Color is touching the edges of some tree leaves, goldenrods color entire fields yellow, and the days are getting shorter. Maybe it will even get cooler some time soon! Either way, don’t miss the beauty of September – plan now to get outside this month by participating in our nature programs or stewardship events.

Nature Programs

Check out the Nature Programs page on the Parks website for the full list of events this fall. In addition to a Morning Hike Out at Cranberry Lake Park on September 16 and the Harvest Moon Walk on September 26, you really won’t want to miss the Fall Mushrooms of Michigan program on September 13.

The Fall Mushrooms of Michigan program from 1-3 pm on September 13 will be at Lost Lake Nature Park (846 Lost Lake Trail) and led by Phil Tedeschi from the Michigan Mushroom Nature Club! This program is for adults 18+ ($5 residents, $7 non-residents). Register as soon as possible (call 248-651-7810)! Here’s the description from our fall newsletter:

Take a tour of the amazing world of mushrooms. We will learn about where they grow while inspecting numerous samples up close. Discover the many types of mushrooms in Michigan in this unique and very practical program from a mushroom expert. We'll take a walk (no picking) to search for mushrooms in the park too! There is no substitute for the excellent opportunity of doing mushroom hunting with a true mushroom expert!

What kind of mushrooms are these? Attend the class to find out!

Bird Walks

We visit different parks every week on Wednesday morning at 8 am. Walks last about 1 to 1.5 hours. Join us as we find new birds passing through during fall migration. We have some binoculars available if you don’t have your own. In addition to honing your bird identification skills, we’ll also give you tips on the latest apps for identifying birds and citizen science. Here’s the schedule for the rest of September:

• September 9, Cranberry Lake Park
• September 16, Lost Lake Nature Park
• September 23, Draper Twin Lake Park
• September 30, Charles Ilsley Park

Sandhill cranes on the shores of Lost Lake Nature Park.

Bear Creek Nature Park Invasive Shrub Control

We will be working to remove invasive shrubs like buckthorn, autumn olive, and privet from our special natural areas at Bear Creek (meet in the Snell Rd parking lot). Join us from 9 am to 12 pm. SEPTEMBER 8 WORKDAY HAS BEEN CANCELLED. We still hope to be out there on September 15, 22, and 29. Hope to see you there!

SE Michigan Summer Conservation Corps crew, Bear Creek Nature Park, July 2014.