Finding Solace in Nature

by Bert Thomas
former SBTH Board President
October 2020

Fall has descended, and the great natural habitats that have sustained our native bird population and the insects that thrive here in northern Michigan are entering a long period of hibernation. Oblivious of the virus that has changed human behavior worldwide this year and likely into the future, birds and other forms of wildlife have gone about their business as usual.

And with unexpected time on our hands, many of us have found solace in nature whether in gardens, trails, observation, or backyard birding.

At our house, at least, that has been the case, and what I have noticed in particular is the maturing of many of the native plants we spread about our property before building here five years ago. Evergreens are providing shelter for birds and other critters, and plants like viburnums, red-stemmed dogwood, winterberry, and serviceberry bushes produced berries for the first time this summer and their blossoms attracted swarms of pollinators and little predator insects.

Eight butterfly weeds not only produced orange blossoms most of the summer but became magnets for monarchs and the Great Spangled Fritillary. We suspect these factors and the two birdbaths we tend are reasons bird activity around here seemed much higher this year. For someone who enjoys wildlife photography, this has been a banner year.

The organization that you continue to support so generously is also thriving, in spite of everything. Why, even we upped our contribution this year. The board of directors prudently avoided close contact and Kay wisely, if sadly, shelved the great programs she worked so hard to plan.

The slowdown has helped us focus more on the future, however. The board created an assistant director position for the first time and developed a formal compensation policy directive, both actions indicating our confidence in the strength of our mission well into the future. And Kay, with generous help from one of our members, John Putnam, produced an outstanding and moving video about our organization.

I am hopeful every one of you is staying well and safe. As for me, in addition to reading Doug Tallamy’s new book Nature’s Best Hope, I have hunkered down with a fascinating new fungi book, Entangled Life, and an old one I’m just now discovering, Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac. Better late than never.