Every Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m., a Park Ranger will await you at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center (VC) in Empire on M-72 to introduce a topic and then lead a car caravan a short distance to where the walk will begin. Each week, a different topic and location in the park will be featured. All are welcome.
May 2 – Mushrooms for Beginners: Learn how to tell a real morel from a false morel and how to identify several easy spring mushrooms. The ranger will also explain the life of a mushroom and provide some tips on where to find your favorite variety.
May 9 – The World of Frogs: What would spring be without the sound of frogs? They are disappearing all around the world. Why are they still singing and what might they be trying to tell us? Learn to identify several local varieties by sight and sound. This is a great outdoor adventure for the whole family.
May 16 – Leave it to Beaver: Look for one of the few animals that dramatically engineer their environment and have played a major role in this region’s history. See a dam, lodge, canals, and tunnels while learning more about beavers and their logging operations.
May 23 – A Flurry of Wild Flowers: Each spring, we are impressed with the abundance of wildflowers our hardwood forests offer! Join a ranger to discover and marvel at this annual display of native plants as you hike through one of the best wildflower habitats in the region.
May 30 – Returning Birds: Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day by joining a ranger to welcome back several species of migratory birds. Learn about the birds’ winter adventures in far-off lands and the distances they travel to get here. This is a great opportunity for beginning birders. Binoculars provided.
All ranger-led programs are free. Participants need only purchase the park entrance pass or have an annual pass already to join in the fun. Reservations are not required, but are suggested if you wish to bring a group. For more information please call 231-326-5134, ext. 328.
Photo credit:Â Pearl Lake Frog by jimflix
Frankfort-Elberta Betsie Valley Trail: This 4.2 mile trail that connects Elberta and Frankfort is the perfect place for your morning jog, rollerblade, or bike ride. The trail is paved from the Lake Michigan Beach in Frankfort to the public parking area in Elberta. There it connects to the 18-mile-long Betsie Valley Trail, which goes past Rail Road Point on Crystal Lake, then on to Beulah, and eventually connects to Thompsonville. On the trail near Frankfort is a fishing deck on Betsie Bay. There are also two fishing bridges on M-22 connecting Elberta to the Trail.
The Betsie Valley Trail is a great way to go from Frankfort to Elerta’s waterside park, which features new, state of the art playground equipment, picnic pavilion, and ampletheater, which hosts many events throughout the summer.
Benzie bus system is riding high, growing from the Traverse City Record-Eagle begins:
Wilma Kuerth didn’t mince words when asked about Benzie Bus, Benzie County’s increasingly popular transportation system.
Kuerth, 87, enjoyed a meal with friends one recent morning at The Gathering Place in Honor. Within minutes she’d board a Benzie Bus, and she couldn’t say enough good things about the system.
“It’s absolutely wonderful,” said Kuerth, who lives near Honor. “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened in Benzie County.”
Benzie Bus has experienced a surge in riders since it began operations in January 2007. It tallied nearly 70,000 one-way passenger rides in 2008, Executive Director Susan Miller said, up from about 40,000 in 2007.
Read the rest of that article for information about their plans which include seeking federal stimulus grants. The Benzie Bus web site explains:
More than 10 years ago a group of citizens in Benzie County began to hold monthly meetings to discuss the need for public transportation in their community. In February of 2005 they officially launched the Benzie Bus Initiative. One of the Initiative’s goals was to help the county’s economic growth.  Public transportation not only takes workers to their workplace, but a public bus connects residents, visitors and consumers to local businesses and other places of recreation which is vital to the area economy. The Benzie Bus Initiative also knew that affordable and consistent transporation would improve educational opportunities in both schools and workplace.  Creating this link gives more people access to job training, increased educational and employment opportunities, and social service programs such as Welfare to Work.
In April of 2006 the Benzie County Board of Commissioners formed the Benzie Transportation Authority and appointed 10 county residents to direct the independent body. Through multiple meetings and a grassroots approach to gain support, voters approved the 0.5 millage request- 58% yes, 42% no. Turnout was 34%, which was double the turnout in the previous primary election and it was the first time in Michigan’s history that a public transportation ballot had passed on the first attempt.  In January 2007, the Benzie Bus became a reality, and opened its doors to the public.
Photo: Bike racks, included! from the Benzie Bus.
Every Saturday afternoon in April at 1 PM you can meet a park ranger at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Visitor Center in Empire (just off M-72) for a fun and educational nature walk. You’ll get a brief introduction to the topic and then follow the car caravan a short distance to where the walk will begin. Here are the topics: