Happy Wednesday! For this week of Wednesday Walk, I'd like to share photos from a recent walk taken through a wooded marshland only a few miles inland from the shores of Lake Michigan, USA. This was my first time exploring this nature preserve, and after only one visit, I can tell that it will be added to my short list of hiking destinations for the foreseeable future.
Covering over 300 acres of land, this preserve contains an impressive compilation of marshland and mixed conifer and hardwood forest that seemed to come alive with vibrant fall colors in the early evening sunlight. I imagine that this area is just as colorful, if not more, during the spring with the blooming of local wildflowers.
On my walk, I passed over a wooden floating bridge that gave me an opportunity to more closely examine the local wildlife, and more specifically, get up-close with a pair of sandhill cranes strutting through the marshy shallows in search of food. At one point, the female of the pair stopped to perch on what I assume to be her nest to take a better view of her surroundings. This was the closest I have even managed to get to a sandhill crane without them flying off in fear. I thanked her for posing for my photoshoot before continuing on my way across the bridge and into the woods.
Within only 10 minutes of walking through the woods, my right boot came untied. As I knelt down at the side of the trail to tie my laces, I glanced up at the base of a red oak tree only a few meters to my left. To my surprise and delight, I spotted two fresh hen of the woods growing from the base of the tree. I happily drew my knife to collect my prize. Though they were the only edible mushrooms that I encountered on my walk that day, they were more than enough to provide a protein for my dinner later that night. Delicious.
I'm excited to find this new mushroom hunting ground and hiking location and can't wait to return throughout the coming year to experience the other natural beauties it has to offer.
Thank you for walking with me.
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