Yesterday I participated in the Cedar River Watershed Education Center’s (CRWEC) tour “Spring Comes to the Watershed.” This was the second year of this tour and I was on the first one last year.
Last year it took place in early June and the weather was interesting, alternating between sun, rain, hail, and sleet, but this year it was less interesting and more enjoyable, sunny and warm the entire time (9am to 4pm).
Rolf Gersonde once again led the tour, this time assisted by Julie Stonefelt. Julie filled us in on some of the human history of the watershed. For example, she told us that fire pits dating back thousands of years have been uncovered in the watershed.
Rolf’s theme was that spring comes to the watershed at different times in different areas. After all, not every place in the world features huge differences in elevation, and as elevation varies, so do the weather and the temperature, among other factors. The flora and fauna of each ecological niche is unique.
We stopped several times, and each stop was its own learning experience. Rolf took us to two meadows, and the difference in the meadows, which were adjacent on the side of the mountain, were striking.
The first meadow, pictured above, had quite a bit of standing water and countless numbers of frogs, tadpoles, and proto-tadpoles. The second meadow, slightly lower in elevation, was bisected by a small stream. The stream and its banks had plants that existed nowhere else.
Another stop was at a tremendous view point at 3200 feet:
We who hike in this area on a regular basis are accustomed to attaining summits and other views and looking south into the Watershed, which is of course off-limits. It is only on rare occasions like this tour that we can visit the watershed and look north at our regular vista points.
A visit to an old growth stand was also special:
Rolf and Julie were so generous with the time – at each stop we had plenty of opportunity to just sit back and enjoy the moment. I spent about fifteen minutes transfixed by a small waterfall, just watching the endlessly changing water tumble down the mountain:
We saw quite a few birds and heard many more. Rolf identified more than a dozen species based on their calls. And we got to see four Turkey Vultures drifting along on the air, high above:
I am looking forward to my third Old Growth Forest tour in August. I do not understand why these tours are not more popular than they are. We had only eight people in the group:
Perhaps the CRWEC is more about the Watershed than the publicity.
In either case, as long as I and these tours exist, I will be enjoying them, learning from them, and relishing the opportunity to approach nature with the appropriate level of humility.