• This is one of the largest undeveloped tracts of land in southwest Michigan. It is a largely natural area that is home to three lakes, a trout stream, rare oak-pine savannas and more than 1,000 species of animals and insects, including several threatened and endangered species. Some things are just worth preserving!
• The land is open to some uses by the public. For a hiking permit during the summer, contact either Greg Lange or Pete Klaeser or Al Geisler at the camp's administation center at 231-894-4061.
• On a 100-mile stretch of the North Country National Scenic Trail Owasippe runs its Manistee Quest program (c1997) for week-long backpacking and/or canoe treks for older Scouts.
• Some of the best mountain biking in the state is purported to be found on Owasippe lands.
• There will be a special day of public recognition of Owasippe's 95th Anniversary, sometime in late July. See the camp and Scouts in action and visit the E. Urner Goodman Owasippe Museum.

• You can contact Blue Lake Township to express your opinion.
• You can contribute to the fund created to support the legal fight.
• You can volunteer to help on the May 19-21 Fix-It Weekend.
• You can tell the Scouts that you care about their camp!
• You can donate directly to the The Owasippe Outdoor Education Center, which has been founded to market Owasippe as a year-round outdoor education facility. This would perserve the camp for Scouts, and would enhance its use for the general public during the Scout Camps' "off season", ie. late August through early June. This organization is loosely connected to and supported by the Owasippe Staff Association

note the owl track on top of the rabbit track

The tracks in the snow beside my ski trail a few weeks ago were a good 4" long, and I wasn't sure just what bird had made them, but I knew it had to be a big one. I ran to the house for the camera, field guide, and a ruler. And... I left the dog inside so she wouldn't walk all over my new-found work of art. The late afternoon sun made some good pictures possible, and the guide quickly led me to believe that these were tracks of a great horned owl!

rabbit continues to the right, owl walks a few steps on the left

You don't often see their tracks except in snow. They seldom light on the ground except around a kill site, or to investigate a potential food source, such as a road-killed animal. But this owl didn't get the dinner it had hoped to catch, and apparently walked a few steps while pondering this error in judgment before it flew away again! You can see in this vertical picture that the path of the rabbit continues, and diverges from that of the owl.

The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) is the largest owl of the northeast United States. If you've ever seen one you won't forget! They are about 22" long, bulky, with feathered tufts- the "ears." They give three to eight loud, deep hoots. An adaptable owl, it is found throughout North America. They hunt mainly at night, and take prey as large as skunks and ducks. The male's voice is usually higher than the female's, and a pair may sometimes be heard calling together, almost in harmony.

"my" owl gets sprayed for flies by the raptor rescue staff

This past fall I had another great horned owl encounter. A small (for a great horned) owl was stumbling through the woods ahead of me in the cemetery. She seemed unable to fly. I ran home to get a heavy towel and a carrying cage. We both got pretty wet in the creek before I captured her, but without too much trauma, I settled her for the night in a wire dog kennel. She seemed alert, but of course, wary. It was also pretty obvious that one of her recent meals had indeed been a skunk! The next day I took her to a raptor rescue group. I had visions of "my owl" being treated and released, or at least being rehabilitated as a demonstration bird. Alas, it was not to be. She was very thin, and had so badly broken one wing, that they put her to sleep. But for one day I got to interact closely with a great horned owl.

Read more at Animal Diversity Web
Read more in Life Histories of Familiar North American Birds by Arthur Cleveland Bent

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