A fine snow is falling as I set off around Wood Duck Pond. Fresh footprints indicate one other person has walked the trail already this morning; animal tracks crisscross the path. Chickadees call back and forth, several blue jays cry raucously, and a nuthatch calls a nasal “yank-yank.”
Wood Duck Trail is one of four making up the Arboretum’s West Side Trail system, connecting woods, prairie and former farm fields.
The West Side Trail system connects prairie and forests.
Lichens on tree trunks provide a small bit of color in the otherwise gray-and-white landscape. Lichens are some of Earth’s hardiest organisms; they can grow on almost any surface and can be found in some of the planet’s harshest environments. They are hybrid organisms, consisting of algae and fungi living together symbiotically, with the algae producing food through photosynthesis and the fungi providing structure and protection. A fun and easy way to learn more about lichens is to join iNaturalist’s Minnesota Lichen Map project.
Lichens are some of Earth’s hardiest organisms.
Highbush cranberries add splashes of red along the trail. The berries (which aren’t true cranberries) are a winter food source for birds such as robins and cedar waxwings, and for mammals such as squirrels and deer.
Highbush cranberry is an important winter food source for birds and mammals.
On the east side of the pond are cattails in various degrees of fluffiness. Normally looking like sausages, as they mature, they burst open and release their seeds (which are attached to fine fibers) into the wind.
Cattails spread their seeds by releasing them to the wind.
A hornet’s nest high in a tree is now vacant and won’t be reused. This nest was started in the spring by the fertilized queen, who had overwintered under tree bark or in leaf litter. As the colony grew, worker hornets expanded it. The nest is made of a papery pulp, created from chewed wood and saliva, and offered a home and protection all summer long to the colony. Looks like a lot of work for just one season of use!
Hornet’s nests are a marvel of cooperative building and are only used for one season.
For me, no winter visit to the Arboretum is complete without a stop by the bird feeders outside the Rootstock café. A chickadee takes advantage of the easily accessible food, then flies up into a nearby tree. These perky little birds are a favorite of many and will be with us all winter.
Black-capped chickadees are a welcome sight all winter.
There’s much to enjoy at the Arboretum right now, including an indoor “forest” of evergreen trees at the Oswald Visitor Center and Snyder Building. Pay a visit soon and take in both the indoor and outdoor delights!
Holly Einess is a Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer. To learn more about the University of Minnesota Extension’s Master Naturalist program, visit their website.