News from the Rum River Watershed

Volume #3 Issue #2
Spring 2007
Good Timing!!

Contents:

 This Issue: Phenology – On the Timing of Things.

 May/June Issue: Environmental Groups in Central and
East Central Minnesota
 July/August Issue: Friends of the Paraguay River/Friends
of the Rum River partnership - Global Warming in the
Subtropics
 September/October Issue: Sportsmen’s Clubs: Their Role
in the Natural Environment
 November/December Issue: Native American History
along the Rum River

From the Editor:

“Phenology” – a buzzword – referring to the study of the timing of natural events. Totally fun! To
watch for the return of the first robin or red-winged black bird, to find the first bloodroot opening
its delicate, waxy white flowers – or my favorite (pictured below) – the marsh marigolds, or
cowslips, appearing first thing after winter in the natural spring by the lake below our house. Life
seems so extra marvelous and wonderful during this time.

How about introducing another word, also one of my favorites: “chronobiology.” Again, this
refers to the timing of events within the lives of living things. Not only seasonal, however, but
sometimes within a smaller time frame, perhaps not related to day length – it can refer to the
small two-hour window of time during which a species of winged insects mate, exactly 4 feet
above the ground – no higher, no lower. Another very similar species may mate at the same
time – but 6 feet above the ground, which is why the two become distinct species. Or, maybe
they just mate two hours later, same height above the ground, but for that reason become two
types of insects. “Windows of time”… that concept has always awed me since I first heard of it.
Often stuff doesn’t have to be accomplished at an exact hour or on an exact day, but within an
open time period. I now feel less constrained by deadlines.

Sometimes I marvel just at how things always seem to happen at the “perfect” time, even
among human relationships. Meeting a friend from home by chance on a different continent; or
coming up with an idea that compliments someone else’s that you meet at a restaurant – so that
suddenly two-and-two are added together and – Eureka! A light bulb goes off and we
understand something new…

Of course, sometimes it seems that everything

happens at the “wrong” time, and it seems that
your whole life is falling apart. But, not really, in
the end, if you hang in there, I believe you will
find out that it is all “perfect” timing.

Phenology, chronobiology – read on to pick up on

some great insights by two great observers of
natural events, Dave Crawford, naturalist at Wild
River State Park in Chisago County, and Jim
Gilbert, curator of the arboretum at Gustavus
Adolphus College in St. Peter. Enjoy!
 News from the Rum River Watershed September/October 2006 2

Looking Back 20 Years…

January 6, 1986 – A foot of snow covers the ground in the Twin Cities where the low temperature was –
15 degrees Fahrenheit and the high reached –2 under clear skies. This was the day that the blue jays began their
special “pump handle” spring song and they are also in their first noisy groups. Also, the first cardinal is heard
singing its “what cheer, cheer, cheer” spring song.
February 7, 1987 – Warm day! International Falls 43, Duluth 50, St. Cloud and Rochester 52, the Twin
Cities 53 and Redwood Falls 59. Gray squirrels are busy chattering and chasing, red-tailed hawks are migrating in
southern Minnesota. Great day for a picnic!
March 4, 1985 – With 10 to 15 inches of new snow across all of central Minnesota, hundreds of schools
are closed. Large numbers of Canada geese are moving into the southern part of the state.
March 5 & 6, 1987 – It’s mating season for red foxes. Killdeers call overhead and male red-winged blackbirds
are singing on territories. First new green grass seen on south slopes.
April 1, 1987 – Wood frogs heard calling in the Cambridge area. Ice-out date for Lake Eleven in
Kanabec County. April 1 & 2, 1986 – Quaking aspens are shedding pollen and sharp-lobed hepaticas can be seen
blooming in forests. The first wood ticks are found on people. American elm and pasque flowers are in bloom. Maple
syrup producers are pulling taps.
May 2, 1986 – The first rose-breasted grosbeaks return; they winter from Mexico to northern
South America. May 3, 1987 – The University of Minnesota Arboretum lilac collection is at overall bloom peak.
The Rum River at Princeton is 53 degrees. Statewide, 63% of the field corn is planted, compared to only 3% a year
ago and the 5-year average of 11%.
June 2, 1986 – Far into the night those moving gold specks of life called lightening bugs or fireflies can
be seen on the wing. June 6 – Lawn grasses are becoming tan-brown in color as they go into dormancy because of
lack of precipitation. June 9 – Statewide, the first cutting of alfalfa hay is 36% complete compared to the 5-year
average of 22 percent, and sweet corn for processing is 81% planted compared to the 5-year average of 78%.
July 4, 1985 – A few butternut tree leaflets are turning yellow; this is the first tree species to show
autumn color each year and reminds us that one season slides into another. The surface water temperatures of
central and southern Minnesota lakes are in the mid-70s and good for swimming. Gardeners are digging new
potatoes. July 5 – Shorebirds have begun to migrate through from the Artic; they could be adults that were
unsuccessful in nesting. This marks the beginning of the fall migration.
August 1, 1986 – Naturalist Orwin Rustad reports that about 500 white pelicans have gathered on
General Shields Lake near Faribault. The pelicans came back about a month early. August 2 – The surface
temperature of Mille Lacs Lake is 71 degrees Fahrenheit at Garrison where early goldenrods, monarda, black-eyed
Susans, and bull thistles all are blooming nicely.
September 1, 1986 – The green prime is passing, the trees and shrubs proclaim the change. Monarch
butterfly caterpillars can still be found. Chokecherry trees show much red to orange foliage. September 3 – At
the University of MN Horticultural Research Center near Victoria, some of the apple varieties now being picked,
sorted and sold include Goodland, Lakeland, Red Baron, Minjon, Wedge, Wealthy, Trail crab, Chestnut crab, and
Cranberry crab.
October 1, 1985 – Muskrats have been busy building dome-shaped winter houses in marshes and ponds.
Moose in northern Minnesota are in their rutting season, which occurs from mid-September to mid-October.
October 4 – In the cool bogs of northern Minnesota the wild cranberry fruit is ripe. October 12, 1985 – The
yellow foliage on silver maples is beautiful. In south-central Minnesota there is no harvesting of mature corn and
soybeans going on; the fields are very wet and in some cases flooded.
November 9 – Now is the time when many people witness the miracle of migration in the form of Vs of
tundra swans (formerly called whistling swans) overhead. We also have the chance to hear their muffled, musical
whistles. Thee mature swans are all white with black bills and feet… Being 3 feet tall and having a 7-foot
wingspread, they are easy to spot and identify. The tundra swans are coming from their summer range, which is
mainly north of the Arctic Circle.
December 11, 1985 – White-tailed deer bucks have begun dropping their antlers. Pine martins are
commonly seen in the Isabella area. The frost line is down 3-1/2 feet in the Faribault area.
 News from the Rum River Watershed September/October 2006 3

Cottonwoods
A tree native to the eastern half of the United States, and from southern Quebec to Manitoba in
Canada, the eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) is the largest of the poplars growing to 100 feet
with diameters of 2 to 4 feet or more. Openly grown trees often develop massive trunks and very
broad, open crowns. In the forest, old trunks are long and clear and the crowns are much smaller.
Cottonwoods stand on a shallow but very widely spread system of lateral roots. Trees planted in towns
often upheave sidewalks.

The poplars are of ancient origin and the genus name Populus probably refers to an early Roman
expression arbor populi, the people’s tree. The species word for the eastern cottonwood, deltoides,
describes its triangular or delta-like leaves. These bright, glossy green leaves are thick and coarsely
veined, have round teeth on the margins, and have flattened stems which are about as long as the leaf
blades. Each blade and stem together is 4 to 7 inches long. The flattened petioles (leaf stems) enable
the leaves to rustle easily in the wind. Just close your eyes, when a breeze is passing through nearby
cottonwood leaves, and you will get an audio sensation of rain falling.

Starting in late May and continuing into July, female eastern cottonwood trees have seed pods which
burst open sending the silky-haired seeds into the air. The seeds and their white parachutes remind us
of thistle or milkweed down in the fall, so that our early summer landscape is touched with an autumn-
like quality. There are some of us to whom the clouds of “cotton” floating through the air are the final
touch of cottonwood attractiveness. These snowy, drifting puffs with their treasure seeds are a
nuisance when they blow against window screens, and the fallen catkins clutter up lawns and sidewalks
under trees. These are only minor and temporary conditions.

