed a monarch caterpillar mascot so our first stop was to go in search of one among the milkweed.  Just as we were about to give up, we found this cute little guy munching away!

Chemicals in the milkweed that are produced as a defense mechanism do not phase the monarch caterpillars.  Instead, the caterpillars accumulate these toxins in their bodies, which in turn help to protect them from predators.

After our new caterpillar friend, Heinrich, was safe in his new home inside the Visitor Center we headed back out to the prairie.  We came upon this fork in the trail and faced the age old dilemma about choosing the right path….Should we take that which is most traveled, or that which looks more adventurous?  

To the left, along the deer trail it is!

As we headed down the narrow path we discovered animal burrows and trails that we would not have seen had we taken the route more traveled.  At this point my excitement was rising and I had already forgotten all of the stress of the day.  

Just a few steps down the trail we found this entire tiny skeleton right at our feet!  We decided that it was some sort of rodent, based on the teeth.  Nearby we found what looked like a woodchuck burrow, so we inferred that this was a young woodchuck that had a little bit of bad luck.  A few steps later we came across a dead mole and spent many minutes inspecting the insect life that was “recycling” the little guy.  Hey, I know it’s gross, but we were so enthralled by the circle of life happening right before our eyes!   In nature, nothing is wasted, and we felt privileged to observe this first hand.

As the sun dipped below the tree line we headed over to the field pond.  I had heard that there was a family of wood ducks out there and wanted to see them firsthand.  Even though we snuck out onto the bridge as quietly as possible, we didn’t see any wood ducks (darn!). Instead however, we saw two mother turkeys and about 20 babies, called poults. They were getting ready for bed and picking out their roosts along the railing of the pond overlook.  I took a video as I tried to sneak up on them, but I decided to spare everyone all the heavy breathing and shaky camera work….instead, look at this cute picture below!  Mind you, they don’t look like this for very long.  Soon they will have filled their cute quota and turn into lanky, awkward, and gangly juveniles (just like people!)

As we left the prairie and entered the darkening woods, we spotted a raptor nest of some sort at the top of a red pine.  Upon closer examination at the bottom of the tree we found owl pellets!  Owl pellets are balls of hair and bones that the owls regurgitate because they cannot digest those parts of their prey.  They are fun to pull apart and investigate, and they help biologists deduce all kinds of information about the owl’s health and even the types of other animals that are living in the area.

I decided at this point to whip out my fancy smart phone and play some owl calls to try to hear if there were any in the area.  We tried Screech-owls, Barred Owls, and even Great Horned Owls, but never got a response.  Maybe we were too early, and the owls weren’t ready to wake up for the night yet! Just as we were giving up hope, we saw a large bird fly overhead.  Could it be an owl?.... Nope!  It was a Cooper’s Hawk!  The hawk landed right above us, and as I played various calls of its kind on my phone, it looked around, puzzled.  We watched it in awe since none of us had ever been that close to a wild hawk before! 

Throughout the rest of the hike I continued to act like a kid in a candy store.  While I studied biology in college, and have had many memorable experiences with nature, I still get goose bumps when I get a close encounter with a wild animal, or even if I find a pretty flower that I have not seen before. Experiences like this night hike remind me of why I went into this field, and why I believe that it is so important for everyone, especially kids, to have these same types of experiences.  In a time where one can look up a video on Youtube or watch a T.V show about nature and see high definition close-up imagery, I am still convinced that these firsthand experiences are much more memorable, as well as meaningful. There’s just something about making a discovery on your own that is so much more rewarding than having someone explain it to you on T.V.  I frequently reflect on what former Fenner naturalist Joan Brigham often stated, “Man is a part of nature, not apart from it.” Whenever I think of that statement I feel alive, complete, and ready for my next nature adventure!

Meet Eros, the Eastern Milk Snake!

Today’s post comes from Abby King, and she writes about her favorite resident animal here at Fenner – Eros, our eastern milk snake.

The Visitor Center at Fenner Nature Center is home to a variety of animals, including a family of Madagascar hissing cockroaches, an eastern milk snake, an eastern tiger salamander, some green frog tadpoles, a praying mantis, two eastern box turtles, an eastern American toad, and a common snapping turtle.

I am in the process of revamping the enclosures for each species and have gotten to know each individual animal better as a result of transferring them in and out of their renovated homes. While I like the little cat-like alien-face of the mantis, the solemn stare of the toad, and the charm of the box turtles, I’d say that my favorite so far is the eastern milk snake.

Eros, so named after the Greek god of love because he has a small heart-shaped spot on the back of his head, has so much more personality than I ever thought a snake capable of. When I was around nine or ten I kept two garter snakes as pets over one summer, keeping them alive on small toads and worms. Nickel and Dime, as I named them, both became quite tame and would wind themselves around my fingers. However, neither of them had as much character as Eros does. He is constantly on the move within his newly remodeled vivarium, sliding through the grass (he was thrilled with this particular addition to his home), drinking from his water bowl (I’d never seen a snake actually drink before), and even lifting himself up to the top of the enclosure and squeezing between the rim and lid, until he falls to the ground with a louder thump than I’d imagine his small body capable of. When I pick him up, he wraps himself securely around my hands and wrists, ready and willing to be transported to wherever I may take him.

Eros is the only eastern milk snake I have ever seen, even though they are common in Michigan. They are found in a variety of habitats, including woods, farmland, meadows, and suburbs. I tried to make Eros a home that would, to an extent, combine all of these habitats into one. Eastern milk snakes are sometimes mistaken for the scarlet snake and copperhead, which do not live in Michigan, and the fox snake and Massassauga rattlesnake, which are both native species here. However, I find that they bear only a passing resemblance at best to any of these other species. Eastern milk snakes can live up to 20 years, meaning that Eros will be entertaining us for a long time yet. 

What being an Animal Care Intern is all about

Today's post comes from Jessi Rizza, one of our Animal Care Interns. She writes about our resident animals here at Fenner, and all that goes into caring for them and enriching their lives. 

I am currently a senior at Michigan State University as a zoology major. When I tell people I am a zoology major, their response most of the time is, “So you’re going to be picking up poop for a living?” While that is definitely a big part of the job, there is so much more!

Here at Fenner, I am in charge of taking care of the resident animals which includes feeding, watering, cleaning the enclosures, creating a specific habitat for each animal, and providing enrichment. A lot of research goes into the needs of each animal so that we can try to mimic their natural environment as accurately as possible. The more natural the provided environment is for the animal, the more comfortable, healthy, and happy it will be and the greater your viewing pleasure will be as a visitor!

Animal enrichment is basically providing treats, foraging opportunities, toys, or any item or activity that is out of the animals normal care plan that causes it to be more active or healthier. The natural enclosures are definitely a type of enrichment, but other important types provided are occasional treats such as mice for the tiger salamander or occasionally being taken out of the enclosure and cleaned/handled.

I take care of an eastern tiger salamander, eastern milk snake, praying mantis, American toad, 2 box turtles, brown snake, snapping turtle, and many hissing cockroaches here at Fenner. Check out a couple photos!

These are our 43-year-old female eastern box turtles, Ruby (top) and Tabitha (bottom). They like to eat crickets and worms as well as fresh fruit and veggies. Part of my job is to take them out periodically, clean their shells, and rub a little oil on their shells and legs to keep them from getting too dry. We call this enrichment the “weekly turtle spa.” The turtles of course don’t know this is good for them, but we do! 

This is our snapping turtle that gobbles up the fruit, veggies, worms, or pellets that we give him faster than any of the other animals!  If you visit the pond outside the back of the Visitor Center, you might be able to spot a snapping turtle that is about 5 times the size of this one.

A Morning Walk

Today's post comes from Jen Ismirle, one of our summer interns. She writes about a lovely morning walk she recently had at Fenner and escaping the sounds of the city for just a few moments on our trails. 

After volunteering and now interning at Fenner for 6 months, I still had not walked around the trails beyond walking to the storage shed. So, a couple days ago, I decided it was definitely a must for me to explore all of the trails and see what I might find. If you haven’t already taken a look, here is a link to the trail map for Fenner: http://www.mynaturecenter.org/trailmap.

As I was told by naturalists at Fenner, the best time to see animals in the area is in the early morning or at dusk. I chose to go in the early morning to beat the heat, showing up not long after the trails open at 8am (and they are open every day!). I only saw two other people as I walked around the various trails, but I did see quite a few animals.

The first animal I encountered was by the bird feeders next to the Visitor Center – a turkey. Of course I saw many other various birds near the feeders, like chickadees. I also was surrounded by chipmunks at one point – 4 of them all around me, seemingly unbothered by my presence.

 

I had hoped to find some deer as I took some time to check out the observation blind, but what I found was a multitude of squirrels. The squirrels seemed very interested in me as a couple of them chewed on their food while staring at me at the same time as I walked by their trees. One even followed me, running to another branch to watch me as I meandered further.

Walking further along the trails left me feeling almost like I was in another world with the trees towering all around me. The sounds of the city were far away and it felt quite peaceful in the quiet, only interrupted by the rustling of small animals or the calls of birds. I especially loved stopping at the various ponds around Fenner to listen to the green frogs and the bullfrogs making sounds, which you can hear yourself here: http://youtu.be/2_X5Js_T-H4. I even found some turtles basking in the sun. 

