Wonderful Woodpeckers of Winter’s Approach

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment
woodpecker on tree branch

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

It goes without saying that if you spend the day constantly hitting your forehead against a tree trunk, you will end up with a severe headache, at the very least. A concussion or brain injury may be more likely, but that’s not so for a woodpecker. Woodpeckers can spend all day pounding their heads against tree trunks at 20 times per second in search of hidden grubs and hibernating bugs and then come back for more pounding the next day. The activity is so fast that the human eye does not even notice that with each successful pounding, a woodpecker’s beak penetrates the bark, and its long sticky tongue zips in and out, snagging hidden insects and larvae.

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Gifts of the Glaciers

Oakland County, MI Government 3 Comments
glacial boulder on grass

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

Oakland County is a landscape created by the incredible power of glaciers. Glacial erratics are perhaps the most intriguing of all our glacial landforms, but the name “erratic” often causes confusion for those unaware of our natural history and the science behind glacial geology. It should not be, for in reality, there is nothing mysterious about those two words: glacial erratic, when they are used in combination. Glacial erratics are rocks and boulders of any size that were scraped up from the earth, or fractured from bedrock by a glacier, and then carried by the glacier, and finally deposited in an erratic fashion as the glaciers melted and retreated. That event last occurred during the end of the Pleistocene Epoch about 13,000 years ago, a time we refer to as the Ice Age. It was the time glaciers covered much of our planet and created the landforms and lakes of present-day Oakland County.

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Explore the Interactive Light Show at Glenlore Trails

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment
interactive forest lights

A half-mile hiking trail in Oakland County has been transformed into Glenlore Trails, an interactive light show.

Along the wooded trail located within the Multi Lakes Conservation Association in Commerce Township, this sensory experience is designed for people of all ages to enjoy.

The experience is a blend of programmed and interactive light that includes 10 light installations, projections, and display technology.

blue faces on trees

The magical place was designed by Bluewater Technologies Group, Inc. of Southfield, a woman-owned company that produces live events and AV experiences for strong brands.

Bluewater designed the experience to be outdoors with no-touch interactions. The Glenlore Trails path is 8-10 feet wide and has 6′ increments marked at check-in lines.

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It’s Totally Tamarack Time!

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment
yellow tamarack trees

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

The ephemeral beauty of eye-catching October tree colors faded as the winds of November strengthened. But what a month it was to explore nature’s artistic way in Oakland County and the rest of Michigan. Hikers and trail runners often paused in our parks to observe perhaps the best kaleidoscope of leaf colors in a decade, a gift from Mother Nature that coincided with an equally colorful forest floor display of fantastic fungi. Gone are the bold, brilliant shades of deep orange of sugar maples. Gone are the reddish hues of sassafras, sumacs, and red maples. Gone are the dazzling, wind-driven yellow “sparkles” of aspen leaves that quaked in gusts of wind.

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Oakland County Board Promotes Use of Native Plants in Home Gardens

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners, along with Oakland County Parks and Recreation (OCPR), recently passed out more than 90 native plant kits to residents looking to expand their home gardens with native plants. Although the curbside distribution event has passed, those interested in preventing invasive species can still do so with plants indigenous to the region.

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