The John and Mary Dahlem Environmental Education Center A Program of The Dahlem Conservancy December 2007

What’s Inside??? A Note from the Education Director………….. pg.2 Nutshell Gift Shop Friends Column……………... pg.3 Sage Foundation Grant Fall Programs……………….. pg.4 New Exhibits Duck Stamp People of Dahlem……………. pg.5 People for Wildlife…………... pg.6 Cranes at Haehnle Memberships/ Donations…………………….. pg.7 Little Acorns Gathering Patio Dedication Eco-Friendly Holiday Tips…. pg.8

Kick Off Your Holiday Shopping at the Annual Holiday Bazaar!!

Friday, November 30 & Saturday, December 1

10a.m. - 4p.m.

At the Dahlem Center!! Come enjoy some refreshments and holiday shopping at our annual holiday bazaar. Buy that special someone a gift they will truly enjoy and help sup-port the environ-mental education p r o g r a m s a t Dahlem!

UPCOMING EVENTS… December 15, Christmas Bird Count Become citizen scientists and help gather bird data used to assess national trends. Contact: Don & Robin Henise (795-7752) January 12, 6:30 p.m. Owl Prowl Come learn about owls with a presenta-tion by the Howell Nature Center and take a guided hike on our trails to talk to the owls using recorded calls. January 13, 2p.m. Journey of the Cranes Join Gary Siegrist of Dahlem and Ron Hoffman of Haehnle as they present these fascinating birds!

Paw Prints is published monthly for members of The Dahlem Conservancy. DAHLEM CONSERVANCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: John McLaughlin V. President: Myrna Berlet-Dutcher Secretary: Heather Price Treasurer: Gary Krupa

Trustees

Kathleen Clark Victor Marshall Betty Desbiens Robert Price Todd Emmons Kathy Shaw Bob Grover Kenneth Walz Robert Henning Denny DaPra - JCC Representative DAHLEM CONSERVANCY STAFF Executive Director: Brad Whaley Education Director: Randy Hill Office Coordinator: Denise Bigham Receptionist: Linda Danley Naturalist: Carrie Benham Maintenance: Mark Snedeker Weekend Clerk:: Andrea Fitzgerald People for Wildlife Coordinator: Gary Siegrist Development Coordinator: Rebecca Mehall

Building Hours Tues. - Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday Noon - 5:00 p.m. Monday Closed Holiday Closings: Dec.24 - Dec.28 Dec.31 - Jan.1

Trails and Grounds

The trails and grounds are open from dawn to dusk every day. The entrance gate is opened at 6:30 a.m. and locked at 9:00 p.m.

Our Mission: The mission of the Dahlem Conservancy is to provide environmental education and land conservancy services to the residents of South Central Michigan.

It is hard to believe that 2007 is coming to a close. Reflecting back, this has been an incredible year for Dahlem! Four new staff members were added, summer camp was successful for two straight weeks, and an increasing number of students and adults learned about nature through our school and center based programs. In addition, our parking lot was expanded and the new gathering patio completed...just to name a few. This past year will always be a special one for me, as I began my tenure at Dahlem and welcomed my son into the world. By the time you read this, we will have already sat around the Thanksgiving table with family and friends and have given thanks to everything we have. The holiday season is now upon us, which means...holiday shopping. I’m not sure how all of you feel about holiday shopping, but I for one am not a big fan. It’s not that I do not enjoy buying gifts for loved ones, but I just never know what to get. So this year, I have decided to give some of my family members a gift membership to Dahlem. This allows them to see all of the

great programs we offer free of charge, get a discount at our Nutshell gift shop, and receive a copy of our monthly newslet-ter….it really is the gift that keeps giving. And as an added bonus, I get to bypass the holiday traffic and crowded malls. So I encourage all of you to think about doing the same. I know this has been mentioned before, but if all of you just gave one gift membership to someone you knew this holiday season, the proceeds generated would allow for us to expand our education programs to an even wider reaching audi-ence. Although 2007 was a banner year, we at Dahlem are always looking ahead! So stay with us as we begin our new adventures in 2008 and for many years to come!! Thank you all for your continued support...we wouldn’t be here without you!! I wish you and your families a very happy holiday season!

Randy Hill

Education Director

Last Chance to Visit the Nutshell Gift Shop before the Holidays!!!!

A Note from the Education Director...

Heated Birdbaths - Attractive birdbath that makes a great ad-dition for a wildlife friendly backyard - only $55.

Whether it’s books, toys, videos, clothing, or bird-ing needs, the Nutshell gift shop has it all!! Stop on by today for all your holiday shopping needs..and members re-ceive a 10% discount on all purchases. Give them a gift this year they will enjoy all year long!

