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		<img alt="Sharing the Story" src="{filedir_5}RTL 1.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 166px; " />Fortunately the weather held out last Thursday for our community program that took participants around Au Sable&rsquo;s trails to decipher the story of our landscape.&nbsp; The program was lead by Trish Fagg, founder of Au Sable&rsquo;s environmental education program.&nbsp; Trish has been at Au Sable for 34 years and knows as well as anyone how the landscape has changed since she first arrived.&nbsp; But there was more to her story than that&hellip;</p>
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		With most of the 20 participants in attendance joining us from around Big Twin Lake, the story Trish presented of Au Sable&rsquo;s woods is also the story of their woods as well.&nbsp; It&nbsp;began with a description of the pristine wilderness that preceded European settlement and even Michigan statehood in 1837.&nbsp; Trish asked us to imagine a landscape where towering white pines dominated the expanse, where human beings were as rare a creature as the bear or wolf. &nbsp;Our story of the landscape began&nbsp;&nbsp;amongst the the ecologically mature, old growth forests.</p>
	<img alt="Calling for Birds" src="{filedir_5}RTL 2.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 166px; float: right; " />
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		Trish continued to tell of the changes undergone since that &ldquo;pristine&rdquo; moment in time.&nbsp; European trappers&nbsp;and Catholic missionaries were some of the first outsiders to move through the area. &nbsp;Their presence affected the way Native Americans had grown accustom to using the land.&nbsp; Later, loggers like Louie Sands moved through and began harvesting the great northern forests.&nbsp; Stumps on our Au Sable property, like statues to a different time, remind us of the men who labored winter after winter to log our great white pines; their body heat perhaps the only warmth emanating from the forests those cold winter months over a hundred years ago; their voices and saws perhaps the only sounds.</p>
	<img alt="Trish in the Field" src="{filedir_5}RTL 4.jpg" style="width: 166px; height: 250px; float: left; " />
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		In the aftermath of the economic boom fueled by the immense logging that took place in our northwoods, the landscape and it&rsquo;s sandy soil was primed for fire.&nbsp; Coal from the railroad ignited the dried slash and set to blaze the surrounding land.&nbsp; Stumps charred with fire scars show evidence of the intensity of the fire that spared precious few trees.&nbsp;</p>
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		As our walk continued, Trish wove the variety of plants around us into the story.&nbsp; Our forest today tells the story of succession, mosses prepare the denuded soil for grasses and sun-craving shrubs and trees.&nbsp; The aspen and birches of our forest slowly bow to climax species like white pine and red pine, the pines regaining their stature as kings and queens of the land.</p>
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		<img alt="Walking the Forested Trails" src="{filedir_5}RTL 6.jpg" style="width: 166px; height: 250px; float: right; " />In the time Trish shared with us, I was reminded how wonderfully perseverant a forest is.&nbsp; In light of near constant disturbance, whether it comes from man&rsquo;s saw or heavens lightning our landscape is constantly reworking itself, to take in stride the obstacles that are thrown at it, and to forever strive for something greater.&nbsp; In times of our own distress we should find great encouragement in that.</p>
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		Join us this Thursday for a discussion on Sportsman and Conservation.&nbsp; This event is geared more towards adults, but is appropriate for anyone with a historical itch.&nbsp; 7pm in the Lodge. &nbsp;Cookies, coffee, and lemonade provided during the talk.</p>
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		<em>Photo Credits: Collin Whitsett</em></p>
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