Long before Spring arrived, I scheduled myself for three virtual 5K events to take place during this season. To date, I’ve completed two of them and have up to June 15th to do my Fishes & Loaves 5K, which event raises money for a local food pantry.
I follow a lot of nature sites on social media, so when the Michigan DNR’s “Happy Little Run for the Trees” appeared in my news feed, that event called out to me. This trek could be taken between Earth Day (April 22nd) and Arbor Day (April 30th) at the location of your choice. I signed up, lured in part by the very cool swag: a fun finisher’s medal, (which is a reproduction of a painting by Bob Ross during “The Joy of Painting” series 26, episode 1, “In the Stillness of Morning”) …
… plus a tee-shirt emblazoned with the likeness of Bob Ross.
But that frivolous reason aside, all funds raised help to fill the coffers at Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources and will be used to replenish the trees in Michigan’s many forested areas.
A little background info about the “Happy Little Trees” program.
As I write this post, the maple seeds, a/k/a “helicopters” are fluttering down from the trees, collecting on rooftops, in gutters and all over the mulch and sidewalks – grrr. And, if you think those mini maple seeds will never amount to much if you don’t weed them out of your garden, I’m here to tell you they will indeed grow up to be towering maple trees. My neighbor has one such tree. Long ago, the previous homeowners, a young couple in their starter home, were ecstatic to see a maple seedling embedded in a bare spot on their City property lawn. First they put a jar over that seedling, then, when it was bigger, they secured it to a stick, put a fence around it and fertilized it. It seemed every time I was doing yard work out front, they were either admiring that maple seedling or fiddling with it. Suffice it to say it got a lot of TLC. I must admit to having secretly rolled my eyes at the time when I witnessed those antics, but that tree two decades later, yields at least a dozen or more 30-gallon yard waste bags every Fall … on my property alone! That’s what I get for rolling my eyes and many a time I have wished I’d pulled that seedling out when no one was looking. My neighbor is not enamored with the tree either and has mentioned cutting it down, so I shared this little story with her.
But, because we can’t always depend on this method of growing trees, nor leave it up to the many squirrels who hide nuts, then forget to dig ‘em up, the DNR, in conjunction with the foundation of the late painter and PBS star Bob Ross and the Michigan Department of Corrections, instituted a tree-growing program to first grow the seedlings, then there is a contingent of volunteers to plant them.
The seeds are placed in the care of MDC inmates who are enrolled in an educational program where they learn horticultural practices and help to raise new trees for replanting. To ensure the trees will survive in the local communities, only native seeds are collected, (as well as seeds for shrubs and plants), then once the seedlings have morphed into saplings, they are planted in Michigan’s many state parks.
To date 2,100 trees have been planted in 20 state parks across Michigan. Through the DNR’s partnership with Bob Ross Inc., this is the third year 5K race participants raised funds to plant “happy little trees” throughout the Mitten State. A whopping $600,000.00 was raised through the 2019 and 2020 5K events.
So I was all in, and, after wavering for several weeks, on whether to venture to a state park, like Belle Isle or Sterling State Park for my trek, I decided to just go to the Rouge River Gateway Trail that winds through a lovely forested area.
I began my very long meander at Ford Field Park.
It was a beautiful morning when I set out to walk at least the equivalent of 3.2 miles/5 kilometers, and I did just that …
… and more (double in fact) by the time I returned to the car three hours later.
I parked at Ford Field Park in Dearborn.
I roamed around that scenic venue for about an hour. The beautiful Willow and Redbud trees caught my eye.
This small wooden footbridge traverses the River.
When you look down, you see the water churning as it hurries over a collection of rocks just beneath the bridge. Though I saw no waterfowl near the bridge, a Great Blue Heron had positioned itself down the River to catch some fish for breakfast. Unfortunately he was too far away to get a good shot.
Adjacent to this footbridge is a playground and a small pond, the latter which always guarantees a few photos of ducks or geese, either paddling or foraging together companionably. Such was the case on this morning. I wished I had some treats for them, but judging from the ground near the pond, they were well taken care of as I saw fruits and veggies … even watermelon slices. But this array of produce held no appeal for the geese and ducks who continued to forage and do a series of feathery-butt-in-the-air-dabbling moves, much to the delight of a few children who erupted into giggles at their foraging tactics.