 

So if you are looking for an escape from city life, even just for a moment, the trails of Fenner Nature Center will definitely provide this. Although I was accosted by a variety of insects at times (make sure to use bug spray before heading out on the trails!), I still thoroughly enjoyed my morning walk.

The Rewards of Monitoring

With the destruction and development of natural habitats and the introduction of non-native birds and outside cats, it has become much more difficult for wild birds to breed young that survive. Bluebirds are one species that has been drastically affected, but many are now working to help these beautiful birds. Providing nest boxes for birds in an area can help wild birds breed, but monitoring is also needed to make sure these boxes stay habitable and intact in order to protect the young birds inside.

The use of nest boxes has helped many species of birds increase from very low population numbers, along with the monitoring efforts of those such as our guest blogger today. Gene Wasserman is the Ingham, Clinton, and Eaton County Coordinator for the Michigan Bluebird Society. He monitors nest boxes extensively, and the following is an account of some things he observed this spring:

On one recent day of monitoring nest boxes at Harris Nature Center in Okemos and Fenner Nature Center in Lansing, I was lucky enough to observe the following:

I saw a Chickadee and its nest with
11 eggs (yes, 11!) and a new hatchling.

• Wrens took over two old Bluebird nests.
• Wrens had pecked Bluebird eggs in another nest.
• I observed a Wren on another nest box that had seven eggs.
• I saw a Bluebird nest with babies about 12 days old.                 
• I saw a Tree Swallow nest with babies about three days old.
• I saw a beautiful Chickadee nest with one egg, so far.
• I saw a beautiful Bluebird at its nest box with two eggs so far.
• Along the trail, I saw a female Cardinal on her nest with three eggs.
• I removed a dead, adult Tree Swallow from a nest with three eggs and observed the Tree Swallows on the nest box.
• I removed a nearby House Sparrow nest that had four eggs.
• I saw a Tree Swallow nest with six eggs that was previously occupied by a House Sparrow that had a halo installed.

I observed four Bluebird babies
about nine days old
with a Tree Swallow on the nest box
even though the Bluebird was on her nest.

I removed an old Bluebird nest that fledged five
but was infested with blowfly.

This is why we need to monitor our nest boxes; so we can learn, enjoy, and be responsible stewards for our environment.  If I had not, I would have missed a very rewarding day.

A Moment Alone

 Today's guest post comes from Brendan, who works with the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau, and his original post can be found on The Buzz Blog. Brendan writes about "a cool moment" he had at Fenner when he thought he was alone.

As an official photographer during the 18th Annual Be A Tourist In Your Own Town event held last Saturday June 2nd here in Greater Lansing, I obviously saw a bunch of cool things. The most memorable though was not when I was downtown Lansing, surrounded by thousands of local “tourists” and not even as I waited in an ever-growing line of Spartan fans to tour some awesome campus history at Beaumont Tower. Nope. The most memorable moment I had was when I pulled into Fenner Nature Center. I didn’t see a lot of cars, but I wasn’t too surprised. With over 60 attractions now participating in Be A tourist, it’s not un-common to go to one spot and they are experiencing a temporary lull in the action as people hit other attractions all over town, wait for busses, grab lunch, etc.

So as I walked into the nature center I thought that I was going to have some relaxing time alone in this awesome, scenic natural area. Sounded pretty nice. I could not have been more wrong. It was certainly nice but it turns out I was WAY off about being alone.

Animals at Fenner, like this muskrat, keep you company
while you enjoy some time alone.

As I crossed the parking lot I saw about 4 or 5 different birds flying from tree to tree. I get a little closer to the nature center building and a 3-foot snake made his way across my path, sending me nearly running up a tree nearby, as I’m not a huge fan of serpents. I know, it’s not justified, they just have always creeped me out. Running out of the direction of the snake sent me around the corner of the building structure, back to the huge pond behind. Even though I’m not a fan of snakes it was cool to get my heart rate going a bit with the scare, you know? So as I began to chill out from that I thought the pond looked good, so I head over that way and I see a turtle about the size of a small pizza climb out from under a bush and plop into the pond! Right as I’m thinking, “Good grief, how much wildlife can you pack into a 4 minute span?” I step onto this little dock area and look down over the edge and see this cute little guy, pictured here on the left, swimming right toward me! I didn’t even know what it was at first. He looked like a super mouse of some kind, taking a dip in the hot afternoon sun. After he swam away I was thinking about how cute he was, and what he might be doing in the water and I saw all at once a bunch of little fish, frogs and tadpoles swimming around. I think he was doing his version of grocery shopping. The water, and the entire nature center was teaming with life, and here I was, thinking I was alone. The place was packed. It’s just I was the only one wearing pants and speaking English.

