Hawkins Family Farm

The Nature and Nurture group at Resurrection Lutheran Church just had a fantastic Friday night pizza experience at Hawkins Family Farm in North Manchester, Indiana.  The drive out to the farm through the ubiquitous corn and soybean fields of Indiana farm country was made all the better when I realized that there were still many old-fashioned red, hip-roofed barns along the way.  Something about seeing those red-sided buildings makes me feel that all is right with the world. 

This is their home, and you are made to feel like you just dropped by for a visit.  We had twelve people in our group, so we set up our chairs and blankets on the lawn, next to the farmhouse, which is their residence.  The old growth shade trees combined with the smells of the farm were calming.  The kids lazed in the gigantic hammock while the adults had great discussions and enjoyed adult beverages which we were able to bring in our own coolers.   Four varieties of organic pizzas were offered (all delicious!) and the Hawkins family even stuck around with us until well after dark when someone in our group locked their keys in the car.

Jeff Hawkins' grandparents purchased the 99 acre farm in 1957.   Jeff, an ordained minister, now runs the farm with his family.  Jeff provides an experience for other pastors with a ministry focused on understanding systems and their interactions and inter-dependencies creating a nature-centered venue for clergy renewal at the farm. The farm is also committed to community sustained agriculture, and as such, offers a full harvest share for 2011 which includes a weekly allotment of vegetables plus 20 chickens, a fresh Thanksgiving turkey, a half grass-fed hog, and a quarter grass-finished beef.  If you enjoyed reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, then the Hawkins Family Farm is a must-see for you. If you are looking for a unique, nature-friendly Friday night, the Farm is calling you!  

http://hawkinsfamilyfarm.com/

Nature and Nurture Group

The Nature and Nurture group will have its next gathering at Lindenwood Nature Preserve on Sunday, June 5th at 2:00 pm.  This preserve is located in the vicinity of Saint Francis University and has some beautiful trails with lots of wildflowers.  We'll meet in the parking lot and hike for about an hour.  Bring the kids!

Turkeys and Robins

            There are a few spots I can always count on for some good nature viewing while I am in the car.  Two locations are along stretches of highway here in Indiana.  Highway 24 between Fort Wayne and Toledo and I-69 between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis are always good for some wild turkey spotting.   When we first moved to Fort Wayne from California, I could hardly believe my eyes when we saw wild turkeys grazing in a winter-plowed corn field along I-69.   I had to do a triple take to make sure I wasn't confusing some turkey vultures for the genuine article.   I thought the wow factor would fade, but seven years later, I still get such a kick when I spot some.

            Another spot which has not failed me once this spring is the northeast corner of Auburn and Union Chapel Roads in Fort Wayne.  Every single time I drive by there is ALWAYS a robin in the yard.  Every time! No kidding.   Usually, there are several and one time I counted thirteen.   I learned that I need to stop counting the robins while driving because it is nearly as dangerous as texting.  I keep thinking that this bird phenomena will end now that spring is well underway, but so far I've not seen a decrease in the flocking.  There must be a mighty fine crop of worms living in that soil.  

            Where do you consistently see wildlife as you travel your daily routes?   If you don't see any, make it a point to look for something and you'll find that wildlife suddenly appears everywhere you travel.  However, like texting, I recommend that you don't count and drive.

Spring Peepers and Woodpeckers

I heard the first Spring Peepers today!  I was out in our local environmental center yesterday teaching three classes and I heard not a sign of them.  Today I took my own children out to enjoy the warmer weather and we were greeted by quite a chorus of them. Peepers are found in woodland pools and ponds, preferably without fish to prey on their eggs, tadpoles and adults.  Males gather in these small pools by the hundreds, or even thousands.  Their chorus begins the first warm evenings of the season, starting in late February into late summer.  Only the male frogs call, averaging a peep per second.  They usually call in trios, with the lowest-pitched male starting the competition.  Those that sing the loudest and fastest are most likely to attract mates.  These nocturnal amphibians can be heard loud and clear up to a half-mile away. 

Another creature that is out in full-force is the woodpecker.  We have been seeing and hearing a very persistent

downy woodpecker the last few weeks.  It is the one bird that children have to be asked to listen for, but when they do hear it, a smile always spreads across their face.  Children often say that it sounds just like you think it should.   Today we visited Bicentennial Woods and as we parked the car, a crow size bird with a red-head flew by. 
“Mom, mom, what was that?” my son asked. 

