​Elk Rapids Almanac

Elk Rapids Almanac, April 2026​
“April is the cruelest month” is the opening line of T.S. Eliot’s 1922 poem The Waste Land, referring to spring’s painful, forced revival of life, memory, and desire in the desolate post WWI world.  Elliot is not saying that April is inherently cruel but is rather describing his view of the world at that time.  He wrote the poem while recovering from the Spanish Flu global pandemic.  Between 1918 and 1920, a hundred million people worldwide died from the Spanish Flu, more than were killed in WWI.  The heavy death toll of disease shaped Eliot’s outlook on life at that time even more that the toll of war. The opening also evokes Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Chaucer, however, paints April as a month of restorative power when spring brings nature back to life.


April 14- National Gardening Day encourages people to embrace the therapeutic benefits of gardening.  Thank you to the Elk Rapids Garden Club (9 gardens) and the village Beautification Committee (11 gardens) for their work that makes the village beautiful.
​April 23-Plant Native and see what it brings! Each spring, gardeners wait with great expectation to see what the earth in their yard will yield in the way of a new garden. This is even more exciting with native plants. The flowers from last year made seeds in the fall. Now those seeds can grow into something new and sometimes surprising. One must remember that native plants did not evolve for us as humans but rather for the proliferation of their own species. Because of this, some plants will do better in our garden than others. Every garden is a little different, sun vs. shade, wet vs. dry, sandy vs. rich soil texture. The plants all compete, and the strongest ones take over. That is how native plants have survived and evolved for centuries. It is okay to step in and help. By thinning out some the strong, “do good” plants you make a place for others to survive and may be more aesthetic pleasing to eye. More species aid in the seasonality of bloom. Diversity of plant types helps with the food web which is in decline in most today’s gardens. A more complete food web is important for insects, bees, birds, and other small creature populations that call your garden home. In the end, think about planting more natives in your garden and create a garden environment more alive.  - Gary Buczkowski
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​April 26-Bird migration is in full swing.  Most bird species migrate at night, making it very important to turn off or reduce unnecessary lights at night.  The bird song in the morning is a cacophony of joy, a testament to the arriving birds some from Mexico and Central America, and some like the pine warbler from someplace warmer than Northern Michigan.  There are also the year-round residents putting on their summer colors like the American goldfinch.  Today, 4/26, the fiery flash of hummingbirds is here as the first males return to set up their breeding territories to be followed by the females.  A flock of hummingbirds is known as a ‘charm,’ and it is time to put up the hummingbird feeders and charm them.  The frogs and toads are also making their presence known.  Spring peepers are calling from ponds and grey treefrogs are calling from trees.  It’s Spring.
​- Maureen Lorenz
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April 27-Spring Ephemerals. It’s that wonderful time of year when spring ephemerals are popping up in woodlands and natural areas all around us. These special plants are true harbingers of spring, completing their entire life cycle in just 6–8 short weeks before the forest canopy fills in.  Among the most beloved are Virginia bluebells, trout lilies, hepatica, trillium, and bloodroot. These delicate blooms emerge early, taking advantage of the sunlight that reaches the forest floor before the trees leaf out overhead. Because their appearance is so brief, discovering them can feel like stumbling upon a hidden treasure. A walk in the woods this time of year offers a chance to witness this quiet, beautiful cycle unfolding. As you explore, please remember to tread lightly—stay on trails and avoid picking flowers—so these fragile plants can continue to thrive for years to come.Take a moment this season to slow down, look closely, and enjoy one of spring’s simplest and most fleeting gifts. - Elise Roe
​NOTE: Check on nightly Michigan bird migration numbers and migrants at
https://dashboard.birdcast.org/region/US-MI                          
Sunday night, April 26, 4,621,100 birds (est.) crossed Michigan.                                                                                                      
Sunday night, April 26, 464,700 birds (est.) crossed Antrim County
The Cornell Lab Birdcast

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