Early Spring at Millbrook Marsh

Some days call for a microadventure. I had one such day last week- on my way home, I made the impulse decision to stop at Millbrook Marsh Nature Center and enjoy the warm weather before spring rain rolled into Centre County.

I was delighted by what I found at the 62-acre site: skunk cabbages, good birding, and plenty of peace. From the moment I parked my car, a sense of relaxation washed over me. Over the sounds of the stadium, the raspy oak-a-lee of Red-winged Blackbirds filled the air. As I wandered to the boardwalk, American Robins implored me to go cheerily and cheer-up.

Close to the boardwalk, tributaries of Thompson Run and Slab Cabin Run flowed by. Near their banks sprouted skunk cabbage. While many folks dislike the smell of these Spring flowers, I don’t mind at all. The smell reminds me of my grandfather’s trapping shed and my college-era fieldwork. Despite the smell, skunk cabbage flowers are beautiful. They look like someone speckled lime-green leaves with burgundy wine.

I love the plethora of platforms along the boardwalk. If I hadn’t been wearing work clothes, I would have jumped in to wade and splash. I admit to laying flat on the boardwalk to snap pictures of skunk cabbage and dip my hands in the water. The cool water was refreshing, and helped connect me to the habitat around me. The grasses were soft and smooth, species unknown to me.

Continuing along, I had several close encounters with birds. A White-breasted Nuthatch hustled in a tree directly over my head. I stopped to observe it lifting up hanging bark to search for insects, bouncing from spot to spot. The bird had a bite at least ten times in a minute. I wondered how sharp its eyesight is in comparison to my own. Further down the boardwalk, some American Goldfinches foraged for seeds, unaware of me. I stood as still as I could for several minutes. Eventually, my phone vibrated, and the rustle of my windbreaker scared off the flock of five birds.

There’s many spots along the boardwalk to jump down and go fishing. While fishing with a trout stamp is permitted, all fish must be released unharmed. I stared into the water for some time, trying to catch a glance of a trout. I didn’t see anything except a pair of Mallards, urging me along with loud quacks.

Slab Cabin Run has been under restoration by Trout Unlimited since 2024. Streambank restoration has been the main focus. Slab Cabin Run suffers from agricultural runoff and excess sedimentation. This is a typical problem for streams in Centre County. The new rock vanes and cross vanes are helping channelize the stream and hold back sediments. My inner hydrologist admired the quality of the work and wondered about how the water would test in a lab.

In total, I explored Millbrook Marsh for over an hour, strolling the boardwalk and birding. I left as the sun began to dip towards the mountains, casting a golden glow over the marsh. Before hopping in my car, I paused to soak in the light and start to plan my next trip here in another season.

Signs of Spring

The concrete porch was cold under me, but I paid no attention as I studied the bird on my suet feeder. I watched the glossy bird rip into the suet cake, pause, and gobble down its bite. This bird, a European Starling, is the scourge of my days, devouring pound after pound of seeds and suet. Yet, I can’t deny anything- it, too, is trying to survive in adverse conditions.

In my attempt to spend 1,000 hours outside, I have been doing daily lunchtime birding. At home, I perch on my back porch and at work, I find a sunshine-drenched bench. All I have is my cellphone and binoculars. I keep to one place for about 15 minutes, recording all the birds I see and hear. The list is never very long, but I enjoy the regularity of the community of birds around me.

On this afternoon, mine and my neighbor’s yards were full of birds. Mourning doves roosted in the trees, grooming in the sunshine. A Red-Tailed Hawk called from overhead as it flew by. A solitary crow annoyed a flock of European Starlings to my left. House Sparrows and House Finches argued over feeder space. As I wound down my session, a female Northern Cardinal appeared nearby. At last, two Tufted Titmice darted to the maple tree. All the while, a chorus of American Robins called, completing the scene.

As I had my camera on hand, I decided to take pictures of some of the spring buds and shoots. The buds on the roosting tree of the Mourning Dove are already tinged red. Close by, the magnolia buds are fuzzy, growing larger by the day. On my remaining forsythia bush, the yellow buds are plentiful. I regret not ripping it out this past fall; this bush is a pain to care for. That said, I couldn’t rip it out- birds like roosting in its tangled branches.

In the front yard, signs of Spring are a little different. Leaves are sprouting for daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths. Over winter, I debated on keeping them. On one hand, I could remove them and plant native flowers. On the other, I planted them before I knew about native flowers. The memory of my younger self prevailed; I decided to keep them. I will need to control spread of these plants. Hyacinths will produce bulblets as off-shoots and spread under the soil. Regular removal will curtail this spread and prevent an invasion in my yard.

Amongst the returning grasses are the thin rapier-like leaves of wild garlic. Allium vineale is also known as “Crow Garlic” and “Field Garlic.” Introduced in the mid-1800s, wild garlic spread to cover much of the eastern United States. While wild garlic is edible, I wouldn’t eat it. The garlic flavor is pervasive and overrules all others in dishes. The taste is so strong that the flavor will get into the butter and milk of cows that have eaten wild garlic.

I have a few more weeks until the Spring wildflowers start blooming. Some friends have already seen skunk cabbage, the smelly harbinger of longer days. I’m waiting for Virginia Springbeauty and Wild Columbine. The emergence of these two flowers signals true Spring to me. I’m also excited for Yellow Trout Lily and Bloodroot this year. I will need to leave my yard to find these flowers- but it is a trek I look forward to.

These subtle signs of Spring are refreshing to my winter-weary eyes. With a little noticing, the drab landscape burst into life. With returning birds, the plants are emerging from their dormancy. Each day, we’re one step closer to the chirping of nestlings and the leafing-out of trees. Now, if the Purple Martins would simply come back…

What are you noticing about Spring near you? Share in the comments!

Late Winter at Hort Woods

The March winds pushed me as I hurried down the sidewalk to Hort Woods. Traffic zipped by, and students shivered as they ran from dorm to dorm. Even though I’ve taken hundreds of walks on campus, I’ve never taken a dedicated walk through Hort Woods. This past Thursday I spent a half-hour in this historic grove of trees at University Park.

In 2001, Hort Woods earned “Heritage Grove” status at Penn State. In the 1800s, Hort Woods stretched from central campus to the Penn State Arboretum site. The original Hort Woods was cleared for construction. The remaining patch of land contains some surviving trees, or at least their progeny. Yet, by the 2010s, the area had become degraded by invasive plants. The Penn State Eco Action Club partnered with Penn State OPP to rehabilitate Hort Woods. Supplemental funding from the Penn State Student Fee Board helped the project along. Rehabilitation included removing invasive species and replanting with the Miyawaki Method.

On my walk, I followed the sidewalks surrounding and through Hort Woods. Despite the dormant landscape, the tract of trees was humming with life. I first spotted a Red-Bellied Woodpecker digging through a snag. Right after, a Downy Woodpecker flitted over my head. I heard the high calls of American Goldfinches and House Finches in the canopy. A Merlin recording revealed more species: Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, and White-breasted Nuthatches.

Along the sidewalk in some areas, small green plants were pushing up through the leaf litter. A check with iNaturalist revealed them to be Japanese Pachysandra. In other sections, English Ivy trailed along the ground and up the trunks of trees. English Ivy, while pretty, is difficult to eradicate. The ivy reminded me that eradicating invasive species requires many years of effort. Penn State is making that effort by implementing a sustainable landscape plan.

Derek K., Senior Landscape Architect and Eco Action Club Adviser, shared the University Park Campus Sustainable Landscape Implementation Plan with me via email. The plan mentions “Restoring the Legacy of Hort Woods” as a major action item. The goal of the project is to restore native species and develop the area into a 4-acre swath of healthy habitat. The action plan utilizes straightforward management techniques familiar to non-foresters like myself. Penn State is focusing on soil decompaction, low- or no-till methods, and composting. From my experience, I know these plans will be executed as carefully and thoughtfully as funding permits.

Late winter can be a depressing time of year. My walk tempered this feeling, and I left hopeful for what is in store for Hort Woods. By exploring this one patch of wood, I learned I’m one of many that care deeply for Penn State’s landscapes. Hort Woods is now a part of my walks, and I’m excited to observe the changes as we transition into Spring.

Works Cited

Penn State University. (2014, November 8). Heritage tree groves: G-6. The Pennsylvania State University. https://web.archive.org/web/20141108064008/http://lorax.opp.psu.edu/trees/heritage/groves/hgrove.jsp?ID=G-6

Penn State University. (2012, February 13). Hort Woods rehabilitation project to begin soon. https://www.psu.edu/news/university-park/story/hort-woods-rehabilitation-project-begin-soon

Stephen Stimson Associates Landscape Architects, Inc., Phyto Studio, Climate Positive Design, & The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. (2024). University Park Campus Sustainable Landscape Implementation Plan. Penn State University.

Midwinter at the Arboretum

Lime-green stalks of bamboo greeted me as I entered the Arboretum at Penn State. This wonderful, ever-changing botanical garden always captures my attention and imagination. Even at midwinter, I enjoy spending my midday break walking among the dormant plants.

I always start with the Oasis Garden. Taking the first left, I wandered through and spun the ice on the Lotus Pool. The walls protected me from the wind as I poked around the plants. Very little was growing here, with most fading away into the mulch. The Rose and Fragrance Garden was more promising. The little buds peeping from the tips of branches signal oncoming Spring. As I finish looping through, a gust of wind shakes the waxy magnolia leaves, causing them to clack like bones.

The walled gardens lead into the Pollinator and Bird Garden. Here the wind gusted, unobstructed by trees or hedges. I pull my shawl closer to my neck and continue to the pond by the Pollinator Plaza. From the top of the willow house, a Song Sparrow calls, spinning around on its perch to watch me. Most other birds are flitting overhead, or on a beeline to the Bird House.

The small wooden building is a relief from the wind. Another visitor is sitting on the porch, so I veer to the back and rest on the bench to watch the feeders. Dark-Eyed Juncos were tumbling over each other as they dig through the mulch for seeds. From the tops of the evergreen trees, a Blue Jay crunched a peanut. After a few minutes, a trio of Black-Capped Chickadees swept in to chase House Finches. I could- and I have- spent hours in this exact spot. Yet with my break ticking to a close, I knew I needed to keep going.

The Pollinator and Bird Garden connects to an esplanade with a giant sundial. The sidewalks border the Children’s Garden. I veered left into the Children’s Garden and entered the faux cave. Cold water dripped from the ceiling, most likely ice melting from the roof. The path carved through the cave, then out and behind the Glass House. Grey and black squirrels danced in the trees overhead as I walked. An employee was tending to the garden, and I stayed out of their way as best as I could.

From the Children’s Garden, I followed the the Strolling Garden path to the Poplar Court. The Black Poplars stretched high into the sky over my head. I wove in and out between the trees, admiring the neon yellow and neon orange lichens. Most appeared to be a species from genus Candelaria. (I’m still waiting for some confirmations on iNaturalist now.) I took as many pictures as I could before I hurried back to work.

*Xanthoria parietina* (Common Sunburst Lichen)

Even though there were few blooming flowers, the Arboretum is still full of life in winter. From lichens to songbirds, there is a little bit of something for everyone. During my walk, I found a pamphlet rack, which had a booklet on trails in Hartley Wood. As I’ve been walking, I’ve been planning the rest of this year’s adventures… which won’t take me very far at all!

Catch Me Outside for 1,000 Hours

On the first 40-degree day of February, I went on a long walk. It was my first walk as part of my 2025 goal: spend 1,000 hours outside by December 31st.

I don’t choose traditional resolutions. Instead, I pick one big goal for the year, and work hard to achieve it. Past goals have been reading 100 books, folding 1,000 paper cranes, and going on a book-buying ban. This year, my mom recommended that I try to spend 1,000 hours outside in a calendar year.

This goal aligns with my belief that everyone should be spending more time outside. The founder of 1,000 Hours Outside suggests that children who spend many hours outside per day have improved health and wellness. I disagree with the founder’s other beliefs, but have found evidence to support this claim. A review found that outdoor play is a practical method for improving children’s health (McCurdy, 2010). Another article suggests that exposure to many different bird species outdoors can improve mental health (Methorst, 2024). Birding is an excellent vehicle for improving health on the sly (Dresser, 2024). As I’m working on improving my health, spending more time outside should help.

I also chose this goal with the hope of breaking a screen addiction. On average, I spend about 4 hours per day on my iPhone. I know I spend at least 8 hours per day working on my laptop. Even with a little overlap, this amounts to almost 70 hours of screentime per week! When I’ve spent long periods of time spending 90 minutes or less on my iPhone per day, I have improved mental health. Sure, this is anecdotal evidence, but it is my experience. I want to replace this non-work-related screen time with time spent in nature.

As odd as this may sound, I also chose this goal to help me reconnect with the outdoors. After a tough winter, I’m disconnected from the natural world around me. I admit that in January, I was getting out 1 to 2 times per week. I’m craving spending time outdoors to explore and enjoy the natural world.

*Stereum complicatum* (Crowded Parchment)

I started tracking on Monday, and got an hour in right away. I let myself meander through the park and enjoy myself rather than hustle to achieve a step goal. I was able to take notice of some mosses and lichens, and found a fresh woodpecker hole in a tree. I felt refreshed, and had a super productive afternoon afterwards.

While I’m starting out a little behind, I know I’ll catch up soon. I’m counting down the days to when I can go hiking and kayaking at the park. I’ve squirreled away the pennies for a hammock rack to put in my yard for reading outdoors. Our grilling station is set up and ready for when it’s not snowing or raining. I’ve been making plans for spring hikes with my siblings. I’m very energized and excited about finishing this goal- and I’ll bring you along with me!

Have you attempted a 1,000 hours outside challenge?