Friday, November 15, 2013

Season's first ice

The Gahagan blog has been quiet lately and ready to start up again. 
The last couple nights have been cold and the pond, refreshed from large amounts of fall moisture, has a skim of ice on top. 

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Another Day in the River

While large numbers of volunteers cleaned the upper AuSable River of bottles, trash carelessly left behind from a summer of use, Gahagan Preserve members did their September data collection of macro invertebrates today. The species and quantity collected provide a measure of the water quality. 
We now have a number of years of data giving a baseline. A negative change in the future can alert us of possible new pollution sources in the watershed. 
Sue Huffman and Tom Dale pick bugs from logs. 
Diane Lippert uses a net find bugs from the river bottom. 
Tracy Bosworth picks the invertebrates from the collected samples. In the coming weeks, the species will be identified under the microscopes at Kirtland College labs. 

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Wildfire at Gahagan

A small wildfire spread from the adjacent village/township recycle center onto a portion of the Gahagan Preserve.
The major lasting effect will be the scar from the plowline made to prevent further advance of the fire. The fire crossed the White trail which will be temporarily impassable because of fallen trees and the plowline.

Marsh Marigolds in full bloom

This year's exceptional marsh marigold "crop" is In full bloom in the wetlands near the gazebo.

Friday, May 3, 2013

A late spring

Last spring arrived fast and early. This Spring - not so much. As an example, check the post from April 24, 2012. The marsh marigolds were in full bloom in the wetland near the gazebo. Now look at the marigold as they looked today. You can see that they are getting ready to bloom but have not begun to open. They are about two weeks behind last year.


Saturday, April 20, 2013

Microscope projector

Thanks to a grant from Higgins Lake Foundation, Gahagan has purchased a projection system for its microscope. Our educators can now easily show the school classes the organisms collected by them from the pond.




Saturday, April 6, 2013

Spring Opener!

We're turning the cabin's water on this weekend - the first step in getting things ready for the spring school field trips.
So what is the second step?
Cleaning the cabin, removing a winter's worth of downed limbs, trees and brush from trails.
Readying the outdoor classrooms.
Doing other routine maintenance.
Come join the members on Saturday, April 20, 9am as we get it done. Thanks.