Do you want a cool moment like this? Where you don’t have to say a word and you can simply look around and see creatures of the earth enjoying their habitat? No cell phones, no interruptions, no tweets (except real ones from the birds). Consider this your invitation to check out Fenner Nature Center near the intersection of Mt. Hope and Aurelius road in Lansing.

Come get some of the busiest, most crowded peace and solitude you’ll ever find.

Volunteering at Fenner

Our guest post today is written by Cait Quinn, one of our enthusiastic volunteers. She writes about what it's like to volunteer at Fenner!

Hello!

My name is Cait and I’m going to be guest blogging for you all today! I’m a volunteer at Fenner and, like all of you wonderful supporters of the nature center, have fallen in love with the place! Everyday I come in, I never quite know what to expect. One day I could be emptying sap from maple trees, and the next I could be feeding all of our little creatures inside. There is always something new to help out with, and that sparked my interest to stay involved. I leave here always having something to talk about with my friends. For instance, did you know that Fenner used to have a prairie dog facility? After going through some files on my first day, I came across some old letters written by past Fenner employees requesting that the town of Lubbock, Texas catch and ship about a dozen prairie dogs to be a new exhibit for the nature center. What a cool thing to come across!

And in the Texan correspondent’s letter back to Fenner, the writer mentioned that they have been catching prairie dogs for many different cities around the US and even the world. Their most recent endeavor (as of March 1960) was sending prairie dogs to the King of Morocco. So our Fenner prairie dogs could have been from royal descent!

There is so much history here at Fenner and in our Lansing community that I encourage all of you to take advantage of. Fenner is so community oriented, and that definitely influenced my decision to continue volunteering here. Within the first hour I arrived I knew everyone’s name, they knew mine, and we could all joke around like we had known each other a lot longer. I think that’s the key to having such a successful nature center, because in the end, these 134 acres are for us all, not just those who hike the trails or study the outdoors. It’s for every resident to take advantage of! Come see our friendly turkeys outside the visitor center, hike the trails, learn about our maple syrup trees, sign up for a program and maybe even spot a deer or two while you’re here! And of course, come get to know the wonderful people who work for Fenner. We are glad to have you.

P.S. Join us for a pancake dinner on Saturday, March 17^th at 4:00pm to celebrate and enjoy all the maple syrup we have made this year! I was just outside today emptying all the sap, and boy do we have a ton. So come enjoy our delicious syrup with some equally excellent pancakes.

Whitetail deer at Fenner Nature Center

Today's post is written by Lynette Score, one of our passionate naturalists here at the nature center. She writes about whitetail deer and how to find them at Fenner.

If you walk our trails, especially at dawn or dusk, you are likely to come across this graceful mammal. Found in every county in Michigan, the Whitetail Deer is a common but nonetheless breathtaking sight. Named for its fluffy white tail which it uses as a “danger flag” to signal its fellow deer, the whitetail plays an important but delicately balanced role in Michigan ecosystems.

As large predator populations that feed on the whitetail (primarily wolves and cougars) have been driven away and/or endangered by humans, the species’ Michigan population has skyrocketed out of control. Deer graze the forest bare in the winter, often starving to death and making it difficult for other species to find food. For this reason, many environmental experts now recommend deer hunting as a population management technique. While deer hunting is not permitted at Fenner, you should definitely try wild-caught venison the next chance you get. It will help regulate deer overpopulation and delight your taste buds at the same time!

Some fun facts about whitetail deer:

• They can run 35 miles per hour, jump over obstacles 8 feet high, and cover 30 feet in a single bound (Peterson Field Guide). 
• They have hollow hairs which provide insulation and help them float when they swim (Michigan DNR).
• They live in family groups of up to 25 individuals. Each group is usually led by a female deer, or a doe (DNR).
• Some female deer have antlers (DNR).

Find them at Fenner!

some recently sighted deer tracks

• You can easily spot Whitetail Deer along our trails near dawn or dusk. The deer also visit our birdfeeders from time to time and steal the cracked corn!
• At this time of year, the mud and snow on the ground make it easy to spot Whitetail Deer tracks.
• In the autumn, male deer rub their antlers on trees to mark their territory. When you see trees with the bark scraped off, this is often the cause.

Welcome to our blog!

We are excited to announce the publication of Fenner Nature Center's new blog. As part of our mission to connect people to nature in the heart of Lansing, we'll be posting articles on everything nature related. Topics will include information on plants and animals here at the nature center, resources for connecting your family with nature, and announcements about exciting events at Fenner.

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Thanks, and have a wonderful day in nature!