I stayed a few minutes then continued on my way out of the park, then through the neighborhood.
Along the Rouge River Gateway Trail.
Though I long knew about this trail, I never walked it until 2019 when I participated in the “Mutt Strut” 5K event to raise money for the Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit, a huge, no-kill animal shelter in Dearborn. I enjoyed walking this calm and peaceful trail, which begins parallel to busy Michigan Avenue in West Downtown Dearborn.
This sign along the trail suggests that in this corridor I may encounter these birds …
… but I didn’t see a single critter, feathered or otherwise. Just the path and the trees.
As I walked, I stopped to take photos of a few trees, still unfurling their leaves, as we had uncharacteristically cool recent weather.
And, since this post is about trees, I included a few tree-related items as well.
There had been a family of bicyclists on the trail at the onset, but by the time I reached the forest area, it was just me, myself and I, as that saying goes. The sun’s rays filtered down through the trees and the sky was a brilliant blue … so peaceful. Though I didn’t see any songbirds, I heard the non-stop warbling of Michigan’s state bird, the American Robin. I whistled back at that unseen Robin and we did a back-and-forth songfest for a good five minutes, then the warbling stopped – perhaps he caught sight of a worm.
In the sudden silence, there was just the crunch of last year’s leaves underfoot as I continued on my journey.
I found myself at Fair Lane, the grandiose estate of Henry and Clara Ford, so since I intended to explore those grounds, I decided to see how many miles I had walked and was surprised to see the pedometer registered 6,800 steps – exactly 3.2 miles/5 kilometers! I had to get a photo of this for this post and for any other post where I might participate in a virtual 5K event.
Wandering around Fair Lane.
When I participated in the Mutt Strut in May 2019, one of the highlights for me was walking past the estate and extensive, flower-filled grounds known as “Fair Lane” long the home of Henry, (Ford Motor Company founder) and his wife Clara. The beautiful Redbud trees were everywhere and in the apple orchard, an abundance of trees were in blossom. I returned in August to explore the 1,300 acre estate from behind the fence and was chattin’ it up with a guard who said “you must return when the lilacs are in bloom.” So, here I was two years later to do so. (It was closed due to COVID last Spring.) My visit to the Ford estate and its many gardens, established in 1915 and currently undergoing extensive restoration, will be in an upcoming post.
After logging in a few more miles at the Estate, it was time to go back to square one and I must admit my steps were not as lively as when I began around 8:00 a.m. – whew!
This 5K Run for the Trees event was a success!
All participants received a “thank you” e-mail from the Michigan DNR in early May. We learned that 18,000 people registered for the event. A whopping 70% of the participants hailed from Michigan, runners and walkers from all 50 states participated, as well as 150 people who participated internationally (England, Australia and Mexico).
I’ll leave you with a quote by Bob Ross that appeared on the event’s website:
“I like trees that don’t just look like future telephone poles. They’ve got character. Some of them, they’re like people. Some of them have a few flaws in them, some of them are a little heavier, some are a little skinnier, something like so, and some of them maybe have a little tilt in their world, and that’s okay.” – Bob Ross, “The Joy of Painting” series 26, episode 1, “In the Stillness of Morning.”
[Quote and header image from Michigan Department of Natural Resources website]
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
What a wonderful post Linda, amazing all the beautiful parks around you. I love seeing all the photos of them. So much for people to get out and enjoy nature.
I used to watch Bob painting shows, I loved how he talked about the trees, he would put a happy tree over here he would say. He was quite the painter.
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Glad you liked the photos Sandra … it is quite peaceful walking through here, as you start on a fairly open trail and just five minutes later you are in a forest, (though it is not too dense).
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So many steps. Another beautiful walk captured by you with your photos. I remember Bob Ross being on PBS. His voice was Demerol to me. And all his happy little trees looked so easy to paint, but I never tried.
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Give it a try Ally…..watching Bob Ross back in the day was how my mother got her start. She used to get up early on Saturday mornngs to watch his programs.
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I didn’t know that your mom was inspired by Bob Ross. How interesting. Your mom’s paintings do look like what I’ve seen in magazines. I watched an episode on YouTube – you can subscribe to them. I’d never seen the PBS show but heard about his paintings. You know I want to try my hand at art as a hobby once I retire. I’ve still not used all the art supplies I bought for over the Winter of 2019-2020.