I haven’t seen a pileated recently, but the size of the bird we saw made it unmistakable.  It was a pileated woodpecker.  We listened to his ardent pecking during most of our hour long nature walk.  It made us feel really connected to nature to hear that bird busily pecking away while we meandered through the forest.  It seemed like all was right with the world.

            The Nature and Nurture Club will meet for a group hike at Bicentennial Woods in two weeks.  On Sunday, March 27^th, plan on meeting us in the parking lot at 3:00 pm for a great spring hike.

Birds of Feather

      I know that starlings are considered a ‘nuisance’ bird and an invasive, but I can’t help but be amused by them.  They still swarm my pear tree on occasion to get the last of the little, brown mushy fruits that cling to the branches.   They also seem to love the suet cake I have at my feeder.  Watching the flock swirl and swarm in unison as they move from tree to feeder is like watching a synchronized swimming event.  Mesmerizing!

      While hunting online for more information about these maligned creatures, I discovered that a flock of them is called a “chatter” or an “affliction”.  So interesting.  Even their flock name is amusing.   I discovered many flocks go by another name.  Here are a few: 

·  Birds of Prey (hawks, falcons): Cast, cauldron, kettle

·  Cormorants: Flight

·  Crows: Murder, congress, horde

·  Ducks: Raft, team, paddling

·  Eagles: Convocation, congregation

·  Finches: Charm

·  Flamingos: Flamboyance

·  Game Birds (quail, grouse, ptarmigan): Covey, pack, bevy

·  Geese: Skein, wedge, gaggle, plump

·  Gulls: Colony

·  Herons: Siege, sedge, scattering

·  Hummingbirds: Charm

      Now, come up with a flock name for your family or group.  It should suit you as the starlings’ does.   Extend the activity to other creatures.  For example, a group of golden retrievers could be called a ‘love’.   There are more storms still ahead, so this topic could be a way to pass a snowy afternoon.  You may come up with a name that will stick for years! 

Winter Thaw

         The temperatures are supposed to climb to nearly 40° this week.  This promises to make things soggy and damp.   Usually, this is my least favorite kind of weather.  In an effort to be upbeat about it, I tried to think about something positive for gray, drippy days.  One thing I came up with is that every winter I notice that during a thaw, I see the animals acting, well, a little crazy!   I distinctly remember last year seeing no less than nine squirrels gathering at the edge of a playground, chowing down on tidbits that had been covered by snow for months. They were so absorbed in their eating, that I got within three feet of them before they scattered.  I was mesmerized by the tiny little knob-like thumbs they deftly use to hold their food.  I also saw a flock of about 60 starlings swarming the decorative pear tree in my yard.  They were gobbling up the tiny, decayed brown fruits as if it were a Vegas buffet! After gorging, the birds were flying in crazy patterns.  I think the pears were  fermented.  

            While teaching a class outdoors last week, it was only 12°, up from -3° earlier that day.  We didn’t think we’d see much, due to the cold, so when the group spotted two obvious kill sites…a bird and a rabbit probably killed by a bird of prey, it was very exciting.  I am taking a group of students out to the same spot this Wednesday, which has a forecast of 41°.   While it will be hard to beat the circle of life we witnessed on the 12° day, now I am looking forward to maybe witnessing a little animal lunacy!

Nest Hunting

      I just love seeing vacated bird’s nests in tree limbs at this time of year.  They always catch my eye when they have a dollop of snow on top of them.  Sometimes when I see that puff of white, I almost get fooled into thinking it is the rounded form of an egg.  Bird’s nests aren’t the only kind of nests easily visible at this time of year.  Squirrels’ summer homes can be seen in the treetops as clumps of dried, brown leaves.  During the summer, squirrels create these nests, or dreys, to use for sleeping and resting.  Often where you spot one drey, you will find another nearby.   Squirrels always build their dreys in a tree adjacent to another tree so that they have an additional escape route, if need be.   If you aren’t able to find any nests in your own yard, try looking for them in trees as you drive around town.  Once you try to start spotting them, it will become impossible to look at a stand of trees, even in the middle of the city, without first scanning the tops to spot dreys or bird nests.

            When my children were young, I often asked them to count the number of squirrel dreys they spotted between our house and the grocery store or wherever my errands took us.  It kept them occupied and they always tried to spot new ones along our familiar routes.  In this day when even the family car has a television screen, it is sometimes good to take a moment to look out the window at your surroundings.