NATURE report

PHENOLOGY FRIDAY - Pollination Nation Edition

It's an amazing time to be alive. There is so much happening in the woods and waters at Long Lake, we can't possibly share it all. Here are some highlights: Columbine, Jacob’s Ladder, and Prairie Smoke are up and in bloom. A variety of bees and butterflies, including Monarchs, have returned. There are also roughly 25 gazillion Mosquitos out and feeding. Did you know there are more than 40 different species of Mosquitos in Minnesota? Yippee! Thank goodness for the Dragonfly hatch. The big news of the week, however, is pollinators. Aitkin County Soil and Water Conservation District secured a grant to seed a full five acres of Long Lake with plants for pollinators. Aitkin County’s Land Department conducted a controlled burn on a large area east of the archery field. This is part of the area that will be seeded. We know that bees in the hives installed this week by our good friend Roger Sorben of Sorben Honey will appreciate the efforts. There are approximately 20,000 bees in each of four hives installed, and by summer’s end that number will increase dramatically. These hives with bees carrying out different functions, working in unison to sustain and propagate life is an absolute miracle of nature. We can’t wait to teach summer campers about it! So cool! The world is a wondrous place. Unplug, get outside and live connected.