Henry David Thoreau

“In Wildness is The Preservation of The World,” and it Starts with You

Oakland County, MI Government 2 Comments

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

“A bear’s wild nature is evolved, over hundreds of thousands of years, to carry the impulse to roam at will over a territory of hundreds of square miles. When you put a bear in a cage, it paces relentlessly back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, until its paws bleed. The bleeding paws tell the zookeeper, if she is listening, a story; a story of wide open space, of rushing rivers teeming with fish, of wriggling grubs in the moist soil under the rocks, of the fragrance of wild blueberries carried for miles on the wind.”

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Eastern Bluebirds On the Dawn of Summer

Oakland County, MI Government 6 Comments

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

With its brilliant royal blue back, and rusty-red brown breast there is no mistaking a male Eastern Bluebird. They are heralded as one of the first Oakland County birds of spring. Naturalists and writers have long associated the arrival of bluebirds with spring. On March 2, 1859, Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The bluebird comes and with his warble drills the ice and sets free the rivers and ponds and frozen grounds.” It is now the 23rd day of June in 2017 and the heat of the summer has already arrived. Bluebirds keep warbling, not to melt ice, but to announce round two of their nesting season. The fact of the matter is clear, many of our bluebirds did not migrate and ate old berries and fruits all winter, with occasional visits to suet feeders.

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November Trail Safety: A Matter Of Situational Awareness, Courtesy And Common Sense

Oakland County, MI Government 2 Comments

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

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Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Wild beasts are not a concern on the trails of Oakland County, but knowing a bit about trail etiquette and practicing situational awareness, spiced with a heavy dose of common sense, is an excellent practice for all trail users. Rule One: Don’t hike alone if it makes you feel uncomfortable. Many parks and nature centers have trails where you will easily find others. You can also seek out a club, like the Michigan Adventurers Club, that organizes numerous hikes in Southeast Michigan. Many are offered right here in Oakland County. Continue reading →