Blade Outdoors

Outdoors shouldn't be a foreign land to kids

 An organization called the Outdoor Foundation recently took a close look at how kids spend their time away from school, and the results of that study do more than wrinkle the adult brow. The survey found that the average child is spending about 35 hours per week parked in front of the television, and more time motionless while staring at the computer screen, or the face of a smartphone. Those are some scary numbers.

  There's even more trouble in the results of the study, since fewer than 25 percent of the kids surveyed took part in some kind of daily physical activity. You don't have to be a math whiz to understand that means three-quarters of our children are in some kind of premature sedentary lifestyle. That can't be good for their health -- present or future.

  With all of the fishing, hiking, swimming, camping, biking and general outdoors frolicking opportunities we have in our area parks, beaches and public areas, it would be nice to see that trend reversed. For at least a few hours a day, ban the remote, disengage the Internet, and get those kids outside. Their minds and bodies will benefit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wayward lake trout creates a buzz

When Canton angler John Deem reeled in a feisty, silver-sided fish in Lake Erie's western basin recently, everyone aboard the 32-foot "Room For More" charter boat looked puzzled. They had seen plenty of walleyes, perch, white bass, sheephead, catfish, smallmouth bass and even an occasional steelhead come from the lake, but never anything that looked like this fish. A few calls and cell phone pictures confirmed it was a lake trout -- an extremely rare catch in the shallow and warm western end of Lake Erie. Lake trout prefer deep, cold water, so a few are present in the big lake's eastern end, with larger populations found in the Upper Great Lakes. Details on Deem's chance encounter with the laker are in today's sports section, along with a photo of the fish.

Lake Erie walleye lure fishermen from historic hot-spots

The walleye has been one of the top sport fish in the state of Wisconsin for as long as there have been fishermen. Anglers from throughout the Midwest have made regular trips to the Badger State to work its many lakes and waterways in pursuit of walleyes. That fact is what makes a recent observation related to Lake Erie so revealing. On a mid-week trip to South Bass Island State Park to research a story on that picturesque campground, I was shocked to see every space in the parking lot at the boat ramp packed with trucks and boat trailers. Nearly every one of the two dozen rigs had Wisconsin tags. These fishermen -- likely a Wisconsin-based club -- had driven those rigs to Ohio from Wisconsin at considerable expense, paid to have their full-size pickups pulling boat and trailer transported to the island by ferry, and then spent a fair amount of money to stay out on the lake. There's only one possible explanation -- the walleye fishing here must be the best in the world.

Fishing derby carries on Drew's mission

A year ago, Ken Drew was treating 70-some kids in Fostoria to a free fishing derby. Later in the day, he played with his grandchildren and then took them fishing, too. That night, the 54-year-old bait shop owner stretched out on the couch, watched his beloved Buckeyes for a bit, then dozed off and died in his sleep. Drew's life and his zest for sharing the joy of fishing with everyone will be celebrated on Saturday when his widow Stephanie and a bunch of other fans of Drew who share his passion for fishing will host another fishing derby, this time in his honor. There will be prizes, a community picnic following the morning derby, music and fun for all. Registration takes place from 8 to 9 a.m., with fishing until around 11 a.m. The event will be held at Lake Mottram and Lake Lamberjack, also known as reservoirs 2 & 3, with the awards ceremony and picnic in the adjacent city park.

 

Blue Weekend schedule packed with the color of Oak Openings

Blue Weekend 2012 is a hiking, biking, educational and entertainment package of activities intended to create widespread awareness of the Oak Openings area. A partial list of the activities is below. The event runs Thursday through Sunday at a wide range of sites in Ohio and Michigan.

Thursday, May 17, 6:30 p.m.  Savanna Saunter and Stewardship, ODNR, Mielke Road Savanna. Explore the area, search for Karner Blue, work on removing invasive species. Bring: work gloves, drinking water, 1-2 big trash bags, and shovel or trowel. Wear long pants and closed shoes.

Friday, May 19 at the IHM campus, 610 Elm St., Monroe, Mich.:

6 p.m.: Explore the physical and spiritual connection to the landscape around us on a tour of the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) campus.