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Some of her early stuff is more Bob Ross like – mountains and trees. I seldom mention it as much of the serious art world does not consider Bob Ross a painter. Actually she first got her start doing paint by numbers back in the 60’s and 70’s! That taught her how to hold a paint brush. She did one of the Last Supper what looks so real. She’s always had very steady hands, even now for her age, no shaking at all. Your art supplies will be waiting for you when the time is right! An artist friend, who took up painting a few years ago, watches tons of learn to draw and paint vidoes on youtube and she has really improved.
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Thank you Ally. I never saw Bob Ross on TV but I had heard of him. When I signed up for this 5K, I researched a little about Bob Ross and learned he has a YouTube channel with many of his painting episodes on there. After I took that “walk/talk/sketch, I was interested to start sketching again and brought some how-to books, charcoals and was ready to go to town. I decided to just wait until I’m retired now but am looking forward to this hobby.
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What a wonderful post Linda! It looks like such a nice and peaceful park. Watching Bob Ross on TV is what inspired mom to start painting, and she still likes to do mountains and trees. Was he from Michigan? I’m looking forward to your post on the Ford estate and the lilacs.
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Thanks Joni – glad you liked it. It is a peaceful park and the trail is very nice with its twists and turns through the trees. I Googled around when I saw the 5K and Bob Ross was born in Florida and lived there always. That’s great your mom was inspired to start painting from this show. The show I watched was fun. He started with clouds, then put a few mountains in, then the trees in the bottom third of the painting. He told what size brush and exact color – he did make it easy to follow what he was doing! I scrapped all the 2019 Ford Estate photos as they had scaffolding over the mansion and I knew it at the time. So I will do this post instead and focus on the lilacs only in a WW post.
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That’s disappointing…..I was looking forward to seeing the mansion…..maybe some other year! The lilacs will be nice too though.
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I took more pics of the outside … it is a few more years until the inside is completed then the tours will resume. I went through a couple of hundred pics and none of them were that great, so got rid of all of them. I will go back to the Clara Ford rose garden this Summer, just by following the trail like I did for this post and take pictures. In going thru the pics I took in 2019, every one had either scaffolding on the home or around it and along the Rouge River which runs in back of their home. I did take some pics of the greenhouse … last time the greenhouse was also being restored … it is very warm today. Am looking forward to my walk to just get away from here and computer issues (work and I have over 1,000 SPAM in folder here at WP … don’t know why and contacted them).
But not looking forward to the heat/humidity – already a “real feel of 67” … it was hot in the house last night and didn’t want to put the A/C on as they were calling for storms and I wanted to hear the rumble to shut off the A/C and can’t if it is on. I didn’t even finish comments and feel badly for that. I don’t come on here during the work day.
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I just checked and I have 386 spam, which is high for me. Wonder what’s going on? I haven’t been deleting them lately….kind of forgot about it. Let me know what they say. It will be a stay inside day for me.
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I think there is something afoot with the SPAM. Even if you forgot for a week or so, you would not have that many to do. I left them there in case they want to check as I did report I had more … now the last count is 1.1K SPAMs!
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A delightful walk for a good cause. I keep telling myself to watch a Bob Ross show and do a painting with him. Maybe this will be the year!
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Glad you enjoyed the walk Eilene and yes, it’s a good cause. We just lost a lot of trees during a controlled burn that went wrong when the wind shifted a few weeks ago.
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Bummer when that happens! The cottonwood trees at the south end of our road were killed by such.
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Yes – a breeze blew up suddenly, people on the fringe needed to be evacuated as well. Any tree loss is devastating … we lost five trees in the front/back yards to carpenter ants many years ago.
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I did a virtual “Save the Bees” 5K on Friday with a coworker. It was fun.
The Bob Ross medal is awesome.
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That sounds fun too Sarah – I know we have a lack of bees here in Michigan and naturalists are asking for people not to use pesticides to try to save them. I went to a local llama farm just before the COVID crisis began and the owner told me all his bees had died from the pesticides people sprayed in the nearby areas. Honey was one of their mainstays at their llama farm, plus the yarn they get after the wool process post-shearing.
