Blog

Polinators, Plants and Preservation

Posted on May 21, 2025

May 20 was National Bee Day—a timely reminder of the vital role pollinators play in our ecosystems and our lives. That connection was on full display during our Wildflower Walk at Trillium Woodlands Preserve last week, where Logan Rowe, a zoologist with Michigan Natural Features Inventory and MSU Extension, joined us to share information about the Michigan Bumble Bee Atlas and the importance of monitoring rare bumble bee species in our state. After the presentation, attendees set off to explore the preserve’s new trails—searching for spring wildflowers and keeping an eye out for buzzing visitors among the blooms.

Why Pollinators Matter

Pollinators like bees, butterflies, and beetles are essential to healthy ecosystems. They help flowering plants reproduce and keep food webs intact, all while performing an age-old partnership shaped by evolution. But habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change are threatening pollinator populations—including those right here in Michigan. Fortunately, each of us can help—starting in our own backyards.

Start a Pollinator Garden

Whether you're dreaming of a full pollinator garden or just looking to add a few native plants to your landscaping, now is the perfect time to start. Native plants support pollinators, improve biodiversity, and create more climate-resilient landscapes.

Need inspiration or planting tips? This free guide from Save the Dunes is a great place to start: Save the Dunes Pollinator Guide (PDF)

Curious to see native plants in action? Stop by the pollinator garden at Chris Thompson Memorial Preserve. Our stewardship team has been hard at work, and in a month, the garden will be bursting with blooms—and buzzing with pollinators.

What to Plant

When creating a pollinator garden, choose plants with staggered bloom times so nectar and pollen are available from early spring through late fall. Here are a few native favorites, grouped by blooming season:

• Spring: Dutchman’s Breeches, Virginia Bluebells, Common Blue Violets, Eastern Red Columbine
• Summer: Purple Coneflower, Milkweed, Black-Eyed Susan, Bee Balm
• Fall: Snowy Goldenrod, New England American Aster

Where to Buy Native Plants or Seeds

Looking for native plants, seeds, or even landscape restoration help? Here are a few trusted sources we’ve worked with or heard great things about:

• Pheasants Forever Habitat Store (Michigan)
• Prairie Moon Nursery – Seeds, plants, and planting resources 
• Michigan Wildflower Farm – Specializing in native seeds and erosion control 
• Hidden Savanna Nursery – Native plants grown in Southwest Michigan 
• Stantec – Native plant nursery and services 
• Pizzo & Associates – Full-service ecological restoration

The Berrien County Conservation District also holds an annual native plant sale—this year’s event took place on May 21. Be sure to follow them on social media or subscribe to their newsletter so you’re the first to know when next year’s sale is announced!

Whether you’re planting a garden, restoring your property, or just replacing one patch of lawn with native blooms, you’re making a difference.

Every native plant adds to the patchwork of healthy habitat across our region. Together, we can promote biodiversity, support pollinators, and strengthen our connection to the land.

Spring Migration in Full Flight

Posted on April 24, 2025

As warmer days return to Southwest Michigan, millions of birds are traveling hundreds to thousands of miles to reach their breeding grounds across North America, including right here in Berrien County. At the peak of spring migration, more than a billion birds can be in the air on a single night. In Michigan, peak migration typically hits in early to mid-May, with different species arriving in waves throughout the spring season.

The Cornell Lab’s BirdCast maps make it easy—and fun—to watch migration in real time and track the progress of birds as they move through our region. Using radar and machine learning, BirdCast provides real-time migration maps and forecasts that show when and where birds are on the move. The animations are not only fun to watch—they also show the weekly movements of over 1,000 species and highlight where birds are most abundant throughout the year. The map below, a screenshot from Cornell Lab's live migration map, shows migration peak on April 24 at 11:40PM ET with 363.6 million birds in flight! This kind of detail helps guide conservation work by pinpointing key stopover spots and habitats right when birds need them most.

DANGERS & HOW YOU CAN HELP

While migration is a wonder to witness, it’s also a dangerous time for birds. City lights and reflective windows can confuse and kill millions of migrating birds each year. BirdCast and the Cornell Lab recommend turning off nonessential lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. during peak migration periods—especially in urban and suburban areas. Closing curtains, directing outdoor lighting downward, and applying bird-friendly window treatments are all simple steps that can prevent deadly collisions. For homeowners, check out this article from the Cornell Lab for practical tips on preventing bird-window collisions. Most collisions happen at homes and low-rise buildings, so individual action can have a big impact.

