Ken Lassman has been keeping this almanac for over a decade, He invites you to share your observations and photos in the comments section. You can find his book Wild Douglas County at The Raven Bookstore and The Community Mercantile in Lawrence.
Buffalo Pawing Moon: June
The Osage, like many of the eastern horticultural tribes who inhabited the woodland/prairie transition zone from Minnesota to Texas, planted extensive gardens in the spring, then left the children and grandparents to tend them while most of the tribe went west to hunt bison. This is reflected in the name of the summer moons, which chronicle the behavior of the primary protein source for these tribes.
The parade of prairie flowers that began in May continues in earnest in June, with each week unfolding a new flavor of colors as wave after wave of wildflowers compete for the sunlight with the growing warm season prairie grasses. June also sees berries ripening, ranging from mulberries and blackberries to wild raspberries, gooseberries and currants.
Mammals are busy raising young, and some birds are starting second litters as the wheat ripens in the fields. Corn grows noticeably on a daily basis this month, and soybeans go from green rows in dark fields to a carpet of green. The summer solstice arrives on June 21st and the entire landscape seems to be alive with life as a result of the energy-filled longest days of the year. Nights are shorter, but full in its own way with the sounds of night life and the beautiful summer constellations in the sky, this year made all the more beautiful with Jupiter, Mars and Saturn gracing our evening/nighttimes.
Part of our annual seasonal progression this month is increasing severe weather as the warming, moist air flows in from the south, pushed violently up and out of the way by waves of colder air from the north and west. Also, in addition to plentiful plants and many young animals of all stripes this time of year, people living here have been planting their gardens this time of year for at least 4,000 years. Tap into this wonderful tradition as a way to connect with the incredible fertility of this land.
Within the past week, we have had the best sightings ever of three very large beavers in/along Overland Park streams. We look in earnest every single morning to see ‘something’ in the water, and have only caught glimpses of beavers a few times in the past two years, so it was amazing to see two on the banks (one cleaning itself, one climbing out to cut down a small leafy plant and swim off with it) as well as one one slowly swimming along. All were bigger than I would have ever imagined, seemed serene and didn’t appear to notice us?
A wood duck still had her six babies with her this morning, there have been six for almost a month. Four baby squirrels in my tree are starting to venture down to the ground more frequently. A baby snapping turtle (shell the size of a half dollar) was in the grass near a pond yesterday. A lot of bird activity at dawn on Saturday at Heritage Park; great egret, great blue herons, teals, indigo buntings, green herons, northern kingbirds.
Sounds like great places to visit, Debbie. Hope they are recognized as great habitat by those folks who tend the areas! Feel free to upload pictures of on this website if you like, and thanks for sharing.
Ken