In the summer, land heated by the sun warms the air above it, which starts to rise. As it rises, it cools and can no longer carry the same amount of water it did when it was hot and humid at ground level. The water condenses out into a puffy cumulus cloud on a warm summer afternoon, one of those,... READ MORE >
Midsummer. Warm days, sun, mosquitoes, and thunderstorms. It’s a time of year for all kinds of outdoor activities, and the busiest time out in the forest. People who have been out have been asking the Forest Service about a lot about outbreaks of spruce budworm in several places around our side of the Superior National Forest. This is a species... READ MORE >
We were able to do a loon survey this week. There’s something wonderful about getting out on the water early enough that there is a mist rising from the water and sun slanting down through the trees, casting long shadows on a mirror-smooth lake. Loons have chicks this time of year. Unlike ducks, loons only have one or two chicks... READ MORE >
The woods have transitioned from the light greens of emerging leaves to full out summer green in most areas, but there is still some sun making its way through the canopy to the forest floor. This is the best time to go for a walk and look for wildflowers. Many of the forest’s wildflowers are in a group known as... READ MORE >
If you go out in the woods this week, take the time to stop and be still. Water trickling somewhere, a breeze through the new leaves, insects buzzing, and the song of birds everywhere. The forest has now woken fully from the winter and instead of the hushed silence of snow or the quiet of early spring, it is full... READ MORE >
We are waiting for a time when I can write a description of current conditions without the word “snow” in it. We’re fairly confident that the snowfall this past Sunday was the last of it, or at least we are going to pretend that is true. Despite that lingering bit of winter, this is one of the best times to... READ MORE >
While there is still snow on the ground in the forest under the trees, spring has really turned a corner. Migrating birds are returning to the forest. Yellowrumped warblers, grackles, tree sparrows, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, red-winged blackbirds…they all reappeared in the last few weeks. These are all birds that at least partially rely on insects for food, so they return as... READ MORE >
Spring in the north, or as it is lovingly known to many, the mud season. It’s the time of year when you have to leave a bucket of water on the porch to wash the dog’s feet before he’s allowed back in the house. It’s the season when you think about washing the car, but realize that it will remain... READ MORE >
If you go outdoors and close your eyes, your nose will tell you that spring is here. With your eyes open, you might see snow, but your nose can smell that earthy wet smell that is spring and seems to speak of flowers and growth and warm sun. That wonderful aroma is actually the chemical “geosmin” made by bacteria and... READ MORE >
It is March, Daylight Saving Time is happening, but there is no getting around the fact that there is plenty of snow and winter still rules the forest. Rather than bemoaning that fact, take advantage of some of the best weather for winter fun we’ve had in a long time. Ski and snowmobile trails are in good shape, and there... READ MORE >