You can also support birds this season by providing safe spaces to rest and nest. Many migratory birds are now scouting for nesting sites, and nest boxes can give them a much-needed home. Cavity-nesting birds like bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, and swallows benefit from human-made boxes. The NestWatch Right Bird, Right House tool provides free, downloadable plans to build a box tailored to specific species, complete with tips for placement and success. Find plans here.

WANT TO SEE WHO'S FLYING THROUGH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

eBird is a free, global bird-tracking platform created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just starting to explore the skies, eBird makes it easy to discover what’s being seen near you—including on Chikaming Open Lands preserves.

With eBird, you can: 

• Find recent sightings at specific locations 
• Track your personal birding list and observations 
• Explore seasonal migration trends and abundance maps 
• Contribute valuable data to support bird conservation

As migration brings new life to the skies above Southwest Michigan, take a moment to look up, listen in, and lend a helping hand. With a few simple actions, you can make a difference for birds this season—and enjoy their beauty while you do.

Signs of Spring on COL Preserves

Posted on March 26, 2025

As winter fades, nature is coming to life in southwest Michigan. This means we are officially on wildflower watch! Spring ephemerals bloom briefly before trees leaf out, and COL preserves are the perfect place to catch this fleeting display. Just this past week, our staff spotted trillium (not yet blooming) and harbinger of spring starting to make appearances at COL preserves.

Keep an eye out for these and other native blooms as you explore the preserves:

1. Great White Trillium – Forms large colonies in beech-maple forests; petals may turn pink with age; Prairie Trillium can also be found on our preserves and have deep maroon petals

2. Yellow Trout Lily – Features gray-green, mottled leaves resembling brook trout; has yellow flowers with six curved petals.

3. Woodland Phlox – Has pink pollen and nectar guides for pollinators; attracts a variety of bees.

4. Marsh Marigold – Early bloomer that thrives in wetlands, swamps, and along stream banks; bright yellow buttercup-like flowers make it easy to spot.

5. Hepatica – Found in beech-maple forests; bluish-purple, pink, or white; named for its liver-shaped leaves.

6. Spring Beauty – Pink veins act as nectar guides; has pink pollen; pollinated by the Spring Beauty Miner Bee.

7. Cut-leaved Toothwort – Part of the mustard family; flowers open on sunny days; named for tooth-like underground stems.

8. Long-spurred Violet – Recognizable by its long nectar spur; can hybridize with striped violets to form "Braun’s violet."

To enjoy and protect the wildflowers at Chikaming Open Lands preserves, always stay on marked trails to avoid damaging these fragile plants. Feel free to take photos, but please leave the flowers as they are—many species are sensitive, and some are even considered threatened. Visiting throughout the season offers a chance to see different blooms as they emerge. Beyond spring wildflowers, keep an eye out for these other signs of spring unfolding in Michigan’s woods, wetlands, and meadows:

• Ferns: Look for the curled-up baby ferns (fiddleheads) and ostrich ferns. They'll unfurl into full fronds soon.

• Skunk Cabbage: One of the first to pop up, you'll find it in wet, swampy areas. It has a weird purple-brown hood before its big green leaves come out.

• Mayapple: These are starting to push up through the leaves on the ground. They'll get umbrella-like leaves and later have white flowers hiding underneath.

• Tree Buds & Early Leaves: Trees like red maple and sassafras are getting buds. Beech trees keep their papery leaves through winter but are starting to bud now as well.

• Mosses: With more moisture, many mosses and liverworts are growing again, making bright green carpets on logs, rocks, and the forest floor.

• Vernal Pools: Look for temporary pools of water (vernal pools) that form from snowmelt and spring rain. These are important breeding grounds and habitats for amphibians and reptiles.

• Increased Bird Activity: Listen for the arrival of migratory songbirds like warblers, red-winged blackbirds, orioles, vireos and thrushes. Near ponds and wetlands, observe ducks and geese engaging in courtship displays. COL Education & Outreach Coordinator, Grace, was lucky to catch the beautiful courtship dance of a few sandhill cranes at Myron Perlman Preserve!

• Amphibian & Reptile Activity: As temperatures rise, amphibians and reptiles are becoming more active—listen for the high-pitched "peep" of spring peeper frogs near wetlands, watch for salamanders by vernal pools, and keep an eye out for snakes and turtles basking in the sun.

