Trails are magical places. They are portals to different times and places. They provide solitude and comfort. They disconnect us from the noise and stress of our everyday lives and connect us to the vastness of the universe.  
  
My friends walk local trails, small detours off of parks that introduce them to rivers and ravines. I have a friend in California who hikes the mountains, the deserts, the coastline and these hikes reinforce a strong conviction she holds. That conviction is that California is the most wonderful of places. I have friends who hike the mountains of Maine, the shorelines of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the life marking hike of the Appalachian Trail.  
 
I have hiked deserts, mountains, shorelines, forests, rainforests, mangrove forests, and wetlands. I have hiked among ancient ruins, old forts, and animal preserves. I hiked at three in the morning, ascending to greet the rising of the sun over the Himalayas.  

Some of these trails were pristine, others were abused or neglected and in need of care and restoration. Many trails had stories to tell, and others need the help of others to tell their stories.  Luckily, as a Master Naturalist I have had the opportunity to receive training to care for trails as a Trail Steward. I have also had training to help tell the stories of trails as a Trail Guide.  
 
As a volunteer at Little River Wetlands Project and specifically Eagle Marsh I received training on caring for the trails. This is often the work others do not see you do. They do see the result of your efforts and assume it was always so. A steward's job is to care for the trail. That means removing debris, trimming branches that block a trail. It means telling management when a trail needs to be closed due to flooding or downed trees. You are both lands keeper and intelligence officer.  
 
Your job is to help keep the trails safe. That means also keeping yourself safe. That requires you to check the weather before going out to the trail. It means informing someone where you are and when you expect to be done. It also means knowing when sunset is, so you are not left alone, in the dark, on an isolated trail.  
 
Trail stewards arrive with specific supplies. That includes insect repellant, long sleeve shirts and light color clothing so ticks can be easily seen. It includes a compass, a monitoring sheet, water, sunscreen, and raingear. Additionally, trimers, trail tape and a camera are essential. 
 
You identify any invasive plants  or animals. You report on any notable finds. That might be a new species in the area or a new plant. That might mean babies or new nests or lodges. You report on any blocked trails. You are careful not to touch any poisonous plants.  
 
Your phone becomes an important tool. The camera is vital. So are the apps. This may include iNaturalist to help identify plants and animals, EDD Maps to identify invasives, and Merlin to help identify birds. There are also programs, manuals, and articles online to help develop your skills as a trail guide. 
 
At our agency trail stewards are expected to hike their assigned trail a minimum of twice a month. To be effective the report must be timely.  

Fox Island County Park and the Allen County Parks and Recs Department also provide training to become a trail guide. Trail guides may provide services for people of all ages and levels of education. However, for County Parks the focus is mainly on younger children in elementary school. The goal is not to provide hard data or facts but rather to help the child ask questions and make sense out of what they are experiencing. 
 
This approach to addressing the child’s exploration of the trail is Nature Interpretation. Its goal is to provide relationships (between environment and plant or animal behavior) and meanings. It utilizes hands-on experiences using original objects (branches, rocks, scat, etc.) and when appropriate media to share factual information. It aims to help the child wonder, ask questions, to make guesses. Nature Interpretation is a learned skill. The National Association of Interpreters provides training and various levels of professional certification. This is not necessary or required for entry level trail guides. However, for the trail guide who plans on this being the focus of their vocation it is a pathway to becoming a more engaging and interesting storyteller and guide.   
 
The guide needs to practice their skills. That includes walking the trail prior to guiding others. It is knowing about the human history of the land, the geology, and the natural life of the trail. Areas of interest might include animal lifespan, habitats, adaptation to seasons, living communities, and tress.  
 
Hands-on or action techniques might include pond dipping to show the smaller life of the water. Holding pinecones, branches, rocks and shells, or animal collections. Topics of discussion might include scat, children often appreciate a good poop talk! Other discussions might include wildflowers and poisonous plants. However, almost anything is open to discussion including history, geology, and wildlife.  
 
The goal is not for the guide to know everything, that is not possible. It is for the guide to encourage the children to think, guess, and engage the information the trail provides. 
 
The trainings were useful. I look forward to caring for my assigned trail. I also look forward to engaging with new hikers as they discover the wonder of hiking a trail. 

On February 1, 2023 I attended the online panel discussion Faith in Food: Individual and Collective Responsibility in Food Practices. The panel discussion was sponsored by Faith in Food. I am interested in the movement to increase indigenous foods and indigenous food systems. I am interested in the movement to reduce food deserts and food insecurity. This discussion seemed like an extension of those interests. This was the third annual panel. I attended one previous discussion.  

The moderator was Dr. Andrienne Krone. Dr. Krone is an assistant professor of Religious Studies Allegheny University. Panelists included: Bob Isaacson (Buddhist), Karyn Bigelow (Christian), Magfirah Dahlan (Muslim), Rev. Tera Landers (Unitarian-Universalist) and Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner (Jewish).  

The organizations represented included:  
Creaturekind (Christian) 
Jewish Initiative for Animals 
Unitarian-Universalist Animal Ministry  
Faith in Food 

The panelists were asked, “How do religious sources encourage individual and collective responsibility to create food?” 

Rabbi Shuval-Weiner spoke first. She said that for Jews the issue is one of power and responsibility. She told us that “when G-d turned over creation to humanity He said, if you destroy it there will be no one there to repair it.” For Jews the issues are justice, social responsibility, and compassion. “We are all of us in this together.”  
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Jewish dietary laws provide guidance. The laws help people refrain from undue suffering of animals. The traditions provide structure for action. This includes the mandate to not destroy, for crop rotation, and to allow the earth to rest every seven years. Today we live in a world of shipping, slaughterhouses, industrial farming, and the result is the world is paying for this. The rabbi reminded us that “We are not obligated to complete the task, but neither are you allowed to desist from it”. That is a call to action. 
 
The Rev. Tera Landers addressed how Unitarian-Universalist are guided by an ethic of love for all of creation. They are also guided by Seven Principles and Purposes. For this question she highlighted two principles. The first was to uphold the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Principle seven is a call to uphold and respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. 
 
If the principles are followed, we fall in love with our earth. Animal farming leads to increased greenhouse gases. We are called to care for creation. 
 
Bob Isaacson addressed Buddhist teachings on the issue. “If one is a sensate being we are expected to show compassion. He provided a guide, “Silence leads o mindfulness which leads to concentration which leads o knowing all sensate beings want to avoid pain.” Bob is a lay Dharma teacher. He is active in Dharma Voices for Animals. This organization is to remind Buddhists that they should do no harm and that factory farming is the number one cause of global warming.    
 
Magfirah Dahlan stated that Muslims are guided by Halah and by what is good or ethical. She said this is then applied to the world we live in. This is a world of global industrial food systems that exploits workers, animals, the earth and consumers. She stated that “we need to see ourselves as more than consumers. We can make collective changes.” She talked about sermons and curriculum aimed at educating youth about the environment and the consequences of our choices and behavior. She said Muslims are called to “bear witness” which hopefully leads to change. 
 
Karyn Bigelow spoke about the Christian concept of Creation Justice. That she said, should guide us to ask: 
Where is the food sourced? 
Is it sustainable? 
Is it ethical following the wisdom of indigenous peoples? 
Is it guided by the wisdom of interconnectedness? 
 
Karyn stated that is we take care of creation it will take care of us. She ended by pointing out the Lord’s Prayer provides the correct emphasis for Christians, “Give us this day our daily bread”. That is sustainability, not greed.  
If it appears the latter speakers had less to say you are correct. That is because they all shared so many common values that they chose not to repeat what the earlier speakers had said. What is evident was the urgency and importance of their work. They were also moving to be inclusive and collaborative and not trying to force their “truths” on others.  
 
In the last year I have heard speakers from the Detroit Black Food Security Network, from indigenous leaders advocating for traditional food sources and food systems, and interfaith leaders talking about food justice by taking care of creation. It is clear these issues are intertwined. I look forward to learning more about being greener while caring for creation, animals and food, and food systems.  
   
 
 
 
   
 

On January 23rd, 2023 a contingent of members and volunteers from Little River Wetland Projects attended the Indiana Wildlife Federation Annual conference. This was the first in-person conference since the pandemic. We were also excited because the focus was on wetlands. The conference was held at Fort Harrison State Park in the Garrison Center. 

The keynote speaker was Anne Lacey from the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo Wisconsin. She set the tone for emphasizing the value of wetlands to restore biological balance and biodiveristy. She spoke passionately about the state of cranes in North America.  This included talking about both Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes.

