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 Awesome Solace of Nature

In today’s post, Ken Sattler shares the solace he feels at Fenner, but also how “literally awesome” a trip to Fenner can be for people of all ages! 

I walk the trails here at Fenner as often as I can find time to, which is not nearly as often as I would like. There is solace here when I do. Everything seems as it should be – functioning exactly as intended. It is not quiet, but it is peaceful. It is not still, but it is calm. There is always a flurry of activity, if one cares to look carefully enough, as life and natural processes unfold. Something interesting is always waiting to be discovered.

The prevailing atmosphere, though, is one of quiescence. The natural world is intentional and teeming and productive and vibrant and sustainable here, while also remaining graceful and exquisite. There is a lesson to be learned in this, I think, though what it is exactly eludes me for now. Perhaps there are many lessons to be learned in this, each dependent on one’s own experience of life.

As in nature, however, Fenner also has its occasional outbursts of complete pandemonium. If pandemonium can be productive, though, then this is. My halcyon reverie is periodically – and refreshingly – checked by the calamitous riot of children and adults discovering that there is life outside of X-Box and iPhone, and that it is life worth experiencing. It is the welcome din of child-like discovery. Around every turn is something to behold – something which can make a kid exclaim, in a way that only a seven-year-old can, “Come over here you guys! You have to see this! This is, literally, awesome!”

Literally awesome. It is not virtually awesome, or hypothetically awesome, or abstractly awesome in a philosophical kind of way. Nor is it simply “awesome.” It is literally awesome – awesome in a way that cannot afford to be overlooked – awesome in the most definitive sense possible. The kid isn’t wrong. It is. That is nature, and that is Fenner. Often subtle. Sometimes in your face. But always, literally, awesome.

What Can We Learn From a Tree?

Maddie Brady shares a thought on why appreciating nature is important to learn from a young age, and what we can learn from nature.

I think simple values like appreciating nature are lost in today’s hustle and bustle generation. I hope that one day when I have kids I will be able to teach them that it’s not all about what new gadget you have, it’s about remembering your roots and cherishing your family. Being at Fenner helps ground me some and helps me remember what’s really important.

I found this image online and I really liked it. Fenner is the perfect place for reflection because it’s so peaceful and secluded.

You can check out more by the artist, Joanne Raptis, at deviantart.

The Value and Revitalizing Power of Nature

Maddie and Ken, two of our interns, write about how their experiences at Fenner take them back to their childhood memories of being out in nature, and how vital it is to get out and enjoy the nature we have here at Fenner.

Growing up, my parents used to take my brother and I camping every summer. We both quickly developed an appreciation for nature and spending time outside. I love walking around the trails at Fenner because it reminds me of when I used to go camping with my family.

It’s so peaceful walking or biking through the woods behind the nature center; it really helps to clear your mind. Listening to the chatter of the birds in the trees, the wind in the leaves and the scurry of the chipmunks chasing each other through the brush relaxes your mind and puts you at ease.

When I need to take a break from writing press releases or updating Fenner’s website, I like to take little walks on the trails. It’s not only good exercise for my body but it exercises my mind and heightens my senses.  You don’t just hear the sounds of the forest, you are engulfed in a canopy of green leaves and smells of wildflowers and blooming trees fill your nose.

The trails remind me of my childhood because we used to take nature walks or bike rides on trails similar in the Northern parts of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.  Up there, roadside parks are more common and they have nice trails for walking in the woods. 

I would like to encourage anyone who’s reading this to visit Fenner Nature Center in the near future and just take a walk; it can really do wonders to revitalize mind, body and soul.

--Maddie Brady, Marketing Intern--

When I was a kid my dad used to regularly take me out to a place called Crabtree nature center in Barington, Illinois. I didn’t realize it at the time – I was simply enjoying walking the trails, seeing the flying squirrels in the nature center, and accidentally dropping my gum into the turtle tank – but those times were building in me a deep, lifelong appreciation for the natural world. They were also some of my favorite times spent with my dad when I was younger.

Fenner is a lot like Crabtree, without having to drive four hours to get there. Every time I see a family come through – see the kids go wide-eyed at what they experience, and seeing the parents get excited about learning alongside their kids – I realize how valuable and positive and formative a place like Fenner is. I’m excited about the opportunity to intern here this summer, and help Fenner continue to grow and thrive. My folks have talked about coming out for a visit this summer. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to give my dad a tour of Fenner, and to simply say ‘thanks’ for spending time with me as a kid.

--Ken Sattler, Fund Development Intern--

When I Was a Kid

Today's post is written by our Executive Director, Jason Meyer. He writes from a parent's perspective about the importance of children developing a sense of wonder by spending time in nature.

When I was a kid, I rode the bus to school. I didn’t walk five miles uphill both ways in three feet of snow…bare foot. And no matter what my Dad told me, I don’t really believe he did either. He usually told me this as he was pointing out some lesson I had just learned about how hard life was.  And last night, as I was helping one of my own children learn about life, I actually caught myself saying, “When I was a kid, I walked to school….”

And in saying that, I learned another valuable lesson from Dad. No matter how much I try not to, I find myself becoming more and more like him on a daily basis. I haven’t gone as far as chaining the trailer to the gas meter so nobody would steal it and then driving off, but I’ve come to realize that somehow someway I will wreak havoc of that magnitude unintentionally, too. In spending about half of my life with the man, I learned that saying “I’ll never be like that,” only makes it more likely to happen.

While I cruise through life (just waiting for the day that the gas meter drags along behind me), I can’t help but think about what my kids are learning from me. My wife and I have made some pretty deliberate decisions to “bring them up right” – like choosing to live out in the country where the type of education that our children receive will include things like where the wood for our stove that heats the house comes from or why the tadpoles they put in the wading pool with all of that mud didn’t survive the winter. 

For an outdoorsman, though, I find myself overly worried about the kids when they are outside. “Don’t climb that high.” “That’s enough of that playing by the stinging nettle patch.” “Stop throwing dirt into the air.” Sheesh. I must be the most fun dad in the world, huh?

Against my better wishes, they continue to practice civil disobedience of my laws out of earshot. In many ways they are growing up wild and free, no matter how much I inadvertently try to squelch that by “providing guidance.” They know where the blackberry patches are.  Two of the three have poison ivy right now. They all have bumps and scratches from falling out of trees and they’ve had leeches from the creek in some pretty interesting places. They climb up and down the rock pile in their bare feet. They carry dirt from the garden around under their fingernails. They have even figured out that sunscreen makes pretty good hair gel. 

 

When I really think about it, though, I don’t want them to be like me – always worrying about what COULD happen. I love that they have little fear about the adventure that awaits behind the potting shed. The unfortunate thing about all of this is that in today’s world, children who have these types of experiences are abnormal. Ok, the KIDS aren’t abnormal, but their experiences are. 

I want to see a world where children are encouraged to play, to explore, to develop their own philosophies about the world before society tells them what’s “appropriate” and what’s not. I love to see children running, digging, looking under rocks and logs, and smelling the flowers. Unfortunately for them, these explorations are stifled because they MIGHT get hurt, or worse yet….DIRTY. 

Here’s the thing – we all have a lot to learn from our kids. And you don’t need to live out in the country to learn these lessons. You can do it right here in the heart of Lansing at Fenner Nature Center. Whether you are exploring the park with just your family or they are enrolled in one of our nature day camps or the Fenner Field School, these lessons are underfoot. And if you listen closely enough to what your kids are saying while they are here, you’ll remember what it was like to WONDER about things – I mean really really wonder. And wondering is a lesson we could all stand to re-learn.

A parent's point of view: Learning about maple syrup with a Fenner homeschool program

Today's guest post comes from a community member and parent who attended one of our homeschool programs last month. Melissa writes the blog Cookies, Crayons, Classes & Chaos, and she was generous enough to write a post describing what she learned when her homeschool group attended a maple syrup tour at Fenner! We can't fit her entire post here, but be sure to visit the link at the bottom to see her entire post. She gives some great information about how maple syrup is made, as well as lovely photographs of the animals they encountered on their trip to Fenner.

Well, that was an interesting homeschool tour today!! Usually when our family has gone to the Maple Syrup festivals in the spring we want to cuddle up next to the warm fires where the syrup is boiling. Not so much today. Today, the campfire evoked thoughts of hot dogs, s'mores, and swimming holes, and we could use the smoke to keep the mosquitoes away instead of warming ourselves. Hard to believe it was almost 80 degrees!  I suppose this unseasonable warm weather is going to make Maple Syrup expensive since it cut the sap collecting season short.


Tree Anatomy

Lynette first taught everyone about tree anatomy using a nifty felt tree with felt "flappy" layers that peeled back to reveal each layer.

Learning about tree anatomy from Lynette using the felt tree

We learned about the trees layers starting from the outside: Bark, cambium, xylem, phloem, heartwood.

The tree rings are formed from the cambium when the xylem dies each year.

Learn more about how tree rings are formed at Real Trees 4 Kids.

Diagram from Tree Boss

"While the center of the trunk is usually "just wood" (Heartwood), the inner bark consists of living tissue. These layers are known as the Phloem and the Cambium, with the cambium being the growth layer....

"The xylem transports water and nutrients up the tree, and phloem transports products of photosynthesis back down." -- Tree Boss

How Sap Flows

We learned that the sap would freeze during the winter and make the tree "explode".  So the tree sends all its sap to the roots during the winter.

When the weather warms up during the day the sap rises and then goes back down to the roots when the temperatures go below freezing at night.

Sap, the tree's nutrients, move up and down the tree in a loop during this cycle of warm and cold periods. 

Biology 4 Kids

To read the rest of this wonderful post, click here.

Have fun and make a difference at Earth Day Extravaganza: Sunday, April 22nd

Every day we hear about environmental destruction in our world, and it may leave you thinking there is nothing you can do to make much of a difference. You CAN make a difference! On April 22nd, people around the world will stand up for the protection of our earth and participate in local events that celebrate our home planet. Together, we will call attention to environmental issues around the world and celebrate the nature we have all around us!

An exciting Earth Day Extravaganza will be held here at Fenner Nature Center, presented in partnership with the MSU Fisheries and Wildlife Club and the help of many other local organizations like The Nature Conservancy. This day of nature career exploration and stewardship features a variety of informative activities such as bird identification hikes, interactive presentations about native Michigan animals, wildflower identification hikes, and the opportunity to form a team and join our garlic mustard pull challenge! We are also kicking off our Butterfly Garden Restoration with the help of the Capital Area Master Gardeners.

As you enjoy all the activities of the day, don’t miss one of our most exciting events: Picnic for the Planet! With your help, the Nature Conservancy hopes to break the Guinness World Record for the most people picnicking in a 24-hour period around the world! Come enjoy the activities inside the visitor center and on the trails, and remember to bring a sack lunch so you can join The Nature Conservancy and make history!

Here is a schedule for the activities of Earth Day Extravaganza:

•      Mist Netting: 7:00 am – 9:00

•      Guided Bird Walk: 8:00 am – 9:00 am; 10:30 am – 11:30 am

•      Wildflower Identification Hike: 9:30 am – 10:30 am; 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

•      Small Mammal Trapping: 9:30 am – 10:30 am

•      Garlic Mustard Pull Challenge: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

•      Native Animal Presentation: 11:45 am – 12:45 pm

•      Tree Identification Hike: 10:30 am – 11:30 am

•      Pond Dipping: 11:00 am – 3: 00 am

•      Herpetological Surveys: 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm

•      Picnic for the Planet: 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm

•      Bluebird nest checks: TBD

•      Michigan Wildlife presentations: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Whether you intend to get your hands a little dirty and join us to help rid the park of invasive plants, create new habitat for butterflies and other integral pollinators, or simply come out to learn about nature and spend time outdoors with family and friends, we are certain that it will be an unforgettable day.

PNC Bank will also be on-site with their Mobile LearningAdventure! Be sure to stop by, check it out, and get your little ones involved in their interactive exhibits.

We hope to see you at Fenner Nature Center on April 22 for Earth Day Extravaganza!

For more information and updates, “like” our facebook page

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.

Connecting children with nature

When I see birches bend left to right…
I like to think some boy’s been swinging them.
- Robert Frost

Robert Frost’s sentimental hope for seeing children swinging on tree branches is a hope that many of us here at Fenner Nature Center share. As a naturalist and program educator, nothing makes me happier than seeing children delight in being outdoors. Many of our visitors come from urban areas where green spaces are hard to find. Unlike many people from an older generation, they aren’t growing up exploring the woods behind their house or rescuing baby birds from their backyard. Instead, they are attending schools that have been forced to cut recess time, and living in neighborhoods where outdoor play is too hard to access.

While this saddens many nature-lovers, it could in fact be a bigger problem than we thought. “Nature deficit disorder,” a term coined by author and nature advocate Richard Louv, is a trend across the country. In his ground-breaking book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, Louv outlines a number of studies linking reduced time in nature to all sorts of issues: obesity, attention disorders, depression. Louv’s book describes these studies in detail, and is well worth the read. But the long and short of it is this: being in nature encourages people to be active, which helps fight obesity. Being in nature helps children process information and become curious about the world around them, which combats attention disorders. And exposure to nature helps children resist negative stresses and depression. Plus, free play and exploration is a vital part of healthy child development.

While many societal factors have caused nature deficit disorder to be an all too common problem among children, there are some easy solutions we can implement. Communities need nature centers, parks, and green spaces. Schools need time and funding for field trips to these places. Teachers need training on how to use nature as a teaching tool. And, above all, families need the ability and desire to spend time in nature with their children.

Fenner Nature Center offers many free and low-cost ways for your family to get outside. Our free hiking trails are open every day, dawn to dusk. Elementary-age children can sign up for our spring break and summer camps, where they will spend their days exploring outdoors and learning about nature. Teachers can bring their classes for educational tours. Preschoolers and toddlers can participate in our Knee High Naturalist programs on Wednesdays and Thursdays. In March we are also offering a winter night hike, a worm composting class, a nature story hour, and a maple syrup festival. For more information on these programs and many more, visit our website or call us at 517-483-4224.

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.

Subscribe by email by entering your address in the box on the right. Our blog is also accessible via our website, mynaturecenter.org.

Thanks, and have a wonderful day in nature!