Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary

 Monday April 25 2022

Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary in southwest Michigan ~ 85 miles south from my home.  Spring is said to travel north about 100 miles per week, so Spring comes earlier to Dowagiac Woods than Grand Haven.

It was a mostly cloudy day with a few sprinkles of rain and the temperature was in the low 50’s.  It has been a cooler Spring than most years, and some plants have been a bit slower too.

Here is some of what Marie and I saw on our 1 mile walk that  took us 4 hours just because there is so much to see at Dowagiac Woods.

                                           Double Hepatica on one stem

It was a wonderful day! 

Road Trip to Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary

2011 05 09  Dowagiac Woods, Cass County Michigan.
It takes ~1 hour 40 minutes from my house to drive to Dowagiac Woods, this is a Michigan Nature Association Sanctuary. 
Link  http://www.michigannature.org/home/sancts/dowagiac/dowagiac.shtml


This is a sort of magical place, maybe because it's too far from home to visit often making it more special?  Any way it was another beautiful day to be in the woods.

This sign was near the entrance a few years ago, now it's gone.

Here are more pictures from Dowagiac Woods.

Long-spurred Violet

Buttercup, I didn't ID what kind, buttercups have shining petals.

Blue-eyed Mary

Wild Ginger

Bridge at Dowagiac Woods

Miterwort

Close-up of the Miterwort

Ohio Buckeye (Tree Flower)

          A very good day. 

Large-Flowered Trillium Blooms at Aman Park Ottawa County Michigan

May 3 2011  Aman park is covered with Large-Flowered Trillium, a native perennial wildflower of Michigan, a member of the Lily family.  This park (331 acres) is along M-45 just east of the Grand River in Ottawa County about 6 miles west of the city of Grand Rapids.

                                    Large-Flowered Trillium

Also ready to bloom are hundreds of  Virginia Bluebell also a native perennial plant, this one is part of the Borage family.

     The Virginia Bluebell were just starting to open.

               Blue Cohosh through Marie's hand lens

Even though it was quite cold (42 degrees) my sister Marie and I spent 4 1/2 hours among the wildflowers at Aman Park.  Wildflowers were blooming! 

Some of the wildflowers we saw blooming, Bloodroot, Yellow Trout Lily, Large-Flowered Trillium, Virginia Bluebells, Spring Beauty, Round-Lobed Hepatica, Wild Ginger, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Dutchman's Breeches, Squirrel Corn, Cut-leaved Toothwort, Toothwort, Blue Cohosh, Early Meadow Rue, False Rue Anemone, various violets, Wild Blue Phlox, Large-flowered Bellwort, Purple Cress, and Buttercups.  Wow that's a few.  I probably missed some.

Wild Ginger

The Shad (Serviceberry) are blooming, so is Spicebush. 

We found some young Paw Paw trees at the north end of the park with new growth on the stems, flower buds I think.

                                                Paw Paw

Back at the car we enjoyed a cup of coffee and piece of cake then went to see wildflowers at Riverside Park in Robinson Township.  Riverside Park was flooded. 

                                                   Riverside Park Ottawa County