In this issue:
  • What Do You See?
  • Tap Into "Sprinter"
  • Save the Date!
  • The Art of Scientific Illustration
  • Tales From the Trails
  • Green Ways
  • Michigan Master Naturalist program
What Do You See?
It’s easy to say, “There aren’t any animals to see in winter!” Depending on the weather, that might be true, but sometimes the clues they leave behind reveal who was there, and when. Seeing animals isn’t the only way to know which ones live in your area. Each species is unique in the way it makes a living, and typically they don’t tidy up after a meal. Here’s your chance to become a “habitat scene investigator,” or HSI. (Red squirrel tracks EIC staff)

For instance, if we were to compare the variety of ways different squirrel species eat and store Black Walnuts or Shagbark Hickory nuts that have thick, hard shells, we would find clues as to which squirrels are dining in the Environmental Study Area. 
Fox Squirrels (Sciurus carolensis) have fairly large heads with strong jaws that chip away at the nutshell with their chisel-like teeth, completely dismantling the shell, leaving it in bits and pieces. Look for these pieces at the bases of trees, or in some cases, on flat tree stumps. 
(Photo courtesy North Shore Channel Habitat Project)
Usually, their “dining rooms” are next to other tall trees as an exit strategy to get away from predators intending to invite squirrels to their dining rooms.
Gray squirrels (Sciurus niger), which are smaller than Fox Squirrels, often chew ragged-edged holes on either side of a nutshell, or may break the shell apart and pry the nut meat out with their claws. Gray squirrels can have gray or black fur and have increased in number in Michigan. 
The two more diminutive species in the Environmental Study Area, the Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) and Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans), leave the nutshell nearly in one piece as they eat; smaller mouths allow more precise incisions in the nutshell. While the flying squirrel leaves a fairly neat, roundish hole (right), the red squirrel will chisel one smaller, smooth-edged elliptical hole in nuts, occasionally on two sides, exposing nearly half of the nut’s interior.

Mice will often feed on hickory nuts, or smaller seeds like wild cherry pits. Their smaller gnawing pattern may remove half of the cherry’s shell but on a larger nut like a hickory, they are likely to chew multiple smaller holes, or just a shallow larger one. The main difference is that mice often leave the midrib of the nut intact.
Squirrels also eat acorns and evergreen cones in specific ways (below). Squirrels gobble the acorns of white oaks before the bitter-tasting tannin rich red oaks, which will typically be stored for leaner times. To get inside the acorn, the outer shell will be peeled into long strips. The size of the strips scales to the relative size of the squirrel. On the other hand, mice may nibble just a small hole in the side or top of an acorn and leave it mostly intact. Red squirrels rip through hemlock cones and so do chipmunks, but red squirrels leave a cleaner cone by nipping the cone scales all the way to the core. (Photos by Llyn Parc Mawr)
As we enter the seasonal change from winter to spring, stored sugary sap rises from tree roots to nourish the buds at the tips of branches. We will often see squirrels dangling precariously high in the trees, especially silver maples, nibbling these sugar-engorged buds like squirrel candy.

One method of “grabbing a bite” is to nip off a small twig of buds or acorns and eat them like a bunch of grapes from a more stable perch. (Red squirrels nip branches in the same way, but prefer evergreens like hemlock or spruce.) We often find these twigs under the trees along the trails, denuded of their buds or fruits. If you join us for any of our maple sugaring activities listed below, you’re likely to witness these daredevil deeds. 

So, next time you go for a walk in the Environmental Study Area or in your own neighborhood, use your investigative HSI skills, follow the clues, and figure out who else has been exploring the woods!   

-Dorothy McLeer and Dale Browne 
Tap Into "Sprinter!"

Let's Tap Some Trees!!

