.jpg)
On the last day of January, the 2025 calendar draws attention and development. Thoughts connect past, present, and future. Last night just before settling down, quiet was interrupted by our dog racing from door to door and barking loudly. Something was outside and she knew it. We couldn’t see or hear the “something.”
She finally settled down and we slept. This morning on our walk, some clues to last night’s mystery were discovered. Pulling on the leash, smelling out signs, and following every track, trail and marking led us. The evidence drew her attention and led our investigation.
Shortly before turning back, “something” caught her attention. With her direction interest as a pointer, finally a wolf appeared traveling across beyond the trees toward a neighbor’s house. This portion of its travel route is part of many pathways regularly used by wolves, foxes, deer and probably other inhabitants of our neighborhood.
Years of experiences and exploration give an identity to this area in my mind. Property boundaries form a core that extends to the reach of experiences and memories. Even though the water of river or lake doesn’t determine the edges of this area, in my mind an “island” continues to exist and develop within the surrounding landscape.
Leaving January and looking ahead to the 2025 calendar, many islands come to mind. Anyone can think of places that are special to them. Property owned, home places, annual visits, destinations, public areas, seasonal cabins, and even workplaces become special due to time, experiences, design and expectations.
READY – SET – 2025 The pictures attached to this article were taken during last summer. One island among the almost countless islands in Burntside Lake was examined and continues to be researched. There are not currently any developments on the island, but it was previously in private ownership and has a story to explore and describe.
Plants (native and invasive) were inventoried and listed. Now, 6 months later, that information combined with considerations of the island’s life form, ecology, history, location, surrounding area, management options and potential uses, a management plan for the island will develop in 2025.
This island along with many “islands” of human experience are under consideration during 2025 to assess their stories and future relationships to owners and visitors. We all have these places in mind and have our own resources available while seeking additional knowledge and community assistance from others to further the vision that is right for your mind’s “islands”.
This pictured island has people who care about it. They will work together during the coming months to acquire and share information, ideas, values, and guidelines for management. The initial actions they take with the island, its visitors, and the owners’ interests in mind will combine to shape this place and life on this island.
Each person reading this article has “islands” in mind. A sense of each space no matter how small or encompassing. An office, garage, home, property, community, campground, campsite, vacation site, cabin etc. are examples of places with potential personal significance. In addition,
“islands in mind” may be organizations, businesses, agencies, missions, causes, public issues all of which involve working with others for outcomes, visions, goals or objectives.
In future articles, we will find ways to investigate, study, explore and contribute living with and within islands. My focus and the Ely Field Naturalists efforts involve curiosity, understanding the environment and life around us, and explaining to others.
February will begin with winter activities and preparation for future months.