The eastern cottonwood is valued for its rapid growth into an excellent shade tree. Growth may be 4
feet in height almost every year for the first 25 years. These trees are planted as ornamentals or in
shelterbelts in the treeless plains and prairie areas…. It does suffer considerable branch breakage
when growing in windy spots… but replaces such damage surprisingly fast.

The shiny, brown buds are resinous and, like the crushed leaves, have a pleasant balsam-like odor… The
wood is light, soft, and brownish, with nearly white sapwood. It warps badly in seasoning, but is used
for boxes, core for veneers, paper pulp, poles, posts, and firewood.

Many wildlife species depend on the cottonwood. Northern (Baltimore) orioles nest in its outer
branches, porcupines and beaver eat its bark, deer consume its foliage and young twigs, and songbirds
and grouse consume its buds. During its first few years, the young shoots are eagerly eaten by field
mice and rabbits. Bees gather cottonwood pollen in the spring.

*****
The above two excerpts were taken from the 1987 publication
“Through Minnesota’s Seasons with Jim Gilbert.”
From: “Cottonwoods” pp. 36 – 37; and “A Minnesota Year” pp. 129 – 198.
Used with permission from the author and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Press.
Chanhassen MN: Andersen Horticultural Library, 1987.
News from the Rum River Watershed September/October 2006 4

Science for “Regular People” or Winter Hppenings along the St. Croix River
by Park Naturalist Dave Crawford, Wild River State Park.

Prepare for illumination of changes in our weather patterns: This article was originally published (in
slightly different form) in the Winter 1993 St. Croix Riverkeepers Journal. Much has changed since
then. Read, for instance, the description of January as the month with the most consistently good
snow conditions, and then ask yourself if this has been true the last few years, as it was back in
“the old days”. As I write this, I’m looking out the window at the first “real” snowfall I’ve seen this
winter, and it’s late February. “Winter just ain’t like it used to be.” Recording phenological
observations isn’t just a day-to-day pursuit – it’s a life-long activity.

Confused by astrophysics? Overwhelmed by cellular biology? We have just the science for you.
Phenology is the science of observing natural events that occur in response to weather and
seasonal cycles. Everyone does it. You may not remember the exact date you saw the first robin of
spring last year, but you were probably at least a bit excited when you saw it. Spring brings many
such excitements.

In winter, natural events proceed at a slower pace. The days may seem to run together, with the
same birds, same gray trees, same everything for weeks at a time. Still, there are changes,
evidence of the progression of seasons.

While winter is a time of boredom and low energy for many, I look at it as the beginning of spring's
annual explosion of life. Spring begins - in a small but important way - in late December. Day
length, which has been decreasing since June, slowly begins to increase. With 3 months of winter
to look forward to at this point, it's hard to summon much enthusiasm on the basis of each day
being a few minutes longer than the one before, but every living thing exposed to this change,
including humans, responds in some way.

Listen for the first 2-note territorial calls of chickadees. Through the fall and into December this call
is virtually absent, but you'll begin to hear it in early January as the lengthening days remind
chickadees that courting season is soon to come. When I hear that call, or the sustained
"yankyankyankyank" call of white-breasted nuthatches, or the sound of woodpeckers hammering
hollow tree trunks to advertise their presence, I know spring is on the way.

Other winter and early-spring events to watch for:

January: Cold, snow, snow, cold, and more cold. Against this background, the occasional day of
close-to or above-freezing temperature is a great joy. Sunny days will bring out more courtship
songs, like the cardinal's "what cheer, cheer, cheer". Bald eagles and flocks of ducks may be seen
where open water provides a feeding refuge along the river. Trumpeter swan sightings have
increased in recent years at open water locations.

Warm days may also bring a few sleepy raccoons, skunks, or even chipmunks out for a look
'round. Watch for ice crystal halos around sun and moon as indicators of approaching storm
systems. Listen for great horned owls as they begin to establish territories and select nest sites. If
you haven't gotten your cross-country skis overhauled and ready to go, do it now: January typically
has the most consistently good snow conditions.

February: Called "Witechiwi" by the Dakota, meaning "hard month" because of declining food
stores and bitter cold which drives game animals into hiding and threatens human survival. Expect
to use more firewood to keep comfortable and consider buying a better pair of gloves. Then watch
the chickadees and other small birds at your feeders. They seem to cope just fine without central
heating or high-tech outerwear simply by fluffing up their feathers to trap more warm air. They also
 News from the Rum River Watershed September/October 2006 5

seem to eat constantly to feed their high metabolism and maintain warmth, so be prepared to
restock feeders more often this month.

Eagle sightings continue, with the possibility of early migrants heading north later in the month.
Woodchucks in New England states may get up in observance of Groundhog Day, but our locals
are sensible enough to stay in their burrows since snow cover and cold temperatures remain
forbidding obstacles. Midwinter "heat waves" are possible though, with temperatures in the forties.

More spring events in February: House sparrows (the "purple loosestrife" of the North American
bird world) and crows may begin nest-building. Aspen buds begin swelling. Horned larks show up
along roadsides in the later half of the month. Blue jays begin their bell-like territorial calls.

March: With the probability of the heaviest snows of the season, it's hard to see March as the first
month of spring, but it ushers in robins, bluebirds, grackles, and killdeers in the uplands, red-
winged blackbirds and great blue herons in the lowlands, and flocks of goldeneyes, buffleheads,
mergansers, and other waterfowl on the river. Large flocks of tundra swans pass overhead by day
and night over the space of a week or two, and sometimes rest on area lakes. Melting snow swells
the river and its tributaries.

The first wood ticks and assorted insects also put in appearances in March. Swarms of tiny
springtails darken the snow in low-lying areas on warm days. All this creepy-crawly activity, with its
promise of new generations of mosquitoes and flies, may put some people off, but I know the
bluebirds and other insect-eating birds wouldn't bother to come back here if not for this abundance
of food.

March is also one of the sweetest months. Maple sap begins running with the first period of warm
days and sub-freezing nights, and buds begin to swell slowly. By the end of the month a tap may
produce as much as five gallons of sap a day in the right weather, enough to make a pint of syrup.
Wild River and many other state parks and nature centers offer syruping programs. Sap runs
continue into April, when the earliest wildflowers put in their appearance. Look for skunk cabbage’s
unusual, hooded flower in wet places, and the first bloodroot, hepatica, and prairie buttercups on
south-facing exposures.

By the end of April we’ll be in the middle of the great tide of returning bird life, with dozens of
species of warblers and sparrows passing through, and assorted members of the flycatcher family
setting up territories and beginning to do their part to keep insect pests from overrunning the
Midwest. Then, within a few days after the end of April, expect the arrival of some of our most
brightly-colored tropical migrants: rose-breasted grosbeaks, ruby-throated hummingbirds, and
scarlet tanagers.

So, if winter sports, brisk weather, and sunlight glinting off of fresh snow crystals haven’t been
enough to cheer you up, remember, winter itself is the first sign of spring.

Friends of the Mississippi River, based out of the Twin Cities, is currently organizing its annual
paddle-a-thon to protect the Mississippi! Check www.MississippiRiverChallenge.org to sign up ASAP!

Mississippi River Challenge

August 4 & 5, 2007
First day, paddle solo or as a team from St. Anthony Falls to Fort Snelling. Stay overnight at the Fort.
Sunday, continue on to Pig’s Eye Island below St. Paul. Sign up for either Saturday or Sunday or both.
For more information, call 651-222-2193 x 19 to paddle or volunteer. Food! Music! Great fun!
News from the Rum River Watershed September/October 2006 6

Another Spring Happening… Along the Sunrise River!!

Activities of groups in neighboring watersheds are always of great interest, since many times
our activities are similar and concerns are the same. Below is a letter to the editor published in
the May 9th edition of the North Branch Post Review concerning the annual Spring cleanup of
the Sunrise River, carried out recently by the good people of Chisago County.

