Sarett Nature Center

10/20/2026

Plants and animals have evolved many strategies to cope with the harsh conditions of the winter season!

One of the main triggers for this in the fall is the diminishing hours of daylight, or photo period. Plants begin the process of stopping the production of chlorophyll which results in the change of leaf color and eventual leaf shedding.

Birds begin to migrate. Mammals begin the process of growing their winter pelage. They also eat more and begin to store food. Certain animals like the woodchuck eventually descend into their underground burrows to hibernate through the whole winter season.

All reptiles and amphibians must seek places where they will not freeze. One exception to this are certain tree frogs which have the ability to partially freeze and have their heart stop without being harmed.

10/16/2026

Our Halloween event is next Saturday, October 24th! Do you have your tickets yet? If not, buy them at https://sarett-nature-center.square.site/ today!

10/15/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to our monthly stewardship seed collection day a few weeks ago! Volunteers spent the afternoon learning about native wildflower seeds and spreading it on the Prairie Loop Trail. We hope you enjoyed yourselves and appreciate all the help.

If you are interested in learning more about planting native Midwestern plants in your own backyard, check out our native landscaping class and plant sale in the Spring.

Other great resources include https://southbend.wildones.org/ and
https://www.hiddensavanna.com/sales.php.

Our next Monthly Stewardship will be a Salamander Survey on Sunday, November 8 from 1-3 PM. For more information, visit https://www.sarett.org/events-calendar.

10/14/2026

Check out the view from the Treetop Walkway two weeks apart! The first video was taken on September 29th and the second on October 13th.

No matter the day or the colors of the leaves, you'll always have a beautiful view of the Paw Paw River valley below!

10/14/2026

10/13/2026

With the onset of the fall color, we are also in the midst of the fall bird migration. One bird that is passing through right now is the White-throated Sparrow. Some of White-throated Sparrows will stick around throughout the winter, but most will continue on farther south. The White-throated Sparrow is named for the white feathers on its throat. They also have black and white stripes on the crown with yellow lores. There is a dark morph of the White-throated Sparrow where their crown stripes are black and tan and the yellow lores are very faint. They have a wonderful song that sounds like they are saying "Old Sam Peabody, Peabody" or if you are from Canada you might say it sound like they are saying " Oh Sweat Canada Canada". Be on the lookout for these beautiful sparrows over the next couple of weeks or even this winter.

Top photo by Camerauthor Photos on Unsplash

Bottom photo by Mike Mahler

10/13/2026

WE ARE HIRING!

Visit www.sarett.org/work-at-sarett to learn more and apply!

10/12/2026

Summer is fading, but keep those hummingbird feeders out!

While our resident Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have headed south, a stunning visitor might stop by through November: the Rufous Hummingbird.

Breeding in the Pacific Northwest and overwintering primarily in central and southern Mexico (though a growing number now winter in the Carolinas!), their migration route occasionally crosses right over the Midwest, giving us a rare chance to spot these copper-colored beauties, often described as the color of a "freshly minted penny," here in Southwest Michigan!

A few quick tips for fall hummingbirds:

- Leave feeders up: October and November are prime months for these late travelers and other winter vagrants.

- Nectar helps, it doesn't trap: Leaving food out won't stop their migration instinct; instead, it provides crucial energy for their long journey.

- Beat the frost: Consider using a heated hummingbird feeder to keep nectar flowing after freezing temperatures hit!

10/04/2026

Thank you again to all our volunteers who helped out over the summer.

This week we would like to give a shout out to all our Butterfly House Volunteers! Attendants join us for a weekly scheduled shift in the butterfly house to greet visitors, answer questions, and help visitors follow our guidelines.

Our butterfly house is extremely popular with hundreds of visitors every summer. The volunteers in the butterfly house are indispensable and we can't thank you enough for all that you do!

Special shout out to our longest running butterfly house attendants: John and Jannine Lee, Kathy Manning, Caroline Duncan, Linda Sarratore, Jennifer Rose, and Pat Adams.

If you would like to become a volunteer at Sarett, contact our volunteer coordinator: [email protected]. Our next major volunteer event will be Sarett's Spooky Halloween on Saturday, October 24th!

09/26/2026

Sarett's Voyageur canoe is at Pleasant Lake today to give rides to attendees at the Sauk Trail Festival at the Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum on Main Street. The canoe is a 35-foot replica of one used in the 1600s for fur trading.

The festival will be held on museum grounds from 10 am to 3 pm. It will feature several reenactors, speakers, music, an archaeological dig, crafts, and children's activities.

The event is FREE and food trucks will be on site.