July Morning at Wet Meadow I

Wet Meadow I at Buhr Park.

What's In Bloom?

During a walk this morning we noticed these things in bloom:

• Yellow Coneflower
• Bee Balm
• Tickfoil ?? looked a little like loostrife to me
• Prairie Dock
• Butterfly Milkweed

learning about native bees from the Internet

Here are some kid-friendly free materials on native bees and other pollinators.

5 Things Kids Can Do to Help Pollinators (a one-page b&w handout)
http://www.pollinator.org/Resources/5%20things%20kids%20can%20do.pdf

You might ant to consider building nests for native bees from plant stems or blocks of wood (2 pp. color)
http://www.xerces.org/Pollinator_Insect_Conservation/nativebeenests.pdf

Extension Bulletin E2985 Conserving Native Bees on Farmland (4 pp. color, with great photos of Michigan's native bees)
http://nativeplants.msu.edu/publications.htm

"Nature's Partners: Pollinators, Plants, and You" a curriculum for grades 3-6
http://www.nappc.org/curriculum/

June 21 potluck picnic and pollinator program

On June 21, from 4 to 6 PM, we will have a picnic at the Wet Meadow area in Buhr Park. Please bring a dish to pass, your own tableware, and a blanket or lawn chairs. Hats and sunscreen are always a good idea.

We'll chat about butterflies, native bees, and other pollinators that are essential to the ecosystem. We'll look at photos and talk about how we can make our yards and gardens more friendly to pollinators. We'll also talk about how kids can be safe around bees and wasps.

We’ll build nest boxes from the hollow stems of native plants, and install nest boxes. We’ll talk about the importance of pollinators for the serviceberries, raspberries and elderberries growing nearby.

We'll see whats blooming in the wet meadows and look for butterflies and other visitors.

(This is a green bee visiting a spiderwort blossom.)

photo-voltaic and wind-powered turbine

The Buhr Park entrance on Packard Rd. is now illuminated by a photo-voltaic and wind-powered turbine. The device was designed by Mojtaba Navvab at the University of Michigan, and manufactured by Full Spectrum Solutions in Jackson, Mich.
http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/Everlast-PVW-2008.pdf

You can read a newspaper article here:
http://www.mlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/05/new_buhr_park_light_powered_by.html

Summer 2008 To Do List

As part of an annual meeting, we got together and did a quick tour of Wet Meadow II to admire the beauty and to see what might need to be done this summer.

Invasive Plant Removal

• Remove Canadian thistle from SE corner of wm2 lower tier
  Thistle has a thick and prickly body and leaves. Best to pull it after a rain. Wear gloves.
  
• Remove sweet clover - not widely distributed, but we need to stay on it.
  Also good to remove after a rain by pulling
  
• Bindweed or wild morning glory - SE of WMII under walnut tree
  Keep plastic in place to smother it.
• Pull buckthorn from Palace of Nature
  Anytime, but especially after a rain. The little seedlings will keep coming up, but they are easy to pull.

General Stuff

• Path maintenance
  The new east to west path needs to be weeded and stomped from time to time.
  
• Protect wafer ash w tree cage and sign at north end
  Two tree cages and signs
  
• Sandbox sign
  Welcome sign and also remind people to play within the sandbox (and don't throw the rocks)
  
• Weed and woodchip and plant north end of palace of nature
  Careful of the new redbuds coming up. Plant more wild strawberries and cinqfoil.
  
• Build 7 Tree cages
  easy: 3 ft tall fence with 2x4 slots, 36 inch circumference (17-19 2" sections), 3 foot metal stake
  
• Build a New path from kiosk to bench

Kiosk and Signs

• Update signs in kiosk
• Caulk kiosk
• UV protection for kiosk

Summer gatherings at the wet meadow

We've scheduled three dates this summer to enjoy a potluck picnic near the wet meadows, see what's blooming and buzzing, and perhaps pull a few weeds.

Saturday June 21, 4-6 PM

Saturday July 19, 4-6 PM

Saturday August 16, 4-6 PM

All are welcome - please join us or stop by and say 'Hi'.