Weather: Sunny and 70° Fahrenheit with a slight breeze

My site is located just off Torch lake in a strip of trees that leads back into the woods near my cottage. At my location, I am surrounded by different trees including evergreens and birch. The ground is mostly covered in ferns, pine needles and European lily of the valley. Being close to the lake allows me to hear the waves as well as boats which can be a bit distracting. Other noises I can here come from birds, particularly seagulls. There is a slight breeze off the lake making it feel cooler than it is outside. It is a very calming and reflective environment. Right next to my sight is my family’s cottage. My great-grandparents built it back during the polio outbreak in the 1900s as a place for their family to come and enjoy the outdoors and swimming. I choose a site that was still in sight of the cottage because growing up coming to this cottage is what taught me about my love for the environment. This is now my 21st summer up in Northern Michigan and having this blog as a way to reflect on the land around my is going to be very impactful.

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While at my site, I generated this list of 25 questions:

1. Were these trees here when my great-grandparents built our cottage?
2. What kind of plants are native to Northern Michigan?
3. How has erosion changed the shoreline of Torch?
4. What has been causing Torch to become polluted?
5. How old are these trees?
6. What created this ecosystem?
7. How was Torch Lake created?
8. Are all the plants around me native?
9. How has my cottage being here impacted the ecosystem around it?
10. When did these plants get here?
11. How old is the ground beneath me?
12. What bugs & animals thrive in this area?
13. What can I do to better support this environment?
14. Why are these plants here?
15. Is it something to the soil?
16. Is this soil healthy? What nutrients are present?
17. Where do the rocks I see come from?
18. What kind of rocks are they?
19. How does the climate affect what grows here?
20. Do any of these plants survive through the winter?
21. What plants around me could be used as medicine?
22. Why is the bark peeling from the trees?
23. What do the different trees bring to this area?
24. Where can I find these plants in other places?
25. Does being on the southeast side of the lake impact the ecosystem?

Question 7: How was Torch Lake Created?

According to the Torch Conservation Center which is based in Alden, the creation of torch lake dates back to 10,000 to 11,000 years ago. At this time, there was a glacier that was a mile high that dug into the bedrock of this area leaving behind hills of gravel, clay, and sand. Between 10,000 to 6,000 years ago, the glacier melted which allowed the land to have an isostatic rebound. This pushed waters father north to what we call modern-day Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Next is the time period between 6,000 to 4,000 years ago where the land was left barren and did not support life. Torch Lake was a valley that stretched north near an ancient Lake Nipissing that helped carve out the Old Mission Peninsula and Leelanau Peninsula as well as the western shore of modern Torch Lake. During this time, ancient people attempted to live and work in the valley but did not survive. The next time period of importance is 4,000 to 3,000 years ago when the climate began to warm. Winds started to bring sand onto the western side of the valley and seeds came along with this wind and birds. People were able to come in and sustain life and agriculture in this valley that was slowly being made into a lake. Lastly, we have a time period of 1,000 years ago to the present. In this time, trees began to flourish on the shores of Torch Lake and as they died and fell into the lake they made habitats for aquatic animals. New people entered this area who became “the tribes of the Three Fires: Potawatomi, Chippewa (Ojibwe/Ogema) and Ottawa (Odawa)” (How Torch Lake Was Formed, 2019). Torch Lake has a long-standing history that dates back to before people could inhabit the area. It is really interesting to better understand how modern-day Torch Lake came to be.

How Torch Lake Was Formed. (2019, July 22). Retrieved June 18, 2020, from https://conservetorch.org/knowing-torch-lake/lake-lore/how-torch-lake-was-formed/

In conclusion, this visit allowed me to better understand the things around me that I typically look over. I never really put true thought into how everything around me came to be here. During my future journaling and blogging endeavors with this class, I hope to dive further into the natural and cultural history of this area as well as my family’s connection. At my site, I have been very drawn to the water specifically the power, history, and science it holds. Next time, I want to sit closer to the lake and maybe even get in to get a deeper look.