November flashed past like a crunchy leaf on a sudden gust of wind. It’s unfortunate for me, because November is my favorite month. It’s when the first snow whispers in, deer camp traditions unfold, great-horned owls raise their nighttime chorus, and waves of sandhill cranes sweep overhead.
But there’s so much more happening out in nature, so let’s take a virtual stroll and see what’s going on out there.
November’s Beaver Supermoon — Photos by BJ Byers
November delivered one of the most striking moon displays of the year: the Beaver Supermoon. Rivaling March’s Worm Moon for the most peculiar name, the Beaver Moon let us admire our favorite celestial stone at its closest, largest, and brightest point of the year.
The Beaver Moon’s name comes from the season’s natural rhythms. November is when beavers finish reinforcing their winter lodges and stocking them with food. Historically, it also marked the period when beaver trapping was most successful.
A prescribed fire burns at Westport Prairie.
If you look out across the landscape and notice large plumes of smoke, you’ll know that prescribed fire season is here. Prescribed fire is often used this time of year to control unwanted plants. It also encourages the growth of native species that support biodiversity. It’s an effective land management tool that we use each season at Westport Prairie and Patrick Marsh.
Prescribed fires mimic a natural process that many ecosystems have adapted to over thousands of years. In fact, if you completely removed fire from the landscape, prairies would eventually disappear.
Common Polypody Fern
When I hear the word “evergreen,” my mind jumps straight to pines, spruces, and other needle-covered trees that hold onto their foliage all year. But, evergreens aren’t limited to trees. Some ferns, like the common polypody pictured above, are evergreen too.
As the name suggests, these plants keep their leaves green through every season. They pick up photosynthesis again in spring once the temperatures begin to rise.
Sandhill cranes make their way to warmer weather.
I’ll leave you with these sandhill cranes soaring overhead. While standing in my backyard recently, I heard the bugling of hundreds of these majestic cranes in the distance. At first I couldn’t see them because they were so high up. Once they were in view, I was amazed to see how many there were!
Like many other bird species that visit Wisconsin, their stay is only temporary as they eventually flock south to warmer weather. This time of year is special because of the sheer number of cranes that pack up and head out before returning in the spring.
Finding cool things in nature is easy; you just need to get outside.