Elk Rapids Almanac
Elk Rapids Almanac, February 2026
What is in a name?
February—named after Februalia, the Roman festival of purification, a month-long time of cleansing and atonement. Another theme of this month refers to scarcity, including the Cherokee names “Month of the Boney Moon” and “Hungry Moon,” when food was hard to come by. The Ojibwe “Bear Moon” and Tlingit “Black Bear Moon” refer to the time when bear cubs are born. “Snow Moon” refers to February as the United States’ snowiest month, according to the National Weather Service (almanac.com).
Winter is one of the best seasons! My favorite part about winter is the glistening snow. I love to follow the animal tracks left behind in the snow, go ice skating, cross country skiing, and most of all sledding. Nature is all around us and is so beautiful! Remember to take time to enjoy the beauty of winter because Spring will be here before we know it!
By Elizabeth Cooper (Age 9)
This year we’ve gotten a large amount of snow. With all of the snow and cold temperatures there are a lot of possibilities! There are so many activities like sledding, cross country skiing, and ice skating. Even grownups like to join the fun! But I think most grownups really like seeing the glistening snow and the pretty snow covered trees. Even if winter isn’t your favorite season, remember that nature is all around us and it’s beautiful!
By Annabelle Cooper (Age 10)
By Elizabeth Cooper (Age 9)
This year we’ve gotten a large amount of snow. With all of the snow and cold temperatures there are a lot of possibilities! There are so many activities like sledding, cross country skiing, and ice skating. Even grownups like to join the fun! But I think most grownups really like seeing the glistening snow and the pretty snow covered trees. Even if winter isn’t your favorite season, remember that nature is all around us and it’s beautiful!
By Annabelle Cooper (Age 10)
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January 14 - 17
The Great Backyard Bird Count, (GBBC) the annual citizens count of bird sightings in their back yard, contributes to research on birds and their status amid climate changes, and is based at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University. Numerous Elk Rapids citizens participated. For ways to support birds in your gardens. gardenforbirds.org February 16 One GBBC participant on Bass Lake submitted the following, via Merlin Bird app: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Northern Cardinals - male and female, Pileated woodpecker, Mourning Doves, Red bellied woodpecker, Black-capped chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Bluebird. by Cheryl Bachman February 15 A GBBC participant on the east bay included the Piliated Woodpecker in her count, via eBird app: Pileated woodpeckers are one of our largest forest birds and you can find them all year round. They pair for life. Pileated means crested or capped and this black bird with bold white stripes down the neck has a flaming red crest. The male has a streak of red on his cheeks. Large dead and dying trees and snags attract the birds foraging for carpenter ants, ants, wood boring beetles, termites, and other insects, or for roosting. Pileated woodpeckers also will eat wild fruits, nuts, and berries. by Maureen Lorenz |
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February 17
Grand Traverse Bay has frozen over for the first time in 6 years (or for the first time since 2019). Data about when and how long the bay freezes have been collected every year since 1851. Using this data, we can see the bay is freezing less often and for fewer days. Before 1980, the bay froze 86% of winters for an average of 47 days. Since 1980, the bay has frozen 35% of winters for an average of 16 days. This trend has been observed throughout the Great Lakes region, illustrating the impacts of our changing climate. Although Grand Traverse Bay is considered frozen, we emphasize that no ice is safe ice. Exercising caution is essential when recreating on ice, particularly when warming temperatures rapidly impact ice movement, fragmentation, and thickness. Heather Smith, Grand Traverse Bay Waterkeeper, Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay |
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NOTE: Coming in March: A total lunar eclipse, called a Blood Moon, will occur on Tuesday, March 3, beginning 3:43 a.m., when the Moon makes contact with the outer part of Earth’s shadow, lasting 1 hour and 6 minutes, visible in our area, no special eye protection needed. Totality, the main event, begins at 6:03, lasting 59 minutes, and giving the “blood moon color. This happens when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its full shadow, “umbra”, across the entire lunar surface. During this event, the moon’s surface often turns a reddish color, making a “blood moon.”
This is an awesome event, definitely worth getting up early for the show. |
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