Sandhill Cranes grab my attention because we now have pairs of them at Eagle Marsh. While these are North American birds some do breed in Asia. In fact, their area or habitats are vast. Lacey explained that there are three non-migratory species. These include the Mississippi which are endangered as well as the Florida and Cuba subspecies. There are also three migratory subspecies, the Greater, the Canadian, and the Lesser species. The Eastern population of Sandhill Cranes is approximately 91,444 individuals and the population is increasing. 

Aldo Leopold, the father of the naturalist movement is from Baraboo. Aldo’s original and historic shack is near the International Crane Foundation headquarters. His influence permeates the ecology movement. Anne pointed out that in his day the number of Sandhill Cranes were few and dwindling. In fact, she pointed out that he believed the species would become extinct.  It is one of those rare moments when I am truly happy that a personal hero of mine is wrong.  The cranes' comeback is attributed to their ability to adapt to farmland. However, the farmland has wetland on the property.

The state of the Whooping Crane is very different. They are in fact the rarest cranes in the world. This is partly due to the fact they lay two eggs but raise one. The cranes have a poor fledgling rate. They mature at age three and can breed at age four or five. 

The International Crane Foundation has actively worked to increase the population. They raised cranes with humans in crane customs to minimize the impact of human contact. However, whenever possible wild-hatched and parent-raised is preferred. They have used ultralight to teach migration to cranes raised in captivity. 305 cranes have been introduced into the wild, 75 of them are still alive.

Challenges for both crane species include infrastructure, solar farms, and poaching. For people interested in supporting crane population restoration they may consider joining the “I Give a Whoop!” campaign. This may be found at: www.savingcranes.org. The Whooping Crane population is slowly increasing and now stands at 836 Whooping Cranes in North America. 

The second speaker was Kalli Dunn. She is the property manager of Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Preserve. Goose Pond is the largest wetland restoration in Indiana. It is 9,980 acres (about half the area of Cleveland, Ohio). The preserve consists of prairie, woods, wetlands and pollinator fields. 

Management of the preserve is multifaceted. Prescribed fires are used to maintain the prairie and control invasive species. Water levels are manipulated to maintain wildlife health. Rotational farming and mowing are utilized. The management plans are updated every five years. 

Land management is a challenge because of the complexity of the preserve. 3.5% of the preserve consists of wetland, 15% is grassland. 1500 acres of grassland are burned every year. Herbicides are used on both invasive and native plants. Additionally, there are 4000 acres of shallow wetlands. There is a fall draw down that starts I July. The focus is on maintaining the nesting island and optimizing the migration lands. 

The result of all of this is a rich biodiverse preserve that becomes the home of 40,000 snow geese during migration.

Dan Boritt, the executive director of Indiana Wildlife Federation then provided an update on the Sustainable Trails initiative.  He stated that there were four goals:
⦁ Promote conservation, enhance and restore animal habitat
⦁ Provide and maintain the four components needed for wildlife, food, water, shelter, and a place to raise their young
⦁ Preserve and enhance natural native wildlife
⦁ Create environmentally friendly experiences for people 
This was followed by updates n the Urban Wilderness Trail in Indianapolis and the Betley Woods at Glacer’s End. This was all guided by the Mission of Indiana Wildlife Federation: Education, Advocacy, and Action.

Finally, he ended with a review of the history of IWF. It is the oldest conservation organization in the state dating back to 1938. It published research. It advocated for conservation policies, 1965 Clean Water. It advocated for the disuse of Pesticides in 1966 and specifically DDT in 1968. In 1970 it sponsored statewide environmental education. In 1974 it advocated for hunters and anglers. In 1981 the organization became the Indiana Wildlife Federation. In 2001 it passed a Resolution to protect the Great Lakes from Invasive Species. In 2017 it took a leadership opposition in protecting Monarchs and pollinators. In 2022 it had a membership of 4,500. 

Will Ditzler is a member of the Indiana Wetlands Commission. This is a 13 member committee representing diverse interests and perspectives. He stated the committee had excellent participation, collaboration, and attendance for such a diverse group. 

However, none of this collegiality resulted in the government strengthening protections of Indiana wetlands. In fact, the protections were lessened. The State Regulated Wetland rules were changed. The Senate Bill 389 was passed. The impact is a concern. The law lessened protection for state regulagted isolated wetland. It reclassified wetland categories and broadened exemptions. It exempted more lower quality farmed wetland for irregation. Fortuanlty federal rules have lessened the impact of the bill.  The hopeful note was that a Task Force was established to review the changes.  

