Nature Done Wright

One of the simple pleasures of  summer at the Celery Farm is watching the herons, egrets, turtles and assorted shorebirds that find a perch the big pile of sticks in perfect view of the Warden's Watch.

That stick pile is mammal-made, but not by muskrats or beavers  dam — as many newcomers to the Celery Farm think.

The stick pile is replenished almost every winter by volunteers, who wait for a frozen Lake Appert to drag sticks and branches onto the ice.

This past Sunday, Deputy Marsh Warden Gaby Schmitt, volunteer Michael Buckley and I replenished the pile.

(Marsh Warden Mike Limatola, Sarah Buckley and Pat Finn were part of the same team that cleaned out the Wood Duck boxes the day before.). Thanks to all!

The "before" shot of the stick pile is above. The "after" shot is below.