Category Archives: Plants and Plant Communities

Bicycle Trail Through or To the Ott Biological Preserve: A Decision Near

By rbrewer | Published: April 6, 2011

Following is a slightly revised version of a letter that I sent to members of the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners on 29 April 2011.  They will soon (Thursday, 7 April, 7 PM at the County Building, 315 West Green St. in Marshall) be taking an important vote related to whether the Calhoun County Trailways Association will [...]

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Wide Bike Trail Through the Preserve?: Speak Out to Save the Ott

By rbrewer | Published: March 9, 2011

Take Action on the Proposed Trail Through the Harvey Ott Biological Preserve The Calhoun County Commissioners will be the ones voting on the trail.  They may give more weight to messages from their constituents; nevertheless, it will be of value to them to know if the threat to the Ott Preserve is a matter of [...]

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Trail through the Ott Preserve: Going out of its way to pave the esker

By rbrewer | Published: February 26, 2011

Last Saturday, I took a walk with about twenty other people at the Harvey Ott Biological Preserve. This is where the Calhoun County Trailway Alliance wants to put a 10-foot wide paved cycling trail. Tom Funke, Director of Conservation for the Michigan Audubon Society, led the excursion. MAS owns about 20 sanctuaries. Tom is a [...]

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The Ott Preserve and Attacks on Perpetuity

By rbrewer | Published: February 18, 2011

Preserved natural areas are vulnerable.  I don’t mean they’re delicate.  It’s true that some will need a particular kind of management, such as prescribed fire, and some may not tolerate a lot of human traffic, but good-sized natural areas–a few hundred acres–are often fairly robust.  They’re vulnerable not because they’re fragile, but because there are [...]

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New Attack on the Harvey N. Ott Preserve, Battle Creek, MI

By rbrewer | Published: February 10, 2011

The Ott Preserve at the east edge of Battle Creek was the subject of an attack several years ago.  The 260 acres had been preserved early in the 20th century through joint efforts of local naturalists and John Harvey Kellogg.  In 1977, Calhoun County bought the preserve using money from the federal Land and Water [...]

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Our Little House in an Unpredictable Habitat

By rbrewer | Published: November 3, 2010

When I taught ecology to biology majors and minors I would occasionally include a question on the final exam something like this:  Describe two ways in which the study of ecology could save your life. I was happy to accept answers at any level of the environment from “If I don’t build my house in [...]

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The Plenteous Summer

By rbrewer | Published: August 14, 2010

When I go outside this summer I’m impressed by the amount of greenery.  I don’t have data, but it’s the greenest summer–the largest volume of foliage–I remember. This makes sense.  The limiting factors for photosynthesis, Biology 101 tells us, are temperature, light, and carbon dioxide.  Translating photosynthesis into plant growth–that is, new biomass–also involves availability [...]

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The 2010 American Columbo Census

By rbrewer | Published: June 20, 2010

Last week I finished my annual American columbo census.  Every year in June, I check up on a marked population of American columbo (Frasera caroliniensis) plants in the oak woods near where my wife and I live in Oshtemo Township. Here in southwest Michigan, columbo was an oak savanna plant. I suspect that today this [...]

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Field Trip to Big Island Woods (Cooper’s Island) Coming Up

By rbrewer | Published: April 6, 2010

Saturday 24 April I’m leading a field trip to the Big Island Woods, also referred to as Cooper’s Island.  It’s a trip for the Kalamazoo Wild Ones chapter. “Big Island Woods” refers to an “island” of forest in the middle of Prairie Ronde, southwest Michigan’s largest mesic (tall-grass) prairie. The village of Schoolcraft was founded [...]

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Kalamazoo County Spring 2010, Second Installment

By rbrewer | Published: March 31, 2010

I wrote the following last night.  Today, temperatures jumped into the 70s–77 as I write this at 6 PM.  The forecast is for highs in the 70s and 80s for the next three days.  So much for stretching out the spring. A stretch of chilly weather, especially some cool nights below freezing, has kept spring [...]

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