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It is awful. Our lawn crew will not stop using Roundup though we keep asking.
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That is bad – I know the harmful effects of Roundup, for not only bees, but humans too. It was so controversial a few years ago as to all the products that had been sprayed with it … Cheerios stands out in my mind. I meant to add in my reply to you yesterday that the finishing medal is unique in that the middle (the painting part) spins around too.
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That race was far more entertaining than reading about people running at the same time. Fun! I enjoyed your super photos.
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Thank you – glad you enjoyed it Anne. It is a nice trek, going through the park, then the woods and I enjoyed doing it alone. I thought of you at the creek over the Rouge River. The water gurgles and moves like your creek does. My next 5K post will be the Tulip Time Run/Walk that I did in early May … usually they have it “live” at Holland, Michigan which has thousands of tulips in bloom simultaneously. So I sought out tulips on my route to photograph.
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That sounds like a fun post. I am looking forward to it.
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Yes, it was and it would be great to be at Holland, Michigan – I think they have 300,000+ tulips.
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I hope so, I waited until the tulips were at their peak to go on the walk with the camera.
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Beautiful scenery combined with a walk for a good cause – what could be better! Your annual steps are adding up already and it’s only May. Happy walking, Linda!
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It is a nice trek – third time I’ve done it Sabine. When I get time I will do a post on the Ford Estate which is beautiful and their lilacs … many Persian Lilacs planted in and around Clara Ford’s garden. I have to take a tally of my miles and will probably report at the end of the second quarter and I hope, by June 30th to be at least at the halfway point. With this erratic weather, no telling what happens with an early snowfall, etc. Today we had 87 or 88 degrees, Thursday and Friday only going to 58 – crazy weather. But looks good for the long weekend as of now. Lots of yard work to do.
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Linda, I think Persian and Korean lilacs are the same thing. They’re like miniature lilac blossoms and so beautifully fragrant. I love mine. I look forward to the Ford Estate post! I bet it’s gorgeous there when everything’s in bloom.
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OK, something else I learned Sabine and I could have probably waited another week as they weren’t all open at the Ford Estate. They had a disease and 38 of the lilacs had to be cut back quite far, but they are using a Master Gardener who is watching over them carefully.
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I’ll venture out to pull some weeds, trim the lilacs and finally plant my tomatoes in the ground. We always have a master gardener at the farm market! They sure are knowledgeable about horticultural issues.
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We’ve had a very rainy day but we are in moderate drought so that’s good, but it may mess up tomorrow morning for me as there is some serious shoreline flooding. I had planned my agenda, but not sure that will work now. They had an event at Heritage Park last weekend called “Good Thymes in the Garden”.
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Good luck, Linda!
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Well I took today off to walk and do a few things but now two days of working hard. The weather today was beautiful, very chilly for May, but I’d rather have that than the awful heat we had last weekend and earlier this week. It was very windy – 18 mph when I left the house, but up to 23 mph gusts soon thereafter. I found the ducklings, the third park I went to. I won’t be looking at the photos for a bit though. I hope I can at least get through comments tonight … I am hopelessly behind and have to write my post for Monday to go with the Memorial Day photos tomorrow.
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I remember Bob Ross. He made everything look so easy. Just like you do!
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I looked at a YouTube video of one of his shows as I’d never seen him – I got all caught up in it. He did make some beautiful clouds and Joni said her mom was inspired by Bob Ross to begin painting. Thank you!
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Michigan is a very beautiful state. 🙂 I used to live there. Lots of trees. Here in Illinois, there is too much endless corn and soybeans (all covered very densely in noxious Roundup).
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I forgot that you told me you had lived here many years ago. It is beautiful and no lack of parks and water to enjoy. Roundup just made the news again this morning … I used it many years before I knew of the dangers. Never again … I shut my eyes to most of those weeds, except the really big ones!