Saturday, February 18, 1:00-3:00
The sweet season combining winter and spring is nicknamed "sprinter" at the EIC, and before we can make maple syrup, we need to tap the maple trees. We’ll use hand-powered augers to drill tap holes into the maple trees, and then hang sap collection buckets from the metal tubes we put into the holes. This is a nice hands-on experience for all ages. You’ll also learn how to use the “3 b's” (bark, buds, and branches) on trees as clues to finding the proper trees for tapping. Dress appropriately for possible muddy or icy conditions. Please register for this event.
(Photo by Jack Schmidling)

Maple Sap Collectors Needed!
Of course, once the trees are tapped, we'll need help emptying the buckets and carting the sap back to the "outdoor kitchen" to be boiled down into yummy syrup. If you are interested in joining our volunteer corps for a hike out to the sugar bush, please let us know on this form. Volunteers will be contacted when needed when conditions are right. Sap collectors head out at 4:00 PM each day the sap is flowing to assist with converting last year's sunshine into this year's syrup! Again, dress appropriately for Michigan's variable weather.
From Tree to Treat...
Saturday, March 11. 2 walks: 1:00-2:30 or 1:30-3:00
Take a guided hike with the EIC naturalists to the sugar bush, where it all begins, and wind up at the "outdoor kitchen," where the maple sap is boiled down to pure maple syrup, from the trees to you. Enjoy a taste of last year's sunshine, in liquid form!
Please register for this event.
Save the Date!
Friday April 14, from 6-9 PM
Enjoy the beautifully restored first floor of historic Fair Lane: Home of Henry and Clara Ford and support the Environmental Interpretive Center. We will post additional information as it become available. 
The Art of Scientific Illustration
The EIC is collaborating with Applied Arts Professor Madeleine Barkey to spotlight student artwork, including EIC intern Alexis Kott! The Grand Opening is on February 7, from 4-6, and the exhibit will be on display until spring.

This is work from the very first Scientific Illustration course at UM-Dearborn, and it was my great pleasure to teach it. These students drew their hearts out with starting assignments such as simple line drawings of objects and then worked more closely with subjects related to geology, biology, botany, and finally the layered anatomy of an animal.

Thanks to the University’s EIC, their work can be showcased to like-minded lovers of art and the natural world. The hard work, acute observation, and detailed vision of these so-called intermediate students deserves our praise. Enjoy.

Madeleine Barkey
Lecturer ll in Applied Arts
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Above: Maple botanical sketch by Andra Dobrescu
Right: Palm botanical sketch by Eliana Pettigrew
Tales From the Trails
The Cardinal Hour
The recent snow is bringing more Northern Cardinals to the EIC winter feeding station. Although the cardinals can be seen at the feeders all day as part of an overall mix of bird species, there is a time when we can depend on seeing them there exclusively. It takes place starting around sunset, after most if not all of the other feeder birds have gone to roost. It is then that a different sort of cardinal behavior reveals itself.
Freed from the earlier and much more frenetic activity at the feeders, the cardinals can enjoy a much more relaxed dining experience. Each individual cardinal finds a spot where it can leisurely munch on one seed after another, in relative peace. Some of the cardinals remain at the feeders until dusk.
(Cardinal photos by Alexis Kott)
Watching cardinals during their late dinner feeder visit is a great way to determine just how many individual cardinals there are in the neighborhood. In past winters at the EIC, especially right after heavy snows, we have counted up to 25 cardinals at one time!

If you have a winter feeder and put out striped or black oiler sunflower seeds, you will most likely have an opportunity to enjoy a “Cardinal Hour.” It’s a delightful way to enjoy observing these colorful birds from the comfort of your home. Enjoy! 
-Rick Simek
Green Ways
Welcome to the new segment of the monthly newsletter!
Here, we will offer easy ways to live more environmentally-friendly.
Did you know that your heating and cooling systems are often the greatest energy expenses in your home? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, simply adjusting your thermostat can increase energy efficiency and save up to 10% on your electric bill!
With winter in full swing, it may be difficult to give up precious warmth. However, keeping the thermostat at about 68 Fahrenheit when you are at home and awake, then adjusting the temperature a few degrees lower when you are away or asleep, can drastically reduce energy consumption without sacrificing comfort. Not only will your planet thank you for saving on energy, but your wallet will too.

-Valerie Osowski - EIC Parkhurst Fellow
Michigan Master Naturalist Program!
This Could Be YOU!
The EIC will be offering the Michigan Master Naturalist program again, one Saturday a month from May through October! Registration will open soon, and in the interim, Michigan State Extension has created wait lists for the various host sites. The EIC site is known as the Rouge River Region, so look for that listing when you sign up.
Resources

Venturing outdoors and encountering nature is good for your health. Our trails are accessible, so please visit our Environmental Study Area. Stay engaged in learning activities and check out our Remote Learning Activities & Resources page for ideas to create a “Neighborhood Nature Journal” and “Family Nature Walk” activities!

We also hope to see you in person at our upcoming programs!