In a single short hike at St. John’s Arboretum, one encounters three distinct environments–the prairie, the wetlands, and the woodlands. My last post showcased the amazing fall colors of the woodland maple trees; this post will share a glimpse of the wetlands and prairie. The trail is called the Boardwalk Loop and has two stretches of floating boardwalks across the wetlands. I like the blues and greens of the Monet-looking artwork of duckweed medium by the artist Wind–probably with the assistance of Waterfowl!
At the far edge of the open water, the bright white of a swan caught my attention. As I was trying to focus in on the swans, I also found a great blue heron standing amid the ducks and the duckweed.
I was unable to identify this sunflower-looking swamp flower growing up through the duckweed and framed by cattails. What a picture of optimism! Sunshine yellow in a sea of green in the fall of the year and the center of attention among the overbearing cattails!
Farther up the boardwalk was a stand of wild rice. Wild rice is a tall aquatic grass that is a valuable food source for waterfowl and red-winged blackbirds, as well as for people. Minnesota is one of the largest producers of cultivated wild rice in the United States. Most of the ripened grains had already fallen or been eaten off the stalks, but the close-up photo shows a stalk with the grains still intact.
As we hiked from the wetlands to the prairie, this towering tree silhouetted against the blue sky and white clouds was one that succumbed to the wetlands. A number of trees along the border were unable to live with their roots in water.
Autumn on the prairie! Asters and goldenrod bloom in bright colors among the stands of prairie grasses. Big bluestem, reaching over five feet tall, makes an impressive show and harkens back to the time when bison roamed the grasslands.
A dried, brown milkweed pod slowly opens to release its fluffy parachuted seeds to the winds. It’s the end of its reproductive cycle in this short Minnesota growing season–or perhaps it’s the beginning….
This tiny showing of Nature’s artwork is part of a priceless collection that we all have available to us to view, appreciate, and wisely and respectfully use. The flora, fauna, food, and beauty that Nature provides in glorious abundance is often taken for granted or dismissed as not important in the economic scheme of things. Every thing has a place and a purpose in this rich cycle of life that connects each living being. Like the tree lost to the wetland and the bison gone from the bluestem prairie, we must make sure that we are not lost to the wrong environment for our circle of life to continue.
Leave a Reply