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Ah, what a wonderful spring walk, and for such a good cause, too. The willow and redbud are gorgeous! I like how they chose the time slot between Earth Day and Arbor Day to hold the event. I still remember Arbor Day in 3rd grade when our class put all our names into a glass jar and planted an evergreen tree with the jar tucked into its roots on the corner of the grammar school’s property. I used to think of it every time we drove by the school for years to come. I love maple trees, but I suppose they belong in the woods, not in a city yard! Congratulations on completing the “Happy Little Run for the Trees”!!! Love the Bob Ross quote. May we always celebrate our differences…
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I loved those willow and redbud trees too Barbara. There are more willows but they are so large I couldn’t get them in the photo. You have such nice memories of Arbor Day as a youngster and I don’t remember us doing anything. I only remember gathering leaves and pressing them between waxed paper and pasting them onto paper and tied together with yarn, an exercise we did in grade school every Fall. Thank you and I have my Tulip Time Walk/Run that I’ve done and will write about in the next few weeks. I thought you would enjoy this quote as you collect unique quotes … yes, I agree with you “may we always celebrate our differences …”
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Miss Linda………………………..that is so interesting……………………….I hope to some da get over there to ford Field Park in Dearborn…………………….congratulations on completing the event………………
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We have to go one time – Ford Field is very picturesque, especially the pond for the ducks and geese. You would like it, as well as the second leg of my trip at the Rouge River Gateway. So many trails, so little time to explore. Thank you – my next 5K to write about is “Tulip Time” coming in a few weeks.
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What a wonderful fundraiser Linda! Don’t you just love Red Bud Trees? I planted 3 Red Bud Trees on our property about 25 years ago and I always look forward to spring. As for maple trees, I have two HUGE maples and I wish you could see the cabana. The helicopters have embedded themselves in all of the floor boards. I need to get out there with the hose and try to get them out!!!! Now that the helicopters are almost all down it is just in time for all the cottonwood to fly. Lol
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Those Red Buds trees are just beautiful and I never get tired of seeing them at the parks. When I went through the Henry and Clara Ford estate, the Redbuds were everywhere – just gorgeous. The maple seeds are such a pain – they embed themselves in everything. The mulch is not too bad as you can get them out easily, but rocks not so much. I pity you trying to get them out of the cabana. The cottonwood was flying today at the Ppark and collecting along the sides of the pathway. I’ve not taken my hose out yet (nor turned the water on), so I can’t spray the A/C grille down and in almost 90-degree weather today, I am sure it will be bad.
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I sprayed my A/C yesterday and it was like a sheet of cotton. The helicopters are plugging up my fish filters daily. I can’t wait until they are gone as I am sure you will be too. What a funny story about the seed growing in the neighbors yard. Lol
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I shut the A/C off before bed as we were expecting a couple of rounds of thunderstorms overnite. We are 30 degrees colder Thursday and Friday – the weather is crazy. My A/C grille is okay so far, but looking inside I see helicopters and thousands of tiny elm seeds – sigh. My mom and I joked about that tree for years … I wish she could see it now!
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I’m writing a second comment to you Diane because I heard a story on the radio today that this year we have an overabundance of maple seeds, “helicopters”, and here is why:
https://www.audacy.com/wwjnewsradio/news/local/what-is-with-all-the-helicopter-maple-tree-seeds
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The Run for the Trees DID have cool swag! Good for you. You participated in a fun event AND got to support a cause you really believe in AND a sweet T-shirt and medal to boot!
I had to laugh when you wrote that you wished you had yanked that maple seedling up when you had the chance! 🙂
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Yes, it did have cool swag and I knew you’d be appreciative and, especially compared to the Tulip 5K Run/Walk which only had a medal and buff, but I’ve never had a buff, so I didn’t order a separate T-shirt (those T-shirts were black which is kind of hot for Summer). The medal had the painting in the middle of it and it spun around. I may do this one again as it was such a good cause. Oh, that tree Laurie … it is huge now and seems to lose more leaves and have more branches that hang over on my lawn. Today we had stormy weather and I was watching it swaying in the wind. Once it took hold, there was no stopping the silly thing!
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What Bob is to art you are to Park’s Linda!
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Thank you Wayne! I had a Parkapalooza today – four parks on a chilly and windy, but otherwise beautiful day. I never watched Bob on TV, but before I wrote this post, I watched a YouTube video of him painting on one of the PBS shows. He makes it look effortless.
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anyone that is good at what they do will always make it looks easy!
