Ramps (wild leeks) and bloodroot. (A reminder to admire, photograph, but not pick, state park flora.) Photo: Pamela Miller
May! For Minnesota nature lovers, it’s a thriller. As the snow disappears (finally, eh?) and temperatures rise, the natural world explodes with life. Spring ephemerals blanket woodland hillsides. Trees soften their edges, then bud out. Apple trees turn pink. Morel mushrooms sneak up (no, friends, we’re not saying where). Newborn fawns curl quietly in the woods, happy to avoid your fancy hiking boots. And the flight and songs of busy nesting or migrating birds rule the natural world. In short, is there a better time for a walk in Frontenac State Park?
Blue-winged Teal enjoying the floodplain forest along the trail at Sand Point. Photo: Steve Dietz
Even with the flooding that has been going on, except for parts of Sand Point, all park trails are open. The campground is also open. (For more information on these and other park basics, go here.)
MAY EVENTS
Pine Loop Bird Walk. Saturday, May 6, 8 a.m.
Meet at the Ranger Station parking lot. Bring binoculars! We’ll walk along mixed prairie and forest trails to the Pine Loop and back, hoping to see a wide variety of forest- and prairie-dwelling birds. The mowed trail, about 2 miles long, is well maintained and traverses some elevation changes. This hike can take two to four hours depending upon how many birds we see, but you can exit it whenever you like. No need to register, but if you have questions, email janetmalotky@gmail.com.
Plant trees. Wednesday, May 17, 4:30 p.m.
You can help Frontenac State Park Association members with this effort, part of a larger campaign to replace the ash trees that have been cut down in the past few months after their decimation by emerald ash borer. Meet at the park’s main picnic shelter for equipment and instructions. Say! We’ll have snacks!
FSPA meeting. Thursday, May 18, 3 p.m.
Quarterly meeting of the Frontenac State Park Association at the Park’s main picnic shelter. Open to the public. Come by to meet us and listen in on what we’re up to.
Walk with a Naturalist. Saturday, May 27, 10 a.m.
A walk to open your eyes to wonders. Interpretive naturalist Bruce Ause, who for 30 years was director of the Environmental Learning Center in Red Wing, will lead the first of this year’s weekly nature walks in a high-prairie area of the park. Meet at the new restroom/shower building.
Sand Point Bird Walk. Saturday, May 27, 8 a.m.
Meet at the Sand Point Parking Lot at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Walk through the riparian forest and along the beach to Sand Point. Hope to see spring migrating warblers as well as resident birds of the forest, waterfowl, terns, gulls, and shorebirds. Bring binoculars. The trail is well maintained and flat. It can be muddy following rain. The full loop is approximately 2 miles long. When birding, this can take 2-4 hours depending upon how many birds we are seeing, but you can leave whenever you would like. No need to register but if you have any questions, email janetmalotky@gmail.com.
CITIZEN SCIENCELoggerhead Shrike. Photo: Earl Bye
What signs of spring have you seen? Photographer and frequent Park denizen Earl Bye photographed this uncommon Loggerhead Shrike migrating through on Rattlesnake Bluff and posted it to iNaturalist. We'd love to see what you've seen as well. Upload to iNaturalist or tag us on Instagram (@fspassociation).
FUN FACT OF THE MONTHFawns are best left alone. Photo: Pamela Miller
In May, after a seven-month gestation, white-tailed deer (\*Odocoileus virginianus\*) give birth, often to two fawns, each weighing about 8 pounds. The does leave the fawns lying quietly, sometimes in different spots, when they forage. If you encounter a fawn in the woods, keep any dogs away from it and leave it be – it doesn’t need your help. Fawns’ white spots last for three or four months. They nurse for several months, then remain with their mothers for the next year or so. You can tell yearling fawns by their goofy, playful behavior – they act like teenagers, which they are, in the deer world, dashing about and even doing play bows with each other.
NOT-SO-FUN FACTPhoto: Minnesota Department of Health
Yep, that’s how little a deer tick is, compared to your thumb. You’re lucky if that’s the only place you find one – on your thumb. Yes, friends, those horrible little black-legged (deer) ticks, occasional purveyors of Lyme disease, are out. Be sure to spray up with insect repellent, especially around your ankles, waist and neckline, or dress in permethrin-infused clothing before venturing into the woods. And do a thorough tick check or two afterward. For more information about ticks and how to protect yourself, MN DNR has more info here.
MORELS: MAY’S GLORIOUS GIFTMorels: Elusive May gold in our woods. Photo: Bruce Ause
No wild, edible mushroom is more fervently sought than the morel, which graces our woodland forests and fields for just a couple of weeks in May – if it’s wet enough, if air and soil temperatures are just right, and if tree and leaf debris conditions are to its liking. Morels are not easy to find, and if you’ve found any, you’re not likely to tell others, even your best buds, even your fellow Frontenac State Park Association members, where you spotted them. Where to look? You might be surprised – they pop up in some unexpected places in Frontenac State Park. If you’re hiking the park in mid-May and see one, try not to shout too loud. And as always, please pick sparsely and respectfully.
Fresh oyster mushrooms in May. Photo: Pamela Miller
Morels aren’t the only edible mushroom that pops up in May. Oyster mushrooms also emerge after good rains. And there are scores of other, nonedible fungi out there that are just beautiful to look at. (A note about morels and oysters: As with all wild edible mushrooms, they must be cooked before being eaten.)
THE BIRDS OF MAYWilson’s Warbler, Sand Point, May 17, 2022. Photo: Steve Dietz
No month is more exciting to Frontenac State Park birders than May, when waves of migrating warblers following the Mississippi flyway waft through the trees on their way north. Some stop to breed and some continue on to breeding grounds farther north. But for a few weeks in May, the park is literally hopping with warblers.
Sand Point is a particular magnet for May migrants – and those looking for them. Mid-height in the canopy along the trail, Tennessee Warblers call and American Redstarts fan their tails as they dance through the branches. Canada Warblers skulk in the low brush, with Wilson’s Warblers hopping just overhead. Ovenbirds sing their loud two-note song over and over again. Higher in the canopy, Blackburnian, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided and Blackpoll Warblers hop from branch to branch. Prothonotary Warblers forage near the footbridge and other marshy places. Farther along the trail, Northern Waterthrush are commonly seen within the reedy margins of the beach, and Palm Warblers bob their tails as they walk in the sand. Nearby, Common Yellowthroats belt out their wichety-wichety-wichety song, and Yellow Warblers sing, “Sweet, sweet, I’m a little sweet.” Other birds are active along the trail as well. An observer is unlikely to miss the many Baltimore Orioles or Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers building nests in the woods. If there are no boats or dog walkers, shorebirds and waterfowl populate the point itself. And if a person is lucky, all these sights and sounds may be backed by the ethereal song of a Wood Thrush singing from deep in the riparian forest.
Other park habitats host their own resident and migrant birds in May as well. On any of the park’s trails, you’re sure to be delighted by the sights and sounds of birds at this special time of year.
DON’T FAINT IF YOU SEE SOME GOATS IN THE PARKBuckthorn-eating goats, Rattlesnake Bluff. Photo: Steve Dietz
For a second year in a row, a herd of goats is out doing brush control and invasive buckthorn eradication in the park. Same goats, same area, a remote one high on the bluffs. If you see them, say hey, or whatever it is goats say. (According to this pretty good story about their use in southeastern Minnesota buckthorn control, they sometimes bark. And faint.)
GARLIC MUSTARD: GET RID OF IT, BUT ALSO, EAT ITGarlic mustard when it’s small and easy to pull. Photo: Pamela Miller
Late April and early May are primo times to pull invasive garlic mustard. It’s small enough and the ground is wet enough that you can pull out the whole plant, including roots, without having to dig it out.
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) was brought to the continent in the 1800s for food or medicinal purposes. It forms thick mats, especially along trails, that outcompete native plant species, and it produces chemicals that reduce the growth of native plants, thus impeding natural forest regeneration.
When removing garlic mustard, don’t just toss it on the ground or in a brush pile – its seeds will spread just fine from there. Put it in a bag, take it to a safe burning space, let it dry a bit in the bag, then burn it.
Garlic mustard has one charm – it’s delicious. Use its leaves raw in salads and all kinds of dishes. Keep some of the leaves when you pull it up and try this recipe:
Garlic Mustard Pesto. Put a cup or so of rinsed, packed garlic mustard leaves into a food processor with a cup of other good pesto greens – wild ramps are terrific (and out this time of year), and/or you can use basil, arugula or spinach (a little spinach is good because it helps mellow the sharpness of those other greens). Add 3 large cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of walnuts or pine nuts, and whirl away. Dribble in ½ cup of good olive oil and continue to process until it’s smooth. Add ¼ cup of parmesan cheese and whirl just enough to blend. Serve with pasta, rice, vegetables, potatoes or on bruschetta. You’re welcome!
OUR MONTHLY Q&ASays Jake: “Lighting a fire is an absolute blast.” Here he is caught red-hatted (never fear, it’s a prescribed burn). Photo courtesy Jake Gaster
Our inaugural monthly Q&A is with none other than Jake Gaster, Frontenac State Park Manager since 2019.
Place of residence: Lake City, MN Family: I have a beautiful wife and two daughters, ages 7 months and almost 3. We have a dog, Jasper, who is a Havanese and in reality should be classified as a cat. Background: I grew up in eastern Iowa along the Mississippi and got a bachelor’s degree in ecological science from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. Then my wife and I went up to Alberta, Canada, where I got my master’s degree in Land Reclamation and Remediation from the University of Alberta. We then went down to Texas, where I managed a biological field station (the Ecology and Natural Resource Teaching Area) for Texas A&M University. After a few years in the oppressive heat, we moved up to lovely and cool Minnesota so I could take this job. What’s your role at the park? I oversee all operations at the park, including supervising staff, leading natural resource management activities, managing the budget, enforcing state regulations, setting up contracts with vendors, paying the bills, cleaning toilets, coordinating safety at the park, and managing several state campgrounds (Frontenac, Zumbro Bottoms and Kruger). Typically, my focus tends to be more big-picture and outward-facing (i.e. neighbor relationships, three-year strategic planning). What is your favorite thing about your job? The diversity in the work. I love doing something different every day. I learn new things at work, and the general public always keeps things spicy. Also, lighting the park on fire is an absolute blast. What is the hardest thing about it? Regularly working weekends and holidays is tough. What are some of your favorite park highlights? Rattlesnake Bluff, for sure. I absolutely love areas in the park which are unique but not on any maps. If a visitor with good hiking shoes had just two hours in the park, what would you suggest? If you’re feeling energetic and the weather is good, the Upper and Lower Bluffside trails, for sure. Otherwise, Eagle Point Loop provides a more relaxed hike with great views. What are your goals and dreams for the park? I’d love to connect our main trail system with our trail at Sand Point. I am also excited to develop the new property with camping and day-use facilities. Personally, I plan to retire from this park (a few decades from now). Anything else you'd like folks to know? Frontenac is the greatest state park in Minnesota.
POEM OF THE MONTH
Birds' Nests
How fresh the air the birds how busy now
In every walk if I but peep I find
Nests newly made or finished all and lined
With hair and thistle down and in the bough
Of little hawthorn huddled up in green
The leaves still thickening as the spring gets age
The Pinks quite round and snug and closely laid
And linnets of materials loose and rough
And still hedge sparrow moping in the shade
Near the hedge bottom weaves of homely stuff
Dead grass and mosses green an hermitage
For secrecy and shelter rightly made
And beautiful it is to walk beside
The lanes and hedges where their homes abide.
John Clare (English, 1793-1864)Bird nest, Prairie Trail, FSP. Photo: Steve Dietz
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE FRONTENAC STATE PARK ASSOCIATION?
We’d love to have your support (dues are $30 per year). Here is a link. And coming for an occasional event is awesome as well. We’d love either! We aim to share our love of Frontenac State Park with as many people as possible.
Ideas for the newsletter? Contact Editor Pamela Miller at pamelamarianmiller@gmail.com. Questions about FSPA? You can reach Steve Dietz at stevedietz@duck.com.
Carol Bleizeffer, Steve Dietz (president), Barbara and Jim Fleishman, Linda Eisterhold-Karli (treasurer), Kathleen Herron, Richard Herron, Debra Jeske, Deane Karli, Mary Kloepping, Janet Malotky, Pamela Miller (newsletter editor), Jeneann Nolting Oppedahl, Nathan Oppedahl, Barb Partington (secretary), Lee Partington, Harry Roberts, Brian Schrieber, Wally Siewert, Lynne and Dan Staker, Andrea Swanson, Pat Tieskoetter
FRONTENAC STATE PARK STAFF
Jake Gaster, park manager; Amy Jay, assistant park manager; Amy Poss, lead field worker
Thank you, readers!
This is issue #2 of the Frontenac State Park Association newsletter.
Turkey vultures in May. Photo: Bruce Ause
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