Curious By Nature

Do you slow down in the fall to admire the eddies and pools on calm water? Study the leaf dams created in a meandering river?  All of nature seems to wind-down in the fall.

No more hustle and bustle- gone is that urgency of spring.

Fall water: the river retreats and slows.

 Fall lends itself to reflection and quiet study on a riparian corridor.

Fall is the premiere mushroom viewing season.

Colors sharpen with the cooler weather.  The air is crisp.  It is the perfect time to reflect upon nature and changes.  Long term changes, short term changes and how changes in nature affect us.  We are but a part of nature's tapestry, one of the many threads of life, woven together.

Nelson's Ledges at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

If you too are curious by nature and interested in learning more, I hope you will join us at the inaugural Cuyahoga Valley Institute program November 8th and 9th.  This is an opportunity to attend workshops that examine how current issues impact society and community.

How did the canal ways impact mid-America?

 "Centered on the culture, history, spaces, and natural resources of the Cuyahoga Valley Institute aims to provide you unique opportunities to enjoy your national park, learn more about its rich past, and explore ideas  for the future."  *

Study the story of succession: marshes, woods and grasses.
Do we need prairies?

 "The theme of this fall's inaugural retreat, Curious by Nature, is drawn from a book with the same name, written by retreat facilitator Candace Savage. Savage is a Canadian author whose work has received recognition from the Canadian Science Writers Association, National Magazine Awards, and Saskatchewan Book Awards.

Join Savage and other expert presenters in examining how current issues impact society and community. You will also have plenty of time for relaxing, hiking, enjoying locally-sourced gourmet meals, and connecting with other passionate learners."  *

After reading Candace Savage's book, Prairie: A Natural History, I cannot tell you how excited I am to meet her in person!  It is a compelling story of the land.

You'll want to join us for the Ecology and Succession tract.  I hope to see you there!

Ecology and Succession:

Follow nature's roadmap from the early days of the park, before civilization moved across the fields and streams, to the current and always changing state of the land. Unpack the stories of the Beaver Marsh, the old Coliseum site, and Brecksville Dam, which are some of the many park sites that have been transformed.*

*portions quoted from the Cuyahoga Valley Institute website.

Bike Aboard!

Imagine our excitement as the train comes puffing around the bend!  This is the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, one of "America's best ideas," and one of the most visited parks in the U.S.

 There is nothing like an old locomotive to get your heart pumping.

Our point of entry is the Brecksville Station. You will find plenty of maps and directions at that CVNP website.

 We have a small group of six, about to set off on an adventure- biking and a little birding, on the bike trail. Our hosts were Dave and Nancy Reinhart.  (Don't tell anyone, but they are also part-time elves on the Polar Express!)

This is a well operated machine.  The train is on time, we know right where to stand, and the bikes are loaded into a cargo car as we prepare to head south on the train.

Greg Cornet visits with Nancy and Dave Reinhart during the ride.

We pass the time in the comfort of a passenger car. A short fifteen miles up the track, we disembark.  It is just far enough for a pleasant fall bike ride back to Brecksville.

If you ain't the lead bike, the scenery never changes...

 Our travels included miles of scenic canal corridors, wetlands and woods. We visited the quaint town of Peninsula, Ohio where we had lunch at a nice restaurant, The Winking Lizard. Back on the bikes afterward, to complete the last six miles of the journey.

This was an incredible trip, if were it not for some cooler misty weather, it would have been perfection!  I hope to do it again next summer, with more moderate temperatures. We could even get in a few more miles on a long day.  Either way it was great fun, and I highly recommend this trip!  Thanks to Reinharts and Cornets for inviting us along.