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I love the Redbud trees too – they are so pretty. We don’t have many in our area, but in the southern part of the state, they are very prevalent. I wonder if Bob ever painted them? I still enjoy watching his painting shows. Congrats on your virtual walking events. You must have tallied up lots of miles in 2021 so far?!
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The Redbuds are done now – that wind we had yesterday scattered leaves and blossoms all over the place which was too bad. I watched a couple of shows on YouTube when I decided to book myself for this virtual 5K. I have to add my miles up – I have them jotted down on the computer, the book I usually keep a record of and on a calendar. I will report for sure at the end of the upcoming quarter. It seems like I’ve had a lot of fits and starts lately due to the weather but I hope to still make my goal at year end.
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We have flowering crab trees that are like the Redbuds – fragile in the wind.
Yay on your walks – you do well at meeting your goals, I’m confident you’ll meet this year’s goal too!
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I hope so Shelley- I don’t want to disappoint myself.
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You’ll make it, Linda, you’re a walking warrior!
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I hope so … the more I hear about our upcoming weather I have to wonder ….
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Me too!
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Great pics, Linda. I have been pulling those invasive vines off of my trees all spring. I don’t want them to be suffocated by vines!
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I hate the Purple Nightshade Pam … that is my nemesis, not to mention those elm seeds that grow in between the fence and morph into mini saplings. My neighbor cut down a Wisteria Vine last year and I was glad. I fought with that vine and its far-reaching tendrils which latched onto my Lilac tree and kept choking the poor thing – it’s 55 years old and I didn’t want to lose it. I’d snip and clip and a week later, like an octopus, it would be suffocating it again. The weather is so wonky – a Little Miss Kim lilac bush I planted 35 years ago just bloomed for the first time ever! I just finished two long days of yardwork – even my fingertips hurt.
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Oh I hear you, Linda!🤪
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Probably a repeat observation but your first few photos of Ford Field could be Bob Ross paintings… He had the most liquid, soothing voice I have ever heard. I’m not an artist by any means but I’m sure it was Ross’s voice that kept me watching his programs. If I need an effective stress-buster these days, I just need to watch one of his episodes online and I’m instantly calmer. What a worthy fundraiser in his name – glad to know of it. Also, your neighbor’s pine needles remind me of my own neighbor, who never maintains his noxious weeds. Once those weeds flower (later this summer), their seeds blow over to our property and before you know it we also have noxious weeds. It’s so frustrating, especially when you get a letter from county officials demanding you, “maintain your noxious weeds!”
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I watched a few of his videos on YouTube and you are right – his voice and demeanor are so calming Dave. Ford Field was very beautiful that day – the sweeping Willows and Redbud trees. Joni @ The Homeplace Web said her mom was inspired to paint by watching Bob Ross. A fellow blogger, now retired, took painting and drawing classes and besides being a great bird and flower photographer, she is now an artist as well. That encourages me as I hope when I am retired to return to sketching. I took some classes as a teenager. I went on a “Walk, Talk and Sketch” a few years ago at one of the Metroparks and our group did some sketching. I was inspired and got some charcoals, paper and some sketching books, but that’s a hobby to wait until I have more time so I put them away. Before my current neighbor and our two fence issues, the prior owners fed the birds. I had no issue with that as I fed them too, but she tossed the old thistle seed over the fence into my yard when filling her feeders. Have you ever tackled thistle removal? They are rhizomes (plants with horizontal roots) and very difficult to dig up. I explained patiently and nicely that humid or rainy days and those were not all spent seeds and they grew quickly into big and prickly weeds – it fell on deaf ears. The houses are close because the corner house is a lot and a half, and the house next door is very tiny, no basement or driveway sitting on a half-lot. I really “get” it about the noxious weeds. Luckily this was in my backyard, so no one saw it from the street so no letters, but those thistles were hard to handle as well. I had to dig them out by hand as my “Weed Hound” (heavy-duty weed digger) didn’t work on them.
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Good to know about Joni’s mom’s inspiration! She is very talented. Yes, thistle is the perfect example of noxious weeds – one of the worst of them. Spreads fast, takes root, is hard to remove. Our property to too big to pull it all out so we just mow it down so it doesn’t flower.
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Yes, I thought that was interesting about Joni’s mom and she started painting late in life. My property is small and it would overtake the garden in no time. I finally have it under control thankfully.
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