Newsletter  May 2004

Teach your children… That the earth is our Mother. Whatever befalls the earth

befalls the sons of the earth. All things are connected. Man did not weave the web of life;

he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

Chief Seattle

Present at the Fort Custer Trail Dedication from, right to left: Charles Krammin, Larry Pio, Tom Garnett, Susan Glynn (Aide to Debbie Stabinow) and Bob Papp.

HELP US SAVE THE TREES!!!! Receive the Chief Noonday Chapter newsletter on-line. Contact Larry at nalcoman1@aol.com.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR FUN, ADVENTURE, KNOWLEDGE, CHALLENGE, A REASON TO CELEBRATE AND FRIENDSHIP?  IF YOUR ANSWER IS YES! COME AND JOIN US, WE HAVE IT ALL!

Holy earth mother, the trees and all nature

Are witness of your thoughts and deeds. 

Winnebago Indians

Chapter Meetings

Meetings are at 7:00 PM at the Barry Township Hall on Orchard Street in Delton the second Wednesday of each month, and are open to the public.

We are looking for presenters. If you or someone you know would be interested in presenting a topic at one of the NCT meetings contact garnettt@trinityhealth.org or Linda Warren at linblessed54@aol.com

June 9, no planned program.

NOTE TIME AND LOCATION CHANGE OF THIS MEETING!

July 14th at 6:30pm Kimball Pines.

Summer potluck get together. We are hoping to see YOU there. Don’t be shy. The more the merrier, please come and bring a friend.  Kimball Pines is located east of Battle Creek off east Michigan Avenue. You will see an M-DOT along side of the road after you cross over the bridge announcing the “North Country Trail & Kimball Pines”. Turn right into the driveway, which is a nursing home after the sign, if you are traveling east.  Follow the road back to Kimball Pines Park.  For more information about meetings contact garnettt@trinity-health.org or Linda Warren at linblessed54@aol.com

God of the forests and trees

Color our lives with love and compassion.

Help us to live as shade for the weary

Hope for the broken and home for the lost.

Adapted from God of Creation David Haas

Upcoming Events

June 5~ National Trails Day

Spend some time out-of-doors enjoying your favorite trail (NCT of course). Send us an e-mail telling us about it.  linblessed54@aol.com.

ADVENTURE HIKE!

August 7~Summer Hike  9am

Led by Jerry Pattock

A section of approximately 3 miles that we haven’t had a group hike on. Meet at Chief Noonday Trailhead and hike with us to Peets Road.

FRIENDSHIP!

August 5-8~ North Country Trail Association Annual Conference Marietta, Ohio.

This is not the “typical” conference,-lots of hikes, tours, food and friendship.  Watch the NCTA North Star for more details.

MORE ADVENTURE!

October 9- Fall Color Hike. 9am (Enjoy the beauty)

Led by Joe Higdon

Ott Preserve-near Kimball Pines off East Michigan Avenue; north on Arlington to parking area.

CHALLENGE!

November 20- Night Hike  7pm  (We are not alone).

Led by Joe Higdon

Kellogg Forest- approximately a 3-mile hike.  Look for more information about these hikes in upcoming newsletters.

PRESENTATIONS

May 27, 7pm at Lee’s Sporting Goods, on Kilgore in Portage, MI.  Larry Pio presenting.

June 10, 7:15pm at Middleville Public Library, in Middleville, MI.  Dave Cornell presenting.

June 23d, 2pm at Hastings Library.  “Getting Lost, Getting Found”,  Larry Hawkins presenting.

Contact Tom Garnett at garnettt@trinityhealth.org or Larry Pio at nalcoman1@aol.com with questions regarding hikes, events, presentations and trail care.

We believed in a power that was higher than all people and all the created world…

We believed in some power in the world that governed everything that grew,

and we called this power Mother-Earth.

Carl Sweezy, Arapaho 1881-1953.

GREETINGS TO OUR NEW MEMBERS

• Mark and Heidi Pengra: Bellevue, MI

• Nils Vos: Kalamazoo, MI

We hope to see old and new members at the June meeting and don’t forget the picnic in July. Good food and GREAT company!

Adopters Needed

If you would like to adopt a portion of the NCT please contact Dave Cornell at: onestep@mei.net Adopters needed for Kellogg Biological Station and new section east of Middleville in Barry County.

Volunteer Appreciation

Without volunteers where would we be today? The time, hard work and dedication of the North Country Trail volunteers is being rewarded. Want to find out how? Come and spend some time with us and leave in the latest trail attire. Yep a North Country Trail T-shirt of your very own. Give us an hour, get a shirt.

Trivia:

In what year was the Endangered Species Act enacted? (Answer at the end of the newsletter).

