Lowell Wildlife Management Area

Kat Beireis, Ideal Corners, took these scenic photos in the Lowell Wildlife Management Area on an April morning.

Resident captures beauty of Lowell Wildlife Management Area, Rice Lake

BY KAT BEIREIS

Rice Lake, one of the few remaining natural wildlife lakes in the area, is home to a variety of fur bearers, waterfowl and reptiles. The lake provides aquatic habitat for small fish species and is often abundant with wild rice.

An 85-acre tract of land adjacent to the lake was donated to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and is managed as the Lowell Wildlife Management Area.

Spring ephemerals are making me jealous! The Cities are about two weeks ahead of those of us in central Minnesota. So I searched for beauty in the woods of Crow Wing County, seeking any bits of color.

I followed a stream, trying to find a way across. Cows impeded my normal path. It was just too wide to risk a jump at my age. Just too cold to wade.

Eventually, I found a suitable downed tree to inch across. Then I followed the stream farther until I found the place where another creek joins it. Hard to get to in the long grasses of summer, today was only a bit rough and muddy.

I wandered the strip between field and stream, searching in vain for hepaticas. The oniony smell awakened me to the ramps dotted under the trees. I pushed further, but the rising wind made me check the weather. Rain headed my way!

A flock of butterbutts accompanied me as I stuck to the woodline to avoid the wind.

As I walked, a bit quicker as the clouds thickened, I found myself wondering what I would eat to stay alive if I fell and broke my leg. (I have my cell phone, my car is parked a quarter mile away on the side of the road, my house is 9 mile away, and I have a baggie of nuts in my pocket - not much of a real concern.)

Anyway, there were ramps to eat, and chickweed was just starting to pop up. Not much, but better than nothing. Nettles are all over, but can you eat them without boiling the stingers off? A question to pursue later.

Looking forward to the day (in a couple weeks) when there will be many more distractions on the forest floor.

Seeing birds/bird pictures often sparks memories. They bring back memories of people who passed away or memories of our childhood. I get a sense of what “power” birds have on people by their comments on my posts.

The meadowlark? The most common comment on this bird is: “I miss their song. It reminds me of home.”

This comment usually comes from someone raised on a farm who now lives in the city, but misses home, and I’m glad to be living in the lakes area.

KAT BEIREIS is an Ideal Corners resident.

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LOWELL WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

County: Crow Wing Nearest town: Pequot Lakes Directions: From the junction of State Highway 371 and County Road 11 in Pequot Lakes, go east on County Road 11 for 1.75 miles and south on a gravel road for .1 mile. Access to Rice Lake and this wildlife management area is along a gravel road. Area: 158.38 acres Perimeter: 2.84 miles Special restrictions: None Description: This wildlife management area was proposed in 1978 for habitat improvement for waterfowl, furbearers, white-tailed deer and ruffed grouse. There is no parking lot. An interpretive boardwalk and related parking lot funded by gift funds from the Pelican Lake Conservation Club/ Eagle View Elementary School is being considered for the north side of Rice Lake. Game species: Deer, bear, small game, forest upland birds, waterfowl.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

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