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Dunes of the Great Lakes

"The Dunes are to the Midwest what Grand Canyon is to Arizona and Yosemite is to California. They constitute a signature of time and eternity. Once lost, the loss would be irrevocable." - Carl Sandburg, USA Poet

A habitat and ecosystem, such as the dunes, connects to everything. The dunes connect to everything. Many natural elements make up the dune habitat. The dunes are not only piles of sand. The dunes have sand; they have Marram Grass, which stabalizes the sand; they have many plants (grasses, shrubs, trees, and flowers); they have many animals that depend on the dune plants; their formation depends on the Great Lakes depositing the sand at its coast, wind blowing the sand, and the Marram Grass trapping the sand; the daily and annual temperatures and the amount of precipitation depend on the weather, seasons, and climate; and their plants and animals depend on water from rain. The dune habitat would not be the dune habitat without the Great Lakes, sand, wind, Marram Grass, plants, animals, rain, climate, weather. Furthermore, the dunes provide people with many assets. The dunes are beneficial to all social elements. For instance, people enjoy hiking up the dunes to stay fit and healthy. The dunes helps the economy by protecting people's homes from severe weather and wind at the lake. Students learn about many fascinating facts about the dunes at school and while experiencing the dunes. The government makes laws to try to protect the dunes. The dunes provides people with inspiration. People make art about the dunes. The dunes provides people with an opportunity of joy as people play at the dunes and enjoy the great outdoors. Many people cherish and value the dunes. Furthermore, people affect the dunes. People base their culture on the dunes' assets. Either, the culture wisely and sustainably uses the dunes for society's health, economy, education, freedom, art, and celebrations. Or, the culture abuses, pollutes, and wastes the dunes by accident or on purpose. Everything connects to everything; thus, the dunes are related to all social elements (health, economy, school, government, art, values, etc.), culture, and all natural elements (habitats, plants, animals, water, ground, air, etc.).

Dunes during the warm part of the year. The dunes are covered with Marram Grass (Ammophila breviligulata). Marram Grass is the dune's important stabalizing plant.

In the foreground, dunes during the winter with some Marram Grass poking out of the snow. (In the background, ice-sand mounds had formed along the lake's edge in the winter.)

Often, the wind is bending the Marram Grass (Ammophila breviligulata).

The 5 people (near the lower left corner) are tiny next to the 200-foot high sand dune at Warren Dunes State Park.

The Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) is a commonly seen and heard animal at the lake, beach, and dunes. Herring Gulls eat several things including clams, small fish, and human garbage.

The Dune Locust (Trimerotropis maritima) is not often noticed because it is tiny and well camouflaged againsted the sand. The Dune Locust eats the Marram Grass leaves (little damage is done to the plants in general).

Sand Reed Grass (Calamovilfa longifolia) seed heads.

Sand Cherry (Prunus pulmila). Birds like to eat its fruit.

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). The Monarch Butterfly eats the Milkweed leaves while its a caterpillar, attaches itself to the Milkweed while its a pupa (in a chrysalis), and drinks the nectar of the Milkweed's flowers while its an adult butterfly.

Poison Ivy (Rhus radicans) lives on the dunes and in the woods and wetlands. It is poisonous for people to eat and irritates the skin of many people who touch it. However, Poison Ivy is not poisonous to many animals. Birds eat its fruit.

Spring Cress (Arabis lyrata) is a springtime dune wildflower.

The Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) is a shrub with red stems. It has white flowers in the spring. Birds eat its white fruit in the summer and fall.

The Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a common tree on the dunes. It was white flowers in the spring. The white flowers are edible for humans; however, do adequate research and confirm information with a local expert before eating any wild food.

The Eastern Cottonwoods (Populus deltoides) is a common tree on the dunes.

Learn more about the Dunes, click on links below.

Warren Dunes State Park
www.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=504&type=SPRK

How the Great Lake's dunes were formed
www.greatlakes.org/Page.aspx?pid=581

Learn about sustaining nature, click on links below.

Southwest Michigan's Sustainable Pursuits
Various examples of how people of Southwest Michigan are currently taking action to sustain nature.

Additional Sustainable Pursuits
Various examples of how people of Michigan, USA, and beyond are currently taking action to sustain nature.

Great Life, Great Culture
Examples of a sustainable life and sustainable culture. Describes what it takes to be 100% totally sustainable.

Imagine a School
A sustainable school. A school in which children learn about their connections to social elements and natural elements; and children learn how to be a benefit to society and nature and to enrich and sustain society and nature.
40 ways a school can be a benefit to children, society, and nature.

Sustainable Design:

z-design
A landscape architecture firm in Three Oaks, in Southwest Michigan. The firm’s mission includes designing each landscape with multiple purposes: each landscape to be beneficial to society and nature and to be beneficial, beautiful and enticing, useful, and engaging to the people who use it. Also, the firm’s mission includes helping society expand its understanding of the value of nature, habitats, wildlife, and natural resources; and helping people to learn to use, celebrate, replenish, protect, and sustain local natural resources.

Go Back to Southwest Michigan Habitats.

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