Volunteer Opportunities

June 6, Trail care.  Meet at 8am at the Lakeside Café in Augusta. After breakfast we will proceed to the Fort Custer portion of trail.

June 19- Trail care

Meet at McDonald’s by Kimball Pines at 8am. We are planning to reroute the trail around the new Beaver pond!

August 27-29tth- Hastings Summerfest Sharing of information, festivities, fun and a fair to boot. Who could ask for more? Please join us.

2-3 hour shifts

• Friday 11am –8pm

• Saturday 10am-6pm

• Sunday 10am-4pm

Contact Larry Hawkins to volunteer at hawkeyemd@cablespeed.com

One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.

William Feather

What’s been happening?

April 24 Earth Day Celebration. Information about the NCT was shared with the general public. There was a good turn out of folks and time to collaborate with other environmental groups present for the day. On May 1~ Fort Custer National Cemetery Trail Dedicated and a Hike followed.

Present at the ribbon cutting were: Larry Hawkins making presentations to the Boy Scout and Eagle Scouts at the kiosk, Tom Garnett looks on (right).

On May 8~the Wildflower Hike on Dolan Trail.

Hi Y’all !  The wildflower crew was a little sparse this wet and chilly morning. LaVerne and Joan BeBeau and yours truly braved the May chill and showers. That’s all, folks… ..! The Virginia Blue Bells were out in all their glory as were the blue phlox, trillium, marsh marigolds cinque foile and others. The Dutchman’s breeches weren’t out yet as they were last year. I took lots of pictures for the “fair weather naturalists” to help us with identification at the next chapter meeting. We also saw deer, grouse, rabbits, a muskrat (I think) and many, many birds and a stray trout fisherman. Larry Hawkins

At the May 12 chapter meeting Jodie Romzek with the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture introduced Steve Bare, soil conservationist, with the Natural Resource Conservation Service. Steve offered an interesting presentation on soil erosion prevention and water control on the trail.

Support our Supporters

See Mid-Lakes Mini Storage southwest of Delton for your storage needs. Mid-Lakes provides us with storage for our Chief Noonday Tool Trailer.

Katies & Christy’s. Midlakes Screen-Printing,

Monogramming Active Wear and Tanning Salon Delton, MI.

Interested in supporting the Chief Noonday Chapter? Let us help you advertise.  Contact Tom Garnett at 269-382-2561, or GarnettT@trinity-health.org

Share and Tell

Do you have a trail story, a section of trail that is your favorite, a bit of trail wisdom? Share your knowledge, and wit with our readers. Send your thoughts, short stories, or pearls to Linda Warren at: linblessed54@aol.com.

From the editor:

If you haven’t hiked the new Fort Custer section of trail you have missed a path to truly “hallowed” ground. This path takes you around Fort Custer National Cemetery, which in itself is awe inspiring and humbling. But WAIT there’s much, much more.  You have the opportunity to experience the wilderness just outside your back door. The majestic pines welcome you into their midst with their sweet intoxicating scent and their cool, silent majesty. The crowds of crows atop these pillars pierce the silence with the announcement of your arrival. The newer forest greets you with the crisp crackle of leaves beneath your feet and the scurrying of life all around you including turkey, squirrels, deer, turtles and beautiful foliage. Just around the bend a bog awaits you with the croaking of bullfrogs, the grace of herons, the call of the geese and the songs of uncountable birds. And if you are up for a little adventure you can cross the August River atop a tree stump. You can end this mere 3.7-mile jaunt into the wild by enjoying the food and fun in the village of Augusta. This trail truly is magic!

We are always looking for new members, share your newsletter with a friend, and tell someone about Chief Noonday.

W.K. Kellogg Biological Station is hosting teas at 3pm on the following dates:

• May 11:The Girlfriend’s at W.K. Kellogg Manor House.

• June 22: Mad Hatter’s Tea

• Sept. 28: Feng Shui Tea

• Oct. 26: Harvest Tea

• Dec. 7: Dickens Tea

• Dec. 14: Holly and Ivy Tea

The cost for tea and a tour of the Manor House is $18 for adults and $12 for children 2-12 years. Prepaid reservations are requested. Please call 269-671-2416 or e-mail manorhouse@msu.kbs.edu for reservations or more information.

Nature Channels Song

“Birds sing of freedom as they soar lightly On the air.

So may our hearts soar, high above all All curbs and care.

Trees, standing firm hold the secret of Inner power.

Give us, when tested, strength to endure.

Mountains, remote and still, hint at higher Worlds unseen.

So may our lives be; soaring and serene.

Rivers seek passage, unhindered by Rock or Tree.

So may our lives flow, steadfast toward The sea!

Mother, we thank you, your joy shines In everything!

Open these channels, that the world once More may sing”

J. Donald Walters

Answer to the Trivia Question:

The Endangered Species Act was enacted in 1973.

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