Week's Observations 4/1 - 4/7

There's still quite a bit of bird activity out there, unfortunately there's also a lot of man activity too. Birds, flowers, and a pipeline arrive in Wayne County this week.

The wildflowers are working their way up to a grand show this year.
At Barnes Preserve the Coltsfoot & Spring beauties are making their presence known, while the toothwort and wild geranium slowly unfurls enjoying the sun as it cascades through the bare branches of the trees.
At the bog the mosses are turning fluorescent yellow green and the ferns begin to emerge.
At funk the cat tails start sending up fresh green shoots while the skunk cabbage abandons the spadix and the giant leaves take over.
At Wooster Memorial Park the wildflower show has started taking off - blooming now are dutchman's breeches, hepatica, spring beauties, coltsfoot, bloodroot, purple cress, and I'm sure I missed a few.

The birds are still making their way through, pied-billed grebes, coots, pintail, shoveler, gadwall, and teals are still hanging out at Funk. 
Down the road some the smaller migrators hang out on the edge of the forest - the phoebes, kinglets, and some have reported seeing warblers already! 

With all this growth in nature also comes man's idea of growth... they've begun installing the Rover Pipeline through a very important wetland (at the height of migration and nesting season I might add) but birds aside, putting that energy and money into not just one but three pipelines that will be going through our great state of Ohio is irresponsible. Directing that funding to sustainable sources is the only way to move in a direction that will allow our children's children access to clean water, real experiences with nature, and sources they can depend upon for their children. Oil is finite, gas is finite, find a better way. 
To do my part, I've made a vow to avoid plastics wherever possible, to walk places rather than drive, and to continually do research to understand how I can do my part to make the world a cleaner place. I hope you will too. 
​It takes one person to inspire one other person to eventually change the world. Let's make it a good one!