The wilder side of nature is often thought to be found only in faraway places, destinations that take hours of travel and detailed planning to get to. Henry David Thoreau sought out the wilder side and wrote, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” In reality, pockets of wild nature not only survive in Oakland County, but often thrive, making the division between wild nature and suburban living blurry at times. Continue reading →
On the sunny afternoon of Friday, November 9th, I hiked the heavily wooded northern section of the Ortonville State Recreation Area and was surprised to discover thin layers of ice had formed on small hidden lakes located between the steep hills of this State protected wildland. Dry leaves, pushed by gentle winds, seemingly danced across the frozen surfaces and my hiking companion and I joked that it almost looked like winter arrived early, especially when we noted traces of snow from the night before on fallen logs and fungi. Continue reading →
Light up the night this holiday season with the Detroit Zoo Wild Lights. This spectacular display of 280 sculptures, trees, and buildings is comprised of more than five million LED lights! Wild Lights illuminates the zoo for 29 nights from November 16th – January 5th.
Check out this video preview of the Detroit Zoo Wild Lights:
A dusting of Halloween night snow whitened the hills of northern Oakland County, confirming the duel between autumn and winter has accelerated. In anticipation of that forecasted seasonal change, I accepted the invitation of two outdoor adventuring ICU nurses that are avid hikers to join them for an “up north feeling” trek at Stony Creek Metropark, one of 13 parks in Southeast Michigan managed by Huron-Clinton Metroparks. Our destination for the last hike of October was the southwest corner of Stony Creek, the section that is located entirely within Oakland County and has thirteen miles of hilly trails dedicated to mountain bikers, hikers, and perhaps in a few more weeks, if Mother Nature is willing, and it looks that way, cross-country skiers. Continue reading →
Donations for the 32nd annual “Coats for the Cold” coat drive are being accepted until November 30th, 2019. Sponsored by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, gently-used or new coats can be dropped off at one of their drop-off sites around Oakland County. Donated coats will be sent to various local charitable organizations who distribute the coats to community members in need.
“Coats for the Cold is an easy way for the community to reach out and help someone less fortunate stay warm this winter,” Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard said. “For the past 31 years, we have worked with local charitable organizations to provide free coats to those in need. The community’s generosity has been wonderful every year.”
