Superintendent Hike Shows Off Beautiful Fall Sights at Johnson Nature Center

The sights and sounds of fall were in the air for the recent Superintendent Hike at the Johnson Nature Center. What began as a rainy morning turned into a beautiful day where community members from Bloomfield Hills and beyond joined Bloomfield Hills Schools Superintendent Patrick Watson on a slow hike through the Nature Center.  

Cass Arsenault, Lead Interpretive Naturalist, along with Alan Jaros, Director of Bowers Farm and Johnson Nature Center, provided the hikers with abundant information about the natural surroundings. Participants learned about invasive and noninvasive plants, how to identify our state tree, the process of bird banding and the difference between poisonous and venomous snakes.  The hike followed the Storybook Trail which showcases pages of a children’s storybook and allows for a literacy-nature connection. Stops were also made at the 1800s log cabin and the Sugarbush, where students from BHS were practicing open exploration and inquiry skills.  

The JNC is a popular field trip destination for many grade levels, but also offers adult experiences including seasonal hikes (November), bird banding (February), sugarbush tapping (March), and fishing events (summer). On display beginning in March will be 12 masterpiece paintings received through a grant from the DIA.  The masterpieces will remain at the JNC through October.  

The community also should save the date for next year’s immensely popular Forest to Table event that will take place September 9, 2023.  

For more information on the Johnson Nature Center please visit www.johnsonnaturecenter.org

To learn how you can volunteer to help support the JNC please visit www.johnsonnaturecenter.org/friends