Lace up your hiking shoes and head to a preserve to witness nature's stunning transition from winter to spring! Be sure to share your discoveries with us on social media by tagging @ChikamingOpenLands—we can’t wait to see what you find!

Help Save our Hemlocks!

Posted on January 13, 2023

Hemlocks are large, Christmas tree-like evergreens with gently drooping branches and lots of delicate leaves that provide dense shade. They are native trees that can be found throughout this part of Michigan, and they provide beneficial shade that keeps rivers and streams cool for cold-water fish like salmon and trout, and winter shelter from the elements for deer and other animals. Some people think their leaves when crushed smell similar to the unrelated plant poison hemlock, hence their name (rest assured, the trees are not poisonous).

Unfortunately, our hemlocks are currently under threat from a nasty invasive insect, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. Like most invasive species, these tiny but destructive bugs were introduced to Michigan accidentally, in this case on infested nursery stock. They latch onto the base of the hemlock’s needles and feed on the sugars the tree stores there, killing it within the space of a few years.

You can help us stop the woolly adelgid from spreading! If you have hemlocks on your property, winter (AKA right now!) is a great time to examine your trees for infestation. When the insects attach to the needles, they develop a thick, woolly white coat, about the size of a grain of rice—small, but visible. Look for them on the underside of the needles. You can see what to look for in the photo below.

Other things you can do: don’t plant hemlocks in your yard. Woolly adelgids are often transported on nursey stock. Don’t move firewood from one area to another—you may be moving the insects to a new place as well! Don’t walk near hemlock trees. The wooly adelgid might decide to take a ride with you on your clothing (and in their non-woolly form, they are so small you probably won’t see them there). Finally, use the boot brushes installed at the trailhead of all our nature preserves, and many other natural areas, to ensure there are no little hitchhikers on your shoes.

These gnarly bugs have wreaked havoc on the hemlock population in the Appalachian Mountains. Please help us keep them from doing the same here!

If you think you have woolly adelgids on your hemlock trees, report it on MISIN.msu.edu by clicking REPORT at the top of the page. Or, email or text a photo to the SWxSW CISMA Coordinator Alex Florian at invasivesed@vanburencd.org or 269-633-9044.

Real vs. Fake Christmas Trees...Which Should You Choose?

Posted on December 6, 2024

When it comes to sustainability during the holidays, one question often stands out for folks who celebrate Christmas: Should you buy a real tree or an artificial one? Like most things in life, the answer to that question isn’t as straightforward as you might think—it depends on several factors, including how you use and dispose of your tree. Let’s break it down!

Artificial Trees
Artificial Christmas trees are usually made of plastic and are often manufactured overseas, meaning they come with a hefty carbon footprint before they even reach your living room. On the plus side, they can be reused for many years. However, research suggests you’d need to keep an artificial tree for anywhere from 5 to 20 years to offset the environmental impact.

Real Trees
The idea of cutting a tree down once a year (or even just once!) might feel crazy. But, “the chop” can come with surprising environmental benefits. Think about it: Christmas trees are typically grown on tree farms, not harvested from forests. These trees wouldn’t exist at all if not for Christmas tree farmers. Like any real tree, the trees on tree farms create habitat for wildlife, absorb carbon dioxide, and emit oxygen. Plus, real trees are biodegradable and can be composted, turned into mulch, or used for other eco-friendly purposes. And, if you buy local, you’ll be supporting a local farmer.

The Complications
If you have to drive a considerable distance to get to a Christmas tree farm, the carbon emissions from your vehicle can outweigh the benefits of buying a real tree. And, depending on where you’re located, you might run the risk of bringing home invasive insects.

Okay...so then what!? Well, if you don't plan on moving closer to a Christmas tree farm or downsizing, it's perfectly fine to buy an artificial tree and keep it for several years. As an alternative, try to purchase a gently used tree...or commit to a new house plant and decorate that instead!

The Verdict
If you’re looking for the most sustainable option, real trees are the greener choice—but only if they’re responsibly sourced and properly disposed of. Choose a tree from a local farm or a certified sustainable grower to minimize transportation emissions. Once the holidays are over, recycle your tree at a designated drop-off location or repurpose it in your yard.

For those who already own an artificial tree, the best thing you can do is keep using it for as long as possible. Avoid discarding it unless absolutely necessary. And if you need to get rid of it, consider donating it.

Ultimately, whether you choose a real or fake tree, being mindful of your decision and how it impacts the environment means that you're on the right track!