Hemlock Wooly Adelgid

 

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

There is an invasive species that has been decimating hemlock trees in America for decades. It is a small insect similar to an aphid called the wooly adelgid.

This insect is native to Asia and made its way to America via imported plants in the 1950s. It has  been slowly spreading for decades and has made its way to northern Michigan. This pest has recently been found in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. 

I often hike in and around Sleeping Bear Dunes and have seen many mature hemlock trees in these forests.

One of my favorite hikes is at the Traverse City Commons, and there are some massive hemlocks there. 

Check out the view from the wooded dunes:

There is a hemlock that I visit there, and after the recent storms, I was sorry to see it had developed a crack in the trunk. 

These trees are the preferred feast for the wooly adelgid. They congregate on the underside of the needles and suck the sap out of the tree. The needles turn brown and new growth is inhibited. Infested trees can die within 4-10 years.

Trees can be treated with pesticide and can be saved if infestation is caught early.

Severe winters helped to slow the spread of this pest.

Update (info from NPS):  Though the tiny insects don’t move far on their own, they can be blown by wind or hitchhike on birds or mammals – including humans - that come into contact with an infested branch. In a similar way, cars, boats, tents, or RVs parked under infested trees may be able to transport the insects to new locations.

So, clean your boots and NEVER transport wood from one area to another.

Shadows

 

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I have continued to hike during this latest blast of polar air and steady snowfalls. There's something special about hiking in untouched snow, of seeing the whiteness sparkle in the sunshine. 

I especially like winter hikes when the sun is out because the light bounces and becomes more brilliant. 

Here's a look at some shadows on my hike today:

Ice on the Great Lakes

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

This winter, the Great Lakes have had very little ice coverage. 

NOAA Reports January 2021 was Among the Top-10 Warmest for U.S. - Great Lakes Ice Coverage Was the Smallest In Decades

 

On average, 

ice coverage is down 22% since 1973. 

Less ice on the lakes means more evaporation and more lake effect snow. Warming waters destabilize the lake's ecosystem making it more vulnerable to disruptions and crashes.

The temperature finally dipped in February and I made my way to the lakeshore to check out ice formation on Lake Michigan. It was brutally cold, in the teens even before the wind chill was considered. It was comfortable (with the correct layering and coat) when hiking with the wind to my back, but walking into the wind was tough.

Check out the icy beach:

Great Lakes OTTERS

 Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

Did you know that there are otters in the Great Lakes? Have you ever seen one?

During my adventures, I have seen otters on three of the Great Lakes (Michigan, Huron and Superior). I saw otter tracks on North Manitou Island. I watched them feed as the sun set on Lake Huron.

This week I took a drive out to Leland (Michigan) and saw something on the ice in the harbor. I parked as the otter finished chewing what it had caught and slid back into the harbor. 

I walked out on a dock to get a closer look and the otter surfaced again, spent some time chewing, then slid back into the water. 

Otters are fun to watch, especially if there is more than one. They are playful and animated.

Check out my photo and video from this encounter...and keep your eyes open for your own otter sighting.