 Newly marked trails provide a guide to seeing our feathered friends Together with a group of local birding experts, the Newaygo County Tourism Council is excited to announce the launch of the Newaygo County Birding Trail, a new attraction designed to highlight the region's rich biodiversity and scenic landscapes. This trail is expected to draw birding enthusiasts and nature lovers from across the state and beyond, offering a unique opportunity to explore the area's natural beauty while supporting the local economy. The Newaygo County Birding Trail, a collaborative effort between local birding experts Charles Chandler, Andrea and Terry Grabill and Marie Rust and the Newaygo County Tourism Council, features over 30 easily accessible sites throughout Newaygo County, where visitors can observe a wide variety of bird species in their natural habitats. Birding, one of the fastest-growing outdoor recreational activities in the United States, is a significant contributor to both conservation awareness and local economies. The Newaygo County Birding Trail is designed to capitalize on this trend, offering birdwatchers a chance to see species like the Bald Eagle, Sandhill Crane, and Scarlet Tanager, among many others. "Newaygo County is home to some of the most diverse bird populations in the region," said Terry Grabill, local birding expert and Newaygo County Birding Trail committee member. "The trail not only highlights these incredible species but also encourages conservation efforts and fosters a deeper appreciation for our natural environment." In addition to its ecological importance, the Newaygo County Birding Trail is expected to have a positive impact on local tourism. Birdwatchers, hikers, and nature photographers are anticipated to visit the area, benefiting nearby hotels, restaurants, and other businesses. "Tourism is a vital part of Newaygo County's economy, and the Birding Trail is a wonderful addition to our offerings," said Julie Burrell Newaygo County Tourism Council Board President,, "We look forward to welcoming visitors who are eager to experience the natural beauty and hospitality that our community is known for." The trail, suitable for beginners to experts, includes several designated birding sites, each will be equipped with informational signage and observation points. The first sign was installed this week, at the Newaygo County Welcome Center, 4684 Evergreen Drive, Newaygo, MI 49337. The remaining signs will be installed over the next few months, but the public is welcome to visit the birding sites now. The Newaygo County Birding Trail is possible thanks to collaboration from partner site locations and funding from the Fremont Area Community Foundation. Maps and guides are available online at newaygocountyexploring.com  Northern Parula photo courtesy of Darrell Lawson
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 Article and photo by Donna Iverson There’s a new historic herb garden in downtown Muskegon. A Herbal Potager garden has recently been planted in front of a depression-era house at 500 Clay Avenue. The house is located next to the Scolnik House near the historic fire barn museum. It is also a few steps away from both the Monet Garden and the Heritage Memorial Garden. All are Muskegon historic landmarks, open to the public. The historic house and herb garden is owned by Koryn and Troy Wyman of Grand Rapids.They enlisted Lynn Bryant of Lovage Garden to install a garden that was low maintenance, drought resistant, and in keeping with the neighborhood’s rich history. She chose to plant a potager. The word potager comes from Medieval French and literally means, "a garden that provides vegetables for the pot,” according to Bryant. “You may have heard the word "potager" at some point in gardening circles,” Bryant said. A potager garden is a French kitchen garden that traditionally combines vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs for culinary purposes. Medieval gardeners sited their potagers close to the kitchen so the harvest could be brought in and used in that day's meals. For the modern version, Bryant chose a combination of culinary herbs like savory, marjoram, oregano, thyme, lemon thyme, chives, sage, sorrel, dock, fennel, parsley, tarragon, lemon balm, lavender and basils. She also planted echinacea, bee balm, rose, yarrow, anise hyssop, and various grasses, sedges and shrubs. This herbal potager will include salad greens in the fall and spring. Currently the owners are renovating the inside of the house, which will be divided into four apartments, Bryant continued. One unit will be kept for the owners, while the other 3 will be monthly rentals. The family hopes to rent to visiting nurses. Bryant has been a gardener since she was a child. “I grew up on a farm in mid-Michigan, and graduated from Saginaw Arthur Hill High. I've always been growing something in anything that would hold soil. I am always learning, the world of plants is just fascinating.” Bryant lives in North Muskegon where she grows native Michigan flowers in addition to herbs and vegetables. “I guess I have my own potager garden! My favorite herb is...Lovage! Lovage grows deep and tall, is a favorite of pollinators and its leaves taste very strongly of celery. Every time someone tastes it, they always exclaim, "Oh Wow!,” she said. You can check out Lovage Garden at lovagegarden.com, which specializes in herb gardens and native landscapes.
Latest novel featuring Emily Hartford to be discussed
Live @ the Library, a series of events including author visits and special presentations is welcoming back local author Jennifer Dornbush on Tuesday, October 29th at 7:00 p.m. to present the fourth book in The Coroner's Daughter Mysteries Series! Jennifer is a screenwriter, author, international speaker, and forensic specialist. In her newest book, Frozen Lives, Emily Hartford finds herself pulled back upstate during a wintery March when a boy goes missing on the frigid shores of Lake Michigan. Emily solidifies her role as the coroner's daughter when she puzzles out a madman's chilling machinations. Risking everything dear to her, Emily is determined to go the icy distance and end his killing spree. Books will be available for purchase at this event.  Got Plants?
By Sally Wagoner, Newaygo County Environmental Coalition The public is welcome to the Wild Ones Newaygo Region inaugural meeting and fall native plant sale on Saturday, September 28, 2 pm – 4 pm. It will be held at the Newaygo County Environmental Coalition (NCEC) location, 432 Quarterline St, Newagyo, 49337 (Newaygo UCC). Registration is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. Click here to register: Wild Ones Plant Sale Register Wild Ones Natural Landscapers is a national nonprofit environmental education and advocacy organization that promotes native plants in yards, gardens, parks and natural areas. Wild Ones Newaygo Region is a new Seedling Chapter dedicated to helping local community members preserve biodiversity through sustainable landscapes. “Fall is the best time to add native plants to your yard and garden,” stated Katie Clark of NCEC. “We will have native plants from Michigan genotypes, those that are best adapted to our area, grown by Big Bluestem Farm in Bitely. We will also be able to take special orders and deliver plants to the area within a couple of weeks. And if you have questions about which native plants will grow best in your area, we will be able to help with that as well.” “At this event, you'll also learn about Wild Ones Newaygo Region. We invite community collaboration in planning the direction of our Chapter, and in creating events and programs that will help increase knowledge and practice of native plant biodiversity in our region,” added Katie. Larry Messing, the current interim Wild Ones Newaygo Region Chair, is eager to bring on members to this new Seedling Chapter. If someone is already a general Wild Ones member, or a member of a regional chapter, they can move their membership to your Newaygo Region chapter to help it grow. Wild Ones members will receive a special discount on plants at this event. Memberships can be purchased at the event. For more information, contact [email protected], or visit https://newaygoregion.wildones.org/.
Author Charlie McLravy Presents The Pink Pony at Fremont Library Monday
Live @ the Library, a series of events including author visits and informational presentations at Fremont Area District Library is happy to host local author Charlie McLravy as he presents his book series The Pink Pony. Charlie McLravy is the author of the highly acclaimed five (soon to be six) book Burr Lafayette legal thriller series. The Pink Pony, the first book in the series, recently won first prize in the Global Book Awards. It takes place on Mackinac Island and all of the books in the series are pure Michigan. Books will be available for purchase at this event. This event will be held in the Fremont Library’s Community Room on Monday, September 23rd at 7:00 p.m.
