This summer, wilderness guide Julie Den Uyl is sharing a one-of-a-kind insider’s view of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore with the Leelanau Ticker readers. Den Uyl, a former park ranger who now operates Sleeping Bear Tour Co. under a permit granted by the National Park Service, leads adventures in the park’s less-traveled trails and Great Lakes Piping Plover conservation habitat. She makes it her job to notice the subtle and spectacular natural occurrences within the Sleeping Bear Dune’s 71,199 acres.

Here’s what’s happening right now:

Beauty abounds in the Leelanau Peninsula. Landscape chromaticity and composition are in continual flux. A sandy beach one day may be cobblestone the day following. Accept with great joy the presentation you are offered. As you journey through the landscapes absorb the powerful renewals, revisit favorite sites, and discover something new.

What’s blooming? Tree foliage is now on full display in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SBDNL). Varied colors, textures, and depths reflective in the landscapes have drastically changed from just a few short weeks ago. Young tender spruce tips glisten with the morning dew. Tamaracks (deciduous conifers) have transformed from barren winter display to soft radiating needle clusters of green. The understory continues to radiate with pastel petals of spring wildflowers. Forested leaf litter is quickly being consumed by decay or hidden from view by the burgeoning of bracken fern displays.

Wild strawberries are in abundance this year. Blossoms will soon transform to the glorious juicy red berries northern Michigan residents recall from childhood. Humans will be competing with insects, birds, deer, and raccoons in harvesting this tempting fruit treasure. Be attentive to the ripening stage. A favorite patch can be cleared within a matter of hours; definitely a first come, first served situation.

Life at the water’s edge: Inland lakes are flourishing with rich new growth and life. Cattails are rising above the water’s surface. Water lily rhizomes are reaching for the sun, casting an oasis of protection for multiple aquatic species. Sedges and grasses begin to outline the waters edge. Tadpoles fill the shallows, dragonflies artistically flutter past, and herons stand stealth within the newly formed coverage.

Vocalizations from loons and trumpeter swans occasionally pierce the still air. Consider yourself fortunate to hear the arousal these birds exude. The tones can reach the depths of your soul.

Atmospherically take note of temperature variants within the National Lakeshore as you maneuver through the park. Agricultural zones and forested trails distant from the shores of Lake Michigan will reflect warmer air temperatures than directly along the coast. Current Lake Michigan water temperature readings are in the mid 40 degree F range. Consequently, major discrepancies in air temperatures within a very short distance can be rather striking.

Life in the meadow: Step into one of the many vast open agricultural spaces in SBDNL. Upon approach an area may seem void of life. Look and listen. Symbiosis is occurring below your feet. Ants are marching, worms wriggling, grasshoppers snapping their wings in flight, and note the amplification of the high-pitched cricket. Varies bee species, butterflies, and moths are happily on the move pollinating and performing aerobatics. Life, it’s in abundance in northern Michigan. Take time to enjoy it!

Enter with a new view: Umbrages, whether from a long withstanding childhood memory or a more recent encounter, can negate the positivity one uncovers outdoors. Snakes are on the move underfoot, frogs are sitting together in the warmth of shallow wetlands, and turtles are viewed digging in some of the most unusual places, displaying a great drive to complete the clutch laying process. Dissolve dislikes and recall the importance of each species in the continuum of life.

Photo courtesy Sleeping Bear Tour Co.