Sunrise River thanks cleaning crew

To the Editor:
We – the Sunrise River and Sunrise
City Park – would like to send a big
thank you to all of the individuals who
gave up their Saturday (April 28)
morning in order to remove debris from
careless anglers and picnickers. Boy
Scout Troop-135 (with Scoutmaster
Bruce Carlsted and assistant Rollie
Westman) led the charge again this
year, after camping at Wild River State
Park and biking to Sunrise. Joe,
Jeanne, Fred, and Jack Thibodeau
found the most unusual item: an old
multi-speed bicycle. Other volunteers
included: Linda Christianson, Celie and
Jeff Strother; Larry Baker; Zoey, Laura,
and Ken Geisen; Gene and Judy Paul;
Cathy Filip: Joel and Jared Peterson;
Tom Anderson and Nancy Conger;
Mark and Jeremy Nelson; Rich and
Sharon Bachman; Vicki Wyss; Randy
Keen; Ethan Herberg; TJ Wadell; Luke
Chandler; Trevor Newman; Josh
Erdman; and Rich Plessel.
We are especially happy with the
Friends of the Sunrise River, who have
adopted a new portion of the river – from
the Kost Dam to Highway 95. Keep an
eye on this group for future happenings.
About 8 cubic yards of trash were
removed by the group and hauled away
by Waste Management Northern
Wisconsin – at their expense. A number
of tires were also gleaned and disposed
of through the Chisago County Highway
and Environmental Services
Departments.
Special thanks to:
Waste Management, Inc, employees
Mark Schilttgen, Al Konrey, and Patrick
Stevens for barbecuing hamburgers and
hot dogs for all of the volunteers and for
providing soda and chips.
Muriel Kennedy for serving her warm
cake….mmm.
Hope to see you all again next spring.
Gary Noren
Sunrise Adopt-a-River
Coordinator

Way to go all you Sunrise River aficionados!

Learn more about these groups in our upcoming issue of NRRW.

Lyle Bradley of Anoka County reported that the City of Anoka

coordinated a cleanup of 26 miles of the Rum in that county –
was that last year?
Let us know when you plan to do it again!
Many of our readers may want to jump in and lend a hand.
News from the Rum River Watershed September/October 2006 7

A Saga of the Watpa Wakan, that flows from Lake Mille Lacs
145 miles South to the Great Mississippi

In the Spring you would Think that all things would be Tidy

But not in the midst of the County Isanti

Best known for a River once called the Wahkon

The Voyageurs mixed things and called it the Rum.

Now Spirits and “spirits” aren’t one and the same

Had those Trappers been looking they’d

known they were twain!

For Language, though Fluid, seldom is Fluent

And like the Rum Water, at times is Probpuent!!

(Probpuent: adj: from: nasal appendage/proboscis + P.U.)

“Isanti, Issati, Izatys, Kathio”

All Names of one Tribe, thunk the Paleskins – who knew-oh!

******

Written for a Dr. Seuss poetry contest, April 17, 2007, by the Editor.
(All I can say is, I didn’t win! -- KE )

I believe this tribe of Dakota now call themselves the “Santee,”

meaning “People of the Knife.”

Join us at our June 14 meeting to learn the full story!

News from the Rum River Watershed September/October 2006 8

Rum River meeting: Thursday, June

14, 7:00 to 8:30 pm, Anoka County
Park Bunker Hills Activity Center
Bunker Lake Blvd NW, Anoka. If you
missed our April meeting at Mille Lacs
Kathio State Park, here is another chance
to take in DNR State Park Anthropologist
Jim Cummings’ awesome presentation:
“History of the Lakes Ogechie and Mille
Lacs: Where the Rum Begins.” For more
information contact Lyle Bradley at 763-
421-1663, or Kriste Ericsson at
612-309-5838,
RumRiverNews@yahoo.com.
Spring thaw where Lake Ogechie kisses the Rum
Mission Statement:
To provide a base of knowledge that we can use to make wise decisions concerning the Rum
River Watershed, and to preserve, enhance, and enjoy its resources.

Vision Statement
To improve our ability to care for the Rum River Watershed and all of the associated
watersheds that make up the Mississippi River system.

Contact Information:
Kriste Ericsson, Editor
PO Box 82, Grandy, MN 55029
RumRiverNews@yahoo.com

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Embarking down the Watpa Wahkan towards the
great Mississippi
Online link to the newsletter:
www.millelacsswcd.org/water_group_news.htm

Stay tuned for details on

Friends of the Rum River’s
Second annual cleanup of the Rum River
to be held again from Cambridge to the city of Isanti on a
Saturday in September or October.
Wally Hed and Ralph Borchardt are putting their heads together on this one!