7:30 p.m.: lecture on “The Oak Openings Flora and Modern Systematic Biology” presented by Tony Reznicek of the University of Michigan

Saturday, May 19:

All Day: Native Plant Sale at Kitty Todd Preserve

10 a.m.: Family Time with the Frogs, Salamanders and Snakes of Irwin Prairie, at Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve

11 a.m.: Kitty Todd Tour with Tony Reznicek, starting from the office at Kitty Todd

Noon -- 5 p.m.: Oak Openings Blues Photo Exhibit, National Center for Nature Photography, Secor Metropark

Noon -- 6 p.m.: Sand to Glass: Metroparks and The Toledo Museum of Art. Meet at the Oak Openings sand dunes to learn about natural glass before traveling on their own to The Toledo Museum of Art for a tour of the Glass Pavilion. The program concludes by creating your own glass flower as a reminder of this unique outing. Registration required at 419-254-5771 ext. 7432.

1 p.m.: The Geology, Ecology and Restoration of Irwin Prairie Irwin State Nature Preserve, lecture by Todd Crail, University of Toledo

2 p.m.: Oakwoods Winged Wonders, Oakwoods Metropark Nature Center  17854 Savage Rd, Belleville, Mich. Walk through the Certified Monarch Waystation, a 5-acre area designated as suitable Monarch habitat. Bring binoculars.

3 p.m.: Butterflies of the Oak Openings, Kitty Todd Preserve, Jan Dixon & Jackie Riley speak, followed by a self guided hike.

8:30 p.m.: Bats of the Oak Openings, Toledo Memorial Cemetery, with Maureen Schell of ECO Discovery! Meet at Treo in Sylvania and walk to the Toledo Memorial Cemetery to discover what bats call the Oak Openings Region home .

Sunday, May 20 

All Day:  Native Plant Sale, Kitty Todd Preserve

7 a.m.: Bird Banding, Kitty Todd Preserve, with Jeremy Ross of Bowling Green State University. Meet at the Kitty Todd office then go into the field to view capture nets, then watch banding at the station near the office. Wear field appropriate clothing. Kids encouraged to attend.

7:30 a.m. : Oak Openings Birds, Kitty Todd Preserve, with James Cole of TNC. Bring field appropriate clothing and binoculars for a hike.

9 a.m. – noon: Volunteer Adventures, Southview Oak Savanna, with Erika Buri of The Olander Park System. Join in to help restore wildlife habitat in Sylvania. Wear long pants and bring gloves if you have them. Meet at the Olander Park Maintenance Building. Registration at 419-882-8313, extension 29.

9 a.m. – 11 a.m.: Cooridor Exploration with Tim Schetter, Irwin Prairie SNP. Be one of the first to walk the Oak Openings Corridor on a rigorous off-trail adventure through three miles of newly preserved lands. Starts at Irwin Prairie SNP and ends at Kitty Todd Preserve. Bring insect repellant and a water bottle.

2 p.m.: Karner Blue Butterfly Project at the Petersburg State Game Area with Jenny Finfera of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and  Mike Losey of TNC. Learn about the work the Green Ribbon Initiative does and how it manages in landscapes where there are rare and endangered species.

4 p.m.: Invasive Species Workshop, Kitty Todd Preserve. Outdoors demonstrations and a short hike.

4 p.m.: Fire Ecology in the Oak Openings, Kitty Todd Preserve, with Steve Woods of TNC

7:30 p.m.: Bonfire and Bluegrass, Kitty Todd Preserve, with TNC volunteers Jim and Janet Toppin, and the Root Cellar String Band. Music, hot dogs and marshmallows.

Bird bonanza draws no fair weather crowd

It was raining hard and steady Monday morning, but that did not deter the birders who have flocked to the area for the annual spring migration of songbirds. The parking lots at Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the Magee Marsh boardwalk were still busy with traffic and displayed a wide array of license plates from across the country. With rain gear and boots on, this legion of dedicated birders were still out in numbers, hoping to see the many colorful, feathered guests that use the marsh areas along Lake Erie as a resting stop before making the long flight north across the lake. The Biggest Week in American Birding continues through Sunday, with events throughout the region.

Private property has earned that name

There have been a few calls to the outdoors desk recently about a rash of private property issues. Seems that a tiny minority of river fishermen, mushroom hunters, bird watchers and wild turkey hunters are making it tough for everyone by ignoring private property signs, or just wandering off public grounds without regard for the rights of adjacent property owners. This is a gentle reminder that if a property is posted, stay out. If there are no signs, assume it is private and stay out. Public parks, recreation areas and wildlife refuges have well-marked boundaries, so please stay inside those lines of demarcation. It will make things better for all of us who enjoy the outdoors, and keep your name out of the sheriff's report.