This month, when you sign up for a Fremont library card, (all ages, including babies) you'll get a canvas drawstring library tote bag (while supplies last), and be entered into the raffle drawings! The raffle prize for adults is a Kindle Fire HD 10, and both a child and a teen will be chosen to win a $50 Visa gift card! Please note you must live in the Fremont service area, have your driver’s license or State I.D., or a current utility bill if you’ve just moved to get a Fremont card. We can't wait for you to get your library card!  Photo and article by Donna Iverson Looking to try something new in your garden next year? Consider growing hops. Hops are a native perennial plant that can live 25 to 50 years. Hops have many uses in addition to brewing beer. The yellow-green cone shaped pods (flowers) produced by the hops can be eaten, used medicinally or even provide a shade barrier for your patio or porch The tomatillo-sized hop cones can be tossed in salads or sprinkled on pizza. They can be used to season stews, soups or baked goods. More intriguing culinary ideas can be found at https://www.duluthpack.com/blogs/great-recipes-for-cooking-with-hops/ Brewed in tea, hops are said to relieve headaches and serve as a muscle relaxant and pain reliever. Scientists are studying them for their psychoactive properties and to treat anxiety, depressions, ADHD and sleep disorders. A word of caution: hops are high in estrogen and can cause dizziness in some people. Best to check with your doctor before embarking on self treatment. To grow hops, you will need a fairly large area with loamy well drained soil that is slightly acidic. A strong trellis is required as hops can grow 10 inches a day when conditions are favorable. They will not produce flowers the first year. On the downside, they require a lot of water and fertilizer. For more on growing hops, check out www.almanac.com/plant/hops As for history, colonists began cultivating wild hops as early as 1628 in New England. Settlers brought them west to Michigan and eventually as far as the west coast. Lastly, maybe you do want to try brewing your own beer. If so, check out www.homebrewersassociation.org  Article and photo by Donna Iverson
There is a lot to be said for bucket gardening. It’s cheap. It’s funky. It doesn’t take up much space. It eliminates weeding. Kids love it. And it can be moved around when needed. For example, the buckets could be put in the shade in the spring and early summer for growing lettuce. And then moved to a sunny area to grow tomatoes when the weather heats up. If you are new to container gardening, you can start out small. A neighbor grows a single tomato plant on his deck in the summer every year. Free 5-gallon buckets can often be gotten from local restaurants. But be wary of buckets that may have previously contained toxic substances. To be extra safe, purchase inexpensive buckets at most hardware and big box stores. Wherever you get them, wash them out with soap and water before planting. The most difficult part of bucket gardening is preparing the buckets. They need holes in the bottom to allow water to drain. For this you will need a drill and knowledge of how to use one. If you don’t know how to use a drill, enlist the help of a friend or relative who does. The bucket will need about a dozen small holes in the bottom and around the bottom edge. For more detailed instruction, check out https://www.ehow.com/how_5724150_put-holes-plastic-bucket.html Next, fill the bucket with potting soil, which can be purchased or made yourself. Making your own potting soil can be challenging and there are dozens of contradictory instructions on the web for how to do it. One big disagreement is whether or not to use peat moss. Environmentalists oppose the harvesting of peat moss as it degrades habitat and contributes to global warming. England has banned the collection of peat moss beginning next year. One gardener with relevant discussion and instruction for homemade potting can be found at: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/04/homemade-potting-soil-recipe.html During the summer months, you will need to keep your buckets watered and add a slow release fertilizer for food. Plants that tolerate growing in buckets include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, carrots and herbs. Throw in a few marigolds to keep the bad bugs at bay.  Article and photo by Donna Iverson In the summer, fresh salad greens are difficult to come by as they grow best in cool weather. For example, the arugula in my community garden bed has gone to seed. And its leaves are no longer tart but bitter. In August, I find my greens at the local farmers market instead. Often that means purchasing a bag of mixed greens, which in summer contains a lot of oak and red leaf lettuces and tatsoi. Tatsoi is an Asian leafy green variety in the cabbage family. It is a close cousin to the better known bok choy. You can identify it by its large spoon-shaped leaves. Tatsoi has a sweet nutty flavor and is high in vitamins and calcium. It contains twice as much calcium as milk. In the garden, you can plant Tatsoi seeds in late summer. It needs about 3 to 5 hours of direct sunshine. When harvesting, pick the larger outer leaves first and add it to salads or stir fries. It is a cut and come again veggie. If you are a container gardener, it needs a minimum two gallon pot. Other Asian greens you might like to try are Muzuna, Choy sum, Gai lan (broccoli), Gai choy (mustard) and Ong choy (spinach).  The Fremont Area District Library will continue to offer fun and educational events this summer. Just a reminder that Summer Reading for adults and teens ends on August 1st, and children can continue turning in their reading logs until August 10th. Here’s what’s coming in August:
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