Gardening & Land-scaping books on Sale...50% - 75% off!!

Winter Fun Fact….. The artic tern may hold the re-cord for the longest migration distance since it flies about 18,600 miles each year travel-ing between its artic breeding ground and non-breeding area in the Antarctic. This amazing feat is possible because they eat fish and can feed during the long journey.

It has been awhile since the last “Friends” update, and a lot has happened since then.

Leading up to Halloween and our annual Goblin Walks, you proba-bly noticed several scarecrows lining the walkway leading to the Dahlem Center. The “scarecrow row” is now sponsored by the Friends of Dahlem. This year was exceptional, as we had our Jackson Area Outdoor Coalition (JAOC) partners represented, including Recycle Jackson, GREAT, Women’s Outdoor Ad-venture Club, Audubon, and the Falling Water Trail. In addition, scarecrows were made by the Fitzgerald family, Bigham family, the Jackson County Master Gard-ners, the Jackson Library, Little Acorns, and Friends. The win-ners of the scarecrow contests were:

1st - Falling Waters Trail 2nd- Jackson County Master Gardners 3rd - Little Acorns 4th - G.R.E.A.T 5th - The Fitzgerald Family All participants received a gift certificate to the Nutshell Gift-shop and a ribbon. We would like to extend many thanks to our judges for the scarecrow con-test...The Ray McMillen family (4), the Jeff Utter family (5), Cheryl and Bill Kantor, Mike Olney, and Don Siegrist.

Along with helping to sponsor the Goblin Walks, the Friends volun-teers served cider and donuts to all who participated in the event. Guests ate and listened to songs and stories provided by Nancy McCormack and Evelyn Leonard. Helpers for the two nights were Mary White, Kyle White, Kathy Clark, Allie Mae Henning, Doro-thy Dyer, Louise Riggs, Bryan Bowman, and Betty Desbiens.

Thanks to all of you for your help. Cider for the Goblin Walks was donated by Walmart and East Side Meijers. Donuts were pur-chased with the help of Flavor Fruit Farms.

On November 11, Dahlem had a dedication ceremony for the new gathering patio. The Friends of Dahlem honored M. Sweet, Dick Baldwin, Norman Conrad, Mary Casler, Hazel Rusty Hale and Marion Gratton with memorial stones. Families are welcome to come see the stones and use the patio. In other news, the Friends group has recently made three large do-nations to the Dahlem Center. We have given more funding for the Naturalist salary, paid for up-dating the window viewing area in the main exhibit building, and purchasing another set of letters for the large road sign.

Lastly, make sure to stop by the Dahlem Center for the annual Holiday Bazaar on Friday, No-vember 30 and Saturday, Decem-ber 1. The Friends will have Dahlem members baking for the event. We also have refreshe-ments during the two days.

Kathy Clark & Friends

Dahlem Center Receives Grant for new Winter Outreach Program!! The Dahlem Conservancy is pleased to announce that they are the recipients of a grant from the Sage Founda-tion to create a winter outreach program for local schools. In October, Dahlem was awarded $23,500 to establish a program in local schools that teach students about the wonders of nature in a hands-on, interactive way. The Sage Foundation are the ones that fund the very suc-cessful “Our World of Water” outreach program, which we have conducted in schools the past two springs (see photo below) reaching over 5,000 students. We are currently looking at MEAP testing data to see where the needs are greatest as well as creating a new education committee, and will then work on developing the new program. A pilot program is planned for early next year.

Students at the “Pour-A-Pond” station - part of the “Our World of Water” funded by Sage.

A Message from Our Friends...

Officer Klima - Scarecrow Contest Winner Falling Water Trail

Fall Center Programs Once Again Educate Area Youth About Nature!

New Additions to Exhibits & Bird Feeding Station! Watching a busload of young students

run around at the Center, discovering new and interesting animals, and learn-ing about the wonders of nature...there is nothing else like it! This fall, we completed another suc-cessful season of programs at the Cen-ter, educating 537 students about the environment through our four different center-based programs. These pro-grams include: Animal Homes & Habitats Signs of Fall Incredible Insects Nature Prepares for Winter The following schools participated in the fall programs: Brooklyn Elementary Townsend Elementary St. Mary School Queen of the Miraculous Medal School Jackson Arts & Technology Academy Parma Elementary Bean Elementary Frost Elementary Trinity Lutheran School Paragon Charter Academy We would like to thank the following volunteers for teaching the programs: Dorothy Bodde, Paul Brencher, Linda Henline, Pat Huebner, John Lane, Jim Roberts, & Chuck Wellman!

Help Protect Wetland & Grassland Habitats...Purchase a Duck Stamp Today!!!

The duck stamp has been a crucial tool for wetland habitat conservation since the 1930’s. Ninety-Eight cents out of every dollar generated by stamp sales goes to purchase or lease wetland & grassland habitat through the National Wildlife Refuge Sys-tem. For more information about the stamp, visit www.duckstamp.com. They are available at your local post office. You can help make a differ-ence and save these vital habitats.

Dahlem naturalist Carrie Benham talks about bat houses during a “Animal Homes & Habitats “ program.

Students pretend to be coyotes during this preda-tor and prey activity.

Dahlem naturalist Carrie Benham dresses up this student as an insect for the “incredible insects”

Come see the new Owl Exhibit!!!

The new platform bird feeder is a great addition to the bird feeding station. Thanks to John Lane for building the feeder..

Come see the new additions to the ex-hibit room and bird feeding station. In the next couple of months, many new exhibits are going to be added. Stop on by to see all the new changes!!

It’s hard to say what this winter will bring, but make sure to have your ski’s ready. Our 5 miles of trails make great skiing when the snow flies!

Yes, The Dahlem Center Of-fers Cross Country Skiing

For Members

The Dahlem Conservancy provides a multitude of environmental education programming for audiences of all ages. Through these programs, we educate thousands of people on the wonders of nature and create future environmental stewards in the process. However, these programs would not be possible if it wasn’t for the hard work and dedication of the staff, volunteers, and board of directors. They put in long hours to make sure Dahlem provides exceptional environmental education to Jackson County and beyond.

Staff Spotlight: Gary Siegrist Q: What do you do at Dahlem? GS: I am the People for Wildlife Project Coordi-nator Q: How long have you been involved with Dahlem? GS: I have been working as a staff member since August of this year. I have been working as a volunteer more than twenty years. Q. What do you find most enjoyable about working at Dahlem? GS: Working with a great staff and board, as well as interacting with the members. Q. Describe your family GS: My beautiful and talented wife Nancy and my springer spaniel Lucy. Q. What do you like to do for fun (hobbies)? GS: Birding, golfing, MSU basketball, fishing, wood working, wood carving, nature photogra-phy, and just about anything outdoors. Q. What is your favorite book? GS: Hobbit/Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Q. Is there anything else you would like us to mention (interesting facts, etc.)? GS: I ran track for J.C.C and was the President of Michigan Audubon for 3 years.

Board Spotlight: Gary Krupa Q: What is your career? GK: President, Krupa’s Boat Mart Q: How long have you been with Dahlem? What is your role on the board? GK: I have been a board member for 2 years and am currently board treasurer. Q: Do you volunteer with any other organiza-tions? If so, what? GK: Yes, I am on the Distribution committee of the Jackson County Community Foundation. Q. What do you find most enjoyable about being on the board at Dahlem? GK: It has been very gratifying to see how enthu-siastically the community has supported the new organization (Dahlem Conservancy) and to see the continually increasing membership and useage of the Center. Q. Describe your family. GK: My wife Jann is also a long time supporter of Dahlem. Our now grown children grew up par-ticipating in Dahlem programs and we wish our 4 grandchildren lived closer so we could share Dahlem with them as well. Q. What do you like to do for fun (hobbies)? GK: Golf, gardening, relaxing on our pontoon boat, traveling to visit children and grandkids. Q. What is your favorite book? GK: I enjoy most fiction by authors Michael Con-nelly, Nelson Demille, James Patterson, etc. When I’m between books my bedtime reading is Harvey Penick’s “Little Red Book.” It’s a gem on golf instruction mixed with Harvey Penick’s simple philosophy on life. I keep reading it over and over! Q. Is there anything else you would like us to mention (interesting facts, etc.)? GK: I am a member of both the Michigan and US Water Ski Halls of Fame.

