Hello everyone,

The annual meeting of the J.J. Collett Natural Area Foundation was held at the Morningside Hall last evening. It was well attended  and featured an interesting talk by David Dellafield. Prior to the meeting, I had a two hour hike on trails in the area. There had been snow a number of days prior but it had all gone. This year, spring is later than usual but a warming trend now appears to have started. Aspen trees had long catkins, crocuses were in bloom and I saw dandelions and the first yellow prairie buttercups in bloom.  I was thrilled to hear frogs croaking at the beaver pond beside Trail 1. They were Wood Frogs (see attached) and there was also one Spring Peeper calling. I looked in vain for the first annual mushrooms but found none.

Nature is wonderful and a spring hike in a natural area is hard to beat.

My best to all,

Charley