Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Fund

06/05/2026

In Plymouth this morning for a meeting (15 miles NE of Culver, and the county seat of Marshall County). The City took on a new initiative to install native perennials in the downtown flower planters. Native flowers help give a boost to our native pollinators. They also don't require fertilizer and are drought-resistant. Several species were selected to bloom at different times of spring/summer/fall.

Foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) is blooming now, a favorite of bumblebees. Don't ask me who comes up with these names! Coneflowers (Echinacea) and Asters will be blooming next.

This was a collaboration between Marshall County Soil & Water, Spaulding Restoration LLC, and the City.

The pollinator pocket park also getting its bloom on. While native gardens can be low maintenance, you can't simply walk away from them forever. Last week I pulled some Yellow Sweet Clover, the Canada Goldenrod that blew in needs to go, and we will be adding some strategic diversity/structure with plugs this fall.

06/04/2026

Made some edits to the data buoy display and there is a *new* URL (in comments).

You can now see wind speed history and direction again. Wind direction is in degrees (e.g. 90 = E).

The meteorological tower reporting every single minute was too taxing on the battery. It is now reporting every 15 minutes.

Fire away with any other questions or requests!

06/04/2026

06/03/2026

Well, I shouldn't have dressed for an office day... I will spare you the photo of my feet in the mud-covered Chacos.

We were out with some contractors who were scouting for Phