Do you know what a National Natural Landmark is? It is a designation that I’d heard of before, but hadn’t thought much about before this month, when my wife, dog, and I visited Tobico Marsh near Bay City, Michigan.
Tobico Marsh is a National Natural Landmark because it is an example of an ‘outstanding biological’ resource according to surveys conducted by the National Park Service. Outstanding geological sites can also be designated. Unlike national parks, sites granted National Natural Landmark status are not necessarily owned by a government or even protected in any formal way. These sites have simply been identified as being special and the owners of these sites may be eligible to receive government assistance to help keep their property special.
If you are like me, discovering National Natural Landmarks means that you have the exciting opportunity to find natural wonders near to home that you may not have been aware of. There are over 600 such sites! You can check out the directory of National Natural Landmarks here:
Keep in mind when planning to visit these places that they could be privately owned, in which case permission would be required to access them. Those shown on the map at the above link, though, should be accessible.
The concept of identifying and encouraging the protection of special ecological places is, to my mind, crucial and totally appropriate given that only small remnants remain of most natural communities, including numerous varieties of forest, prairie, and wetland. I also like the idea of the government identifying what is special that it might not own. Hopefully the special status that their property has been granted tends to serve as a source of pride for landowners while strengthening their connection to the land and their resolve to protect it.
This week I took a trip to one of the only beech-maple old growth forest tracts left in Michigan. I discovered this forest, Toumey Woods, using the directory shared above. It is a very special, out of the way and unadvertised place on Michigan State University’s campus, surrounded by agricultural land. I probably can’t describe how special it is for me to find places like this.
Above photos are from my recent trip to Toumey Woods. I didn’t see any carving on the beech trees!
My first ecological love was Warren Woods State Park, which I discovered as a teenager thanks to a tip from the first environmentalist I knew, Bill Spier, who perhaps more than anyone helped inspire me to study wildlife. Warren Woods is also an old growth forest, which to me means more or less ‘never cut,’ but more technically might mean forest that is at the ‘climax’ of ecological succession. Many of the beech and maple trees in the overstory at Warren Woods have reached 400 or more years of age and tower above a midstory and understory of shade-tolerant trees waiting for the light needed to reach the canopy. Trees are spaced relatively far apart due to competition for light and belowground resources, which makes for a pleasant view to organisms like us, who tend to feel most comfortable where we can see much of the surrounding area. In old growth forest, dead trees are just as important as living ones. Massive standing and fallen trees in various stages of decay provide habitat for species like woodpeckers and nurture the forest floor, respectively. ‘Pits’ and ‘mounds’ mark where trees have fallen and uprooted the surrounding soil going back hundreds of years. For me personally, as strange as it may seem to you, being in an old growth forest of this kind feels like being with someone I know loves me who I’m sure won’t stop doing so any time soon. There is a warm hum I feel in its presence that is dialed away immediately its absence. This is not to say that I think the forest loves me; in fact, I appreciate the indifference of Nature because that way it is always honest. I also should point out that I appreciate earlier stages of ecological succession, which are crucial for many species. For whatever reason, though, I love old growth forests in a special kind of way. There is a history and steadiness in these forests that I rarely feel and greatly appreciate. I have a lot more to say about the fascinating story of such places, particularly Warren Woods, and hopefully will someday soon. For now, though, I’ll just say that Warren Woods is also one of Michigan’s 12 National Natural Landmarks. In fact, it was the first designated in the state.
So. This is my way of saying that I hope you check out a National Natural Landmark near you! And please go beyond just checking it out. Consider what these places mean and find your own special place. Treat these treasures as an opportunity for calibration, to see what much of the surrounding area probably looked like at one time, which could even help you to identify additional places that could become National Natural Landmarks. Maybe your visit could also serve as a way to calibrate yourself; to identify a quiet peace and truth that can be extended to other moments.
P.S., here is a link to a video where I provide some tips about identifying old growth forest. The differences between old growth and mature second growth can be subtle:
Thoughts of a Naturalist 