Nature Is My Jam

I would like to thank everyone that has donated or otherwise supported Nature is my Jam by liking, following, sharing and/or subscribing to the podcast. Your support goes directly to creating future episodes and allows this podcast to be ad-free and 100% listener supported. Your kindness means the world to me and I hope you might feel inspired to explore the natural areas where you live.
World Listening Day found me logging miles on the North Country Scenic Trail (NCT) on my way to the aptly named, “Valley of the Giants”. This section of the trail will take you down a semi-steep descent into a valley of old growth forest that features a meandering creek and several beaver ponds. While a popular hike for locals, it isn’t uncommon to be the only one around for miles. The Grand Traverse Hiking Club maintains the Valley of the Giants section of the NCT. This club is also responsible for the trail system (101 miles) running from Hodenpyl Dam to Starvation Lake.
We join this recording as dawn approaches. Twentytwo Creek is flowing and cascading through downed Cedar Trees and thick grasses. The soothing sounds of the creek are interrupted by what I think is a Scarlet Tanager as daylight breaks. Not to be outdone by the early bird, a Winter Wren steals the show with its spirited song that lasts for several minutes. Of course, it wouldn’t be Northern Michigan without also hearing from the Robin’s and Blue Jay’s.
I recorded this soundscape using the Zoom F3 Field Recorder and the Sonorous Objects SO.1 Microphone pair. This combination has become my favorite rig for hiking and overnight recording.
Date & Time: | 6/19/2022 | 5:30 AM
Location: | Traverse City, Michigan USA
Landscape/Feature: | Valley of the Giants on the North Country Trail
Conditions: | Clear. Light Wind, Humid, Hot
Recording Device: | Zoom F3 Field Recorder
Microphone: | Sonorous Objects SO.1
Digital Audio Workstation: | Adobe Audition

Support the show

Thanks for listening! ❤️ Your support means the world to me. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for daily updates.

I would like to thank everyone that has donated or otherwise supported Nature is my Jam by liking, following, sharing and/or subscribing to the podcast. Your support goes directly to creating future episodes and allows this podcast to be ad-free and 100% listener supported. Your kindness means the world to me and I hope you might feel inspired to explore the natural areas where you live.

Welcome to episode 23 of the Nature is my Jam podcast! As always, I’m happy to see you again and can’t wait to share this episode with you. The weather here in northern Michigan has been unseasonably warm, with temperatures in the low 60s (around 15.5 Celsius for the rest of the world). The leaves have fallen and we would normally gear up for the first big snow of the year, but Mother Nature has other ideas. Fall is my favorite time of year so I’m not complaining! I went to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore yesterday to hike the Otter Creek Loop, which is part of the Platte Plains Trail. It is a roughly 5 miles (8km) loop that meanders through gently rolling hills and takes you along the creek and all the way around Otter Lake. Besides completing the loop and getting in some miles, I also wanted to find some sounds to record.

As I was entering the last section of the trail, I noticed some signs of beaver activity so stopped to inspect. I could see recent chew marks in several saplings and what appeared to be a slick mud slide down to the creek. I assumed this to be a sure sign of one or more industrious beavers, so I came up with a plan to record them working. Knowing my presence would likely dampen their enthusiasm, I quickly configured my gear to record overnight. I would come back the next day to see what sounds I captured. The trail is fairly popular, so I have to believe the beavers are used to human presence, but I always do my best to maintain a respectful distance.

When I returned, I was happy to see there had been additional activity overnight. To my complete surprise, they worked the area immediately in front of my gear and gave me a gift of some amazing sounds. Thank you, beavers!! This might just be my favorite recording of the year. I have several hours of their activity recorded and will do a longer edit over the winter. However, because I’m so excited about capturing the beavers, I want to share this clip with you on the podcast right now.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and hope you enjoy this episode. Thanks again for your continued support!

Recording Summary:

• Date and Time: 11/10/2022 | 01:00 AM
• Location: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore
• Landscape/Feature: Otter Creek and Otter Lake
• Conditions: Mild, Gusting Winds, Bright Moon
• Recording Device: Zoom F3
• Microphone(s): Audio Technica BP 4025
• Digital Audio Workstation: Adobe Audition

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Recorded with the Sonorous Objects SO.1 microphones and the Zoom F3 Field Recorder, this episode is all about how I find solace and peace by spending time in, on and around Lake Michigan. What makes this recording special, for me, is the muted tones of the lake when the ice has formed. It sounds completely unique and unlike any other time of the year. It is special, especially with the sporadic ice balls that form along the shore when the conditions are right.

These spherical ice formations, ranging from a few inches to over a foot in diameter, are stunning to watch as they roll and bob on the lake’s surface. Although they may look like snowballs, they’re actually formed by layers of ice accumulating around a small nucleus of ice.

February has been a tough month. Despite being the shortest month of the year, it’s packed a gut punch. On February 10, my father-in-law Gary Miller passed away after battling various cancers for years. He died one day before his 75th birthday, leaving behind his wife and two daughters. Although his passing has brought an inevitable change for everyone impacted, I’m encouraged by the resilience of my wife, Rhonda, her sister, and her mom.

A few days later, a mass shooting occurred on the campus of Michigan State University. A deranged individual felt it was necessary to kill three students and injure another three before taking his own life. Although I have many thoughts about this senseless act, it’s difficult for me to move past the anger I feel when I think about it.

When I feel trapped or need time for reflection, I head towards water. Oceans, lakes, rivers and streams have drawn me in for as long as I can remember. The sound of waves crashing on the shore, the breeze blowing across my face, and the colors of nature surrounding me always bring me peace and comfort. Today, I found solace at one of my favorite spots along Lake Michigan.

When I look out at the vastness of Lake Michigan, I’m reminded of its incredible power. This precious body of water has endured for over a billion years, with an ever-changing landscape and surrounding terrain that serve as a source of healing for me. It reminds me that even when things are tough, we can still find hope and joy in the world.

In 2012, I recorded Lake Michigan for the first time, and it seems fitting that I continue to find inspiration, healing, and solace by recording this precious body of water again and again and again.

Recording Details:

• Date and Time: 2/24/2023 | 04:30 PM
• Location: Peterson Road Beach, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
• Landscape/Feature: Lake Michigan, Snow, Ice Balls, Waves
• Conditions: 10-19 degrees F (-12C to -7C), light winds, partly sunny
• Recording Device: Zoom F3 Field Recorder
• Microphone(s): Sonorous Objects SO.1 Microphones

Support the show

Thanks for listening! ❤️ Your support means the world to me. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for daily updates.

I would like to thank everyone that has donated or otherwise supported Nature is my Jam by liking, following, sharing and/or subscribing to the podcast. Your support goes directly to creating future episodes and allows this podcast to be ad-free and 100% listener supported. Your kindness means the world to me and I hope you might feel inspired to explore the natural areas where you live.

Welcome to the 14th episode of the Nature is my Jam Podcast. Based on feedback from last week’s episode (and trust me, you had a lot of feedback!), we need a palate cleanser from the mesmerizing persistence of the Eastern Whippoorwill. The consensus is that we could have done with more mesmerizing and less persistence. Although I disagree, I have heard your voice. 

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. 

Next door to the Leelanau State Park, this natural area doesn’t get the tourist traffic or the noise. From the small parking lot, the trail meanders through a meadow for a short distance before plunging into a large stand of mature maple trees. It’s quite a contrast in terrain, but it changes again as the trail goes along an ancient bluff and eventually levels off into what is called a “boulder terrace”. Created eons ago, when the lake level was much higher, the terrace was a visual reminder of a different time. There is also evidence of massive boulders left by the glaciers. 

As I approached the beach, the sun was just setting, and the crickets made themselves known. The sky turned a brilliant yellow and orange while the waves slowly washed ashore. It was stunning. I placed the recorder and microphone by some gnarled cedar trees, hoping to catch the ambience of the surrounding crickets and cicadas without being overwhelmed by the waves. Not to fear, I also placed a second recorder in the meadow and captured some very talkative owls and a pack of very busy coyotes. That recording will be available next week. 

As always, I welcome your thoughts and hope you enjoy this episode. Thanks again for your continued support! 

Recording Summary:

• Date and Time: 9/6/2022 | 4:45 AM
• Location: Leelanau County, Michigan, USA
• Landscape/Feature: Lighthouse West Natural Area | Lake Michigan
• Conditions: Night, Light Breeze, Clear Skies, Mild Temps
• Recording Device: Zoom F3
• Microphone(s): Sonorous Objects SO.1 Microphone Pair
• Digital Audio Workstation: Adobe Audition

I would like to thank everyone that has donated or otherwise supported Nature is my Jam by liking, following, sharing and/or subscribing to the podcast. Your support goes directly to creating future episodes and allows this podcast to be ad-free and 100% listener supported. Your kindness means the world to me and I hope you might feel inspired to explore the natural areas where you live.

Welcome to episode 19 of the Nature is my Jam podcast! We find ourselves out on the Old Mission Peninsula (OMP) in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. The OMP is one of my favorite places to roam, especially on moody days such as I found during this recording. With rain and wind in the forecast, this was going to be a perfect opportunity to test out some new gear. As I mentioned after the trip to the upper peninsula, I upgraded the wind protection for my microphone and also added in some protection from the rain. I’m happy to report that both additions worked perfectly during this wet and windy night.

Rhonda joined me, so we drove out to the Murray Road Trailhead to begin our hike along the trails belonging to the Old Mission Point Park. This section of trail goes through various meadows, along several ridge lines, and plunges down into a valley containing what is best described as a climax forest. A climax forest exists when the plant community is relatively stable and unchanged over many cycles. Think of mature trees that represent the last stage of natural succession. There is very little undergrowth or competition from other species. There is debate in the community about the merits of a climax forest that are too nuanced for this blog post, but the primary question is, “should a forest ever stop evolving and not face competition?”

Once we setup the microphone, we took a path that we thought would lead us back to Murray Road and eventually back to our car. 20 minutes later, as the woods grew darker, we missed the spur trail and bushwhacked through meadows full of tall grass and acres of Sumac Trees. For me, this is a very regular occurrence, but I think Rhonda would prefer to stay on maintained trails. With pitch black skies, increasing wind and hunger waning on our patience, we finally found the road, and it was just a 5-minute walk to the car. The bonus of getting momentarily disoriented was finding a creaking old tree that would be amazing to record during a storm.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and hope you enjoy this episode. Thanks again for your continued support!

Recording Summary:

• Date and Time: 10/12/2022 | 1:30 AM
• Location: Grand Traverse County, Michigan, USA
• Landscape/Feature: Old Mission Point Park | Ridgeline facing a climax forest
• Conditions: Warm, Rain, Wind
• Recording Device: Zoom F3 Field Recorder
• Microphone(s): Audio Technica BP 4025
• Digital Audio Workstation: Adobe Audition

Support the show

Thanks for listening! ❤️ Your support means the world to me. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for daily updates.