To wrap up a very informative day Drew Younge Dyke from the National Wildlife Federation spoke. He told us about an interesting initiative to regonize Sacred Habitats. This is an attempt to bring the Homegrown National Park initiative to houses of worship.  
His goals for our region are simple but viatal: 
1. Restore Wetlands
2. Great Lake Restoration
Ohio River Restoration
Mississippi River Restoration

The conference was invigorating. For me it touched on much of what we in NE Indiana are doing. We have Sandhill Cranes. They are new to the marsh and will be studied and valued. We have a continental divide on Eagle Marsh. A berm divides to watershed in an attempt to prevent watershed crossing of Asian Carp in the Greaat Lakes.  We fight invasive palnts and nurture native plants. We look at our marsh and do not see it as our settler ancestor did, as a swamp and home of disease. Rather we see it as a wetland that protets protery from flooding, cleans water, and increases biodiversty. 

This was a powerful cofernece and I look forward toa ttending more Indiana Wildlife Federation meetings and conferences.

I attended two lectures that addressed the value of using cover crops. The first talk was sponsored by the Little River Wetlands Project. It was their “Breakfast on the Marsh” lecture series. The speaker was Jamie Perry, Northeast Urban Soil Health Specialist. Mr. Perry was an effective advocate for using cover crops to restore soil health.  He identified Four Soil Health Principles:
1. Minimize disturbance of the soil
2. Maximize soil cover
3. Maximize biodiversity
4. Maximize continuous living roots

He stated that the use of cover crops achieves these principles by:
Reducing soil erosion
Maintaining soil health
Reducing water quality degradation 
Suppressing pests 
Increasing soil efficacy 
Decreasing soil compaction 

Most of his presentation was on providing examples of cover crops. These included Buckwheat which he recommended because it grew quickly, a drawback was that it did not produce food. He described Daikon Radish as “great coverage.” He recommended cereal rye as “living mulch.” 

Perry then described methods of seeding the soil. This included broadcasting, direct seeding, direct seeding using furrows, and inter seeding. 

The second presentation on crop covers was at the Michiana Regional Seed Swap sponsored by the Merry Lea Environmental Center and held at Goshen College.  This was the fisth annual seedswap sponsored by Merry Lea. There were multiple booths with various vendors including: A Bean Collector’s Window
Blue Fox Farm
Dick’s Organics & Three Rivers Fruit Growers Club
Elkhart County Indiana Master Naturalists
Merry Lea Sustainable Farm
Michigan Organic Food & Farming Association
Seed to Feed
Tomato Jim
John Sherck, A Local Seed Saver
IN Native Plant Society, Northeast Chapter
Goshen Health
Fables Books
Rooting through Corn, Planting Families Project
Nature & Nurture Seeds
Bushelcraft Farms


There was off course seeds for peopke to take home. I was happy to see Paw Paw tree seeds. There were also two main presenters. One was John Mischler speaking on how to start seed saving. The other was local geologist and organic farmer Tony Fleming who spoke about "A Year of Cover Crops."

Tony also highlighted the value of using cover crops when a vegatation had served it's purpose. Those values included: interrupting diseases and pests, improving soil mobility, adding biomass, increasing drought resistance, improving soil structure, and increasing fertility and nuritient health of the soil. Soil health is important because, as he explained, one teaspoon of soil contains one billion organisms including bacteeria, virus, fungus, nematodes. That biodiversity is vital to healthy plant life.     

Like Perry, Tony also provided choices and examples. he pointed out that legumes were important because they put nirtogen back into the soil. Field peas fixed nitrogen and weregreat mulches. 

He highlighted the ceral/grain/grasses. Oats were good cool weather cover crops. Annual ryes could be over-wintered and easily grown. Sudangrass loved heat.

Crimson clover grew well in both cool and warm weather. They were also great pollinator plants. Hairy Vetch was versitile. It grew i cool, warm, and even hot weather, It fixes nitrogen, attracts bees, and the seeds were easy to save.

It was clear that both Perry and Fleming viewed cover crops as important even when they did not produce food crops They were important to maintaining the health of the soil and increasin biodiversity.