Board Spotlight: Betty Desbiens Q: What is (was) your career? BD: Teacher Q: How long have you been involved with Dahlem? What is your role on the board? BD: I have been involved with Dahlem for 32 years...since the beginning. On the board, I serve as the chair of the Wickwire Farm Com-mittee. Q. Do you volunteer with any other organiza-tions? If so, what? BD: I volunteer for Jackson County Parks Asso-ciation, Planned Parenthood, Jackson Interfaith Peacekeepers, Jackson County Democratic Women’s Caucus, Friends of Dahlem, GREAT, Jackson Area Outdoor Coalition, Hanover-Horton Area Historical Society, and Cascades Humane Society/Friends. I am also an “inactive” member of many other local and na-tional organization. Q. What do you find most enjoyable about being on the board at Dahlem? BD: Working with people that are interested in promoting environmental education. Q. What do you like to do for fun (hobbies)? BD: Reading and Gardening Q. What is your favorite book? BD: Al Gore, “The Assault on Reason”

People for Wildlife Column

Sometimes you find inspiration in the funniest places. I was watching sports yester-day and a football coach said one of the best lines I have ever heard. The quote, attributed to barrier breaking baseball player Jackie Robinson, was “Life is only as good as the amount of people you can impact”. It is im-portant that as we move along our life’s jour-ney we try to make this a better place to live. Todd Zeller has demonstrated this with his determination to see the Falling Waters Trail become reality. John Lane does it by always having a smile for us and by making any item we ask him to with his carpentry skills. Thanks again John for the platform feeder, it’s a great addition to the feeding station here at the center. Many members of The Dahlem Conservancy use their love of nature to im-pact our lives. Friends do to; Kay Charter has impacted me more than she will ever know. Nancy and I have started changing over at the farm from non-native ornamentals to native alternatives. We will be switching to shade grown coffee in order to help lessen the im-pact we have on migrating birds when they reach their wintering grounds. Look for more on this topic in my next column. Okay off the soap box, well maybe one other subject. Re-member to clean your feeder periodically. A monthly cleaning is the best way to stop the spread of bird disease; a clean feeder is a happy and healthy bird. If you can not do it that often at lease twice a winter is a must. With the holidays fast approaching it can only mean that the Christmas Bird Count is right around the corner. Join Jackson Audu-bon for this annual event that helps gather data to be used in determining national trends in avian population numbers and distribution. Become a “Citizen Scientist” on December 15th and help us count. If you can not make the count, come join us at Streak’s Eatery in (Vandercook Lake near the McDevitt Road exit off 127 South) at 6:30 p.m. for the count tally and stories of great bird sightings. You may also participate in Project Feeder Watch which began November 10th and runs until April . For more detai ls go to www.birds.cornell.edu. Michigan Audubon also has a joint feeder watch program with the Kalamazoo Nature Center called Winter Bird Feeder Survey. This is the 31st year of the project, for more information call the Michi-gan Audubon office at 517-886-9144 or you can call me here at Dahlem to discuss the details. Gary Siegrist People for Wilife

Rare Whooping Crane at Haehnle

Whooping Crane feeding with Sandhill Cranes. Photo by Tom Hodgson

Photo by Tom Hodgson

Photo by Lathe Claflin

A rare and wayward Whooping Crane has found its way to Michigan Audubon’s Phyllis Haehnle Me-morial Sanctuary. It is believed that approxi-mately 1,400 Whoop-ing Cranes existed in 1860. Their population declined because of hunting and habitat loss until 1941 when the last migrating flock dwindled to all-time low of 15 birds. They have become one of the success stories of nature by increasing to the present day world population of around 450 (that in-cludes the captive breeding population). With this bird coming into the sanctuary for the last 3 weeks it has generated lots of ex-citement with the peo-pl e tha t enj oy Haehnle. Ron Hoff-man, director of Haehnle Sanctuar y was the first to see the bird in Jackson County. And though he’s far from the flight path followed by most of the other whoopers that summer in Wis-consin, it seems likely that he’ll migrate to Florida with the San-dhill Cranes, Ron says. It’s also possible that he will make his way back to the sanctuary next year. For more information contact Gary Siegrist here at Dahlem.

Thank You to the Following For Their Generous Donations:

“Little Acorns” theme for December is “Nature’s Winter

Wonderland”

“Little Acorns” is a hands-on program for toddler (aged 4 and under) children to ex-plore the wonders of nature. This program is for toddlers and their parent (or favorite adult) to explore and learn about nature. This program will consist of three one-hour sessions every Monday from 10-11AM. The first program will begin on Monday, Decem-ber 3 (no program on 24th and 31st). Each week there will be a walk outside at the Dahlem Center and then a craft will be made to take home! Our topic for December will be: “Nature’s Winter Wonderland”. Chil-dren (and adults) will learn about what goes on in the winter, such as hibernation and animal tracks in the snow. *Cost of the program is $25 per month for members and $35 for non-members. *Space is limited so sign-up is required. For more information or to register, contact The Dahlem Center at 517-782-3453. *Unless it is raining we will be going outdoors so children (and adults) should dress accord-ingly. However, the craft will usually be done indoors. *Parents/Adults participating in this program are free. *Parent/Adult participation is required.

We Welcome the Following New Members

Members Corner Thanks to the Following for Renewing Their Memberships

Tara Brady Sam Durocher Dale & Meredith Fay Dykstra & Phyllis Heinze Randy & Heather Hill Russell & Debbie Hill Sharon Joslin Julianne Rumler Glen & Marianne Susor Sandra Sweet Mary Williams

Dave Bosio Craig & Diane Brush Pam Colby Suzanne Gaertner Carol Lee Gates Ann Green Maurice & Dorothy Huffer Carolyn Kaminski Jann & Gary Krupa Herbert Louis Bev & Ted Magee

Michael & Pamela Mathews Paul & Mary Matteson Dan Messerly James & Betsy Meyer Patricia & Earl Miller Roy & Betty Rider Edward & Eleanor Rockwell Harold & Barbara Winters Hank & Lynn Zavislak

In Memory of Cindy Bosio David Bosio In Memory of Marlene Henry Bill Cooke Bob & Allie Mae Henning Colvin & Kristine Matthews Conway Oren South Jackson Community Church _____________ Craig & Diane Brush Ruth Crites Don & Betty Depew Dorothy M. Blakely Foundation Dorothy Dyer Dr. David & Mrs. Eggert Friends of Dahlem Suzanne Gaertner Ann Green Maurice & Dorothy Huffer Jackson County Conservation District

David Knigh Herb Louis Nancy McCormack James & Betsy Meyers Rebecca Jo Petersen James & Barbara Rocco Lisa & Kurt Rudolph Sage Foundation Inman Vandry Dick & Dolores Walbrecq Hank & Lynn Zavislak Gifts in Kind Jackson Women Garden Club - Large Garden Cart Jan Kaywood - Two Bluebird Houses Dorothy Shultz - Assorted Nature Books Diggers Garden Club - tree/plantings/ trellis/mulch for gathering patio

Dahlem Education Programs Wish list… • Set of Bird Study Skins • Mammal Mounts • Taxidermy Services • Foam Core Board • High Quality Photo Paper • Portable Display Boards • Complete Set of ID guides

(published after 1990) birds, trees, etc.

• Camping Gear - tent, sleeping bags, pads (excellent condition only)

Dahlem “Gathering Patio” Dedication

Bernard (standing right) & Louise Riggs (seated) were honored with a stone for all they have given to Dahlem

The new gathering patio, located between the exhibit and classroom buildings was dedicated on November 11th with twenty-six people attending. This event also honored Louise and Bernard Riggs with a special commemorative stone recognizing them for their generous donation of the Fannie Beach Arboretum, gateway to the Dahlem Center. The patio was installed in August 2007 and contains central & side planters and feature engraved pavers placed in mem-ory or honor of someone special. The patio has been a wonderful place for students and hikers to gather before and/or after field trips or hikes. Bricks or granite pavers may be purchased to place in the area with all proceeds benefiting The Dahlem Conservancy Endowment Fund.

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID

JACKSON, MI PERMIT NO. 36

The Dahlem Conservancy 7117 S. Jackson Rd. Jackson, MI 49201 www.dahlemcenter.org

Tips for an Eco-Friendly Holiday Season As the song goes, it’s “the most wonderful time of the year.” But what most Americans don’t realize is that the holiday season is also one of the most challenging times of the year for the environment, generating wasted energy, added pollutants and millions of tons of extra trash.

1. Give a Gift that actually means something. • Consider an “experience” gift: Gift certificates, tickets to an event, or an offer to help a friend clean out a closet don’t require any wrapping, and they definitely won’t end up in the garbage, unlike that dancing snowman novelty mug that, at the time, seemed so perfect for your wife.

• Buy something sustainable, organic, and environmentally friendly: From fair trade, bird-friendly coffee to organic flowers or local fruit, there’s something for everyone. Make a statement with the choice and brand.

2. Avoid automobiles, and maybe planes and trains too • Plan your holiday errands in advance to minimize your time behind the wheel, and use public transportation whenever possible. • Offset: If you’re daring enough to brave holiday air travel, consider purchasing carbon offsets along with your ticket, helping to minimize the negative environmental effects of flying.

3. Wrapping it up • Holiday cards as gift tags: Instead of buying gift tags, use last year’s holiday cards. Cut them out in interesting shapes and sizes, and write your “to” and “from” on the flip side.

• All that artwork that your kids bring home can be put to excellent use during the holidays. Use it to wrap presents, or use brown paper bags that your kids can help decorate. Source: The Nature Conservancy. For more tips, visit www.nature.org