Welcome to the 16th episode of the Nature is my Jam Podcast. As this episode gets published, we are closing in on 1000 downloads! As a podcasting metric, I’m not entirely sure what that means, but as a personal metric, it means the world to me. When I came up with this crazy idea to have a non-speaking podcast, I can’t say that I thought it would be more than a personal sound journal. Imagine my surprise when my friends, family and complete strangers welcomed this tiny podcast into their lives to immerse themselves in a few minutes of nature every week!! 

Welcome to the 15th episode of the Nature is my Jam Podcast. When this episode gets published, I will be in the upper peninsula of Michigan to observe and record the fall bird migration. The Crisp Point Lighthouse on Lake Superior is also on my list of places to visit. This will be a solo camping trip and, as usual, I am going to bring too much gear and not have enough time to visit all the sites I have on my list. Of course, that is the beauty of life in northern Michigan. There will always be an adventure to be had, no matter the day or season. 

This week, we venture out to the Leelanau Peninsula to visit the Lighthouse West Natural Area, part of the Leelanau Conservancy. While the natural area is small in stature at 42 acres, it is mighty in terms of the wildlife present and the unique geography of the area. Most notably, it is a certified bird habitat, meaning, “the native plants in this landscape support healthy bird populations by producing an abundance and diversity of insects.” This distinction is the real reason I wanted to visit this area. The fall migration will begin soon and I want to be fully prepared for those hectic couple of weeks of birding.

Welcome to the 13th episode of the Nature is my Jam Podcast. This week we are, once again, on the shores of Perch Lake in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. I attended an event last week to see two authors, Jerry Dennis and Dave Dempsey, speak about their love of the Great Lakes and the challenges we could face in the years to come. Fresh water is becoming scarce and the popularity of our state as a great place to live, drawing people from all over the country to move here.