For Best Results, Follow the Directions
Have you found directional arrows to be very helpful? Nature often provides such helpful adaptations to help ecological processes. One example can be found blooming in the deciduous woodlands nearby: Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica).
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Claytonia caroliniana by
Carol Gracie
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Spring beauties' small flowers appear white from a distance, but if you look closely, you will see the petals have pink stripes on them, resembling peppermint candy striping, which serve as directional nectar lines for pollinators. The flowers will open on sunny days and will close at night or when it is cloudy. They are more or less erect while open, but nod downward while closed. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about 1-2 months.
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The nectar production of spring beauty is also very generous, making an effective lure for such pollinators as honeybees, bumblebees, mason bees, and Andrenid bees. Many pollinating flies visit the flowers, too, including Syrphid flies, also called “hover flies.” Who can resist that pink pollen?
(Photo by Judy Gallagher)
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Photo courtesy Biodiverse Gardens |
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After pollination, each fertile flower produces an ovoid capsule containing several seeds. This wildflower spreads by ejecting those seeds from their seed capsules.
Spring beauties also get some help from foraging ants that collect these seeds and bring them back to their nests as food, helping them disperse from the parent plant. This type of seed dispersal is called myrmecochory.
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These seeds contain elaiosomes, fleshy structures (pictured above) that are found on some seeds that are full of fats. Once the ants have eaten the elaiosome, they will dispose of the seed in an abandoned gallery in and around their nests, which provides the seeds with lots of nutrients from organic matter left from the ants that will aid their growth.
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The corms, or tubers of Spring Beauty are dug up and eaten by some small rodents, including the White-Footed Mouse and Eastern Chipmunk (Martin et al., 1951/1961; Wrazen & Svendsen, 1978). Native Americans and colonists used them for food and they are still enjoyed by those interested in edible wild plants for its sweet, chestnut-like flavor.
We must remind our visitors that collecting of plants and animals from the Environmental Study Area is strictly prohibited.
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Photo courtesy of Arkansas Native Plant Society |
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So, thanks to pollinators following those directional nectar lines to find food and drink, they complete the fertilization of the flowers. The purpose of pollination and flowers is to produce seeds for reproduction, and in the case of spring beauties, a mutually beneficial relationship between ants foraging for fatty elaisomes and transporting seeds. The buried treasure of the tubers underground provide a food source for small mammals, and sometimes larger ones like us! This little spring ephemeral wildflower plays a large role in the everyday ecological operations of our forests. It's truly a beautiful thing!
Catch’em while you can--maybe on one of our Saturday afternoon wildflower walks!
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We’re so pleased to announce that the spring migrants aren’t the only ones that are back!
Rick Simek will be leading leisurely, guided bird walks through the Environmental Study Area each Saturday morning in May, from 8-10 AM.
We aren’t forgetting the spring ephemeral wildflowers. Guided wildflower walks are offered on May 7 and May 14, from 12-1:30 PM.
Meet inside the EIC prior to the walks. Binoculars are strongly recommended for the bird walks.
Please dress for the weather.
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Prothonotary Warbler photo by Geoffrey Clarke; Large Flowered Trillium photo by Peter Black |
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For more information, please call 313-593-5338. |
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This early spring has seen what feels like a record number of swallows gathering at Fair Lane Lake in the Environmental Study Area. As they migrate north, Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and Rough-winged Swallows (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) have been stopping there to feed and refuel on insects that are emerging from the lake.
(Tree swallow photo above by Jim Simek; Rough-winged swallow below by Luke Seitz)
I have been seeing up to about 80 swallows on some days. This relates to the cool weather we have been having. The chillier the day, the lower the winged insects fly that the swallows are searching for and catching. A recent hatch of winged midges at the lake has made for some great swallow watching. The swallows could be seen gliding and fluttering just inches above the lake, dipping now and then to pluck a midge from the surface. This behavior was even observed during the heavy snowfall on April 18. (Enjoy a video showing similar behaviors.)
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Although Tree Swallows and Rough-winged Swallows nest in and around the ESA, most of the swallows seen recently will soon be moving on. Perhaps some chilly days in the next week or two will still find them concentrating at the lake.
For the swallows, the ESA provides a critical refueling station for energy to sustain and continue their migrations. It’s just one of many examples of how migrating birds depend on this urban natural area.
Rick Simek
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Become a Planet Blue Ambassador!
You don't have to wait until Earth Day to live a sustainable lifestyle! Ever wondered what exactly the terms sustainability or carbon footprint actually mean? If so, you should become a Planet Blue Ambassador! Learn about UM-Dearborn’s environmental efforts and how you can contribute. This training can help you live more sustainably by taking small steps, and as a result, maybe save a few bucks! Join now and be a part of our efforts towards a sustainable and better world, we are counting on you! Free and open to all members of the University!
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The Return of Stewardship Saturdays!
The Center is once again hosting the monthly volunteer activity we fondly refer to as Stewardship Saturdays. Each session takes us out to the campus Environmental Study Area, where we lend our hands and hearts toward habitat restoration efforts in the campus Environmental Study Area.
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After a two year pause, we recently hit the ground running (or rather digging) on Saturday, April 16, when our intrepid volunteer crew dug out dozens of non-native snowdrop plants that were spreading into high quality spring native wildflower areas.
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It has become evident over the past several years that snowdrops have the potential to crowd out native wildflowers such as trillium, trout lily, bloodroot, cut-leaved toothwort, wild ginger, and wild geranium. It was good to “get ahead of the spread” by removing snowdrop plants where they have most recently become established.
Snowdrop removal is just one example of the many seasonal habitat management activities we take up on Stewardship Saturdays. If you would like to be part of this fun, hands-on and environmentally helpful volunteer effort, please plan to join us for any of the monthly sessions.
Each Stewardship Saturday takes place from 1-4PM on the third Saturday of the month, year-round except for December. For more information, go to this page of the Center’s website. We hope to see you here!
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Thank you, Student Steward!
We even had some stewardship help from students in Professor Sheryl Edwards class, completing required 15 volunteer service hours. We thank student James Vakilpour for digging into stewardship activities!
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Go Outside and Play!
Venturing outdoors and encountering nature is good for your health. Our trails are accessible daily from sunrise to sunset, so please visit our Environmental Study Area. Check out our Remote Learning Activities & Resources page for ideas to create a “Neighborhood Nature Journal” and “Family Nature Walk” activities!
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Please stay safe, stay tuned, and stay engaged in learning activities while we eagerly wait for the opportunities to share experiences together. In the meantime, watch for our new online activities to satisfy your curiosity about the natural world. |
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Please remember...
The EIC Environmental Study Area is open daily from sunrise to sunset. We would like to remind nature-goers that fishing on site is prohibited and to leave bikes and dogs at home because they cause disruption and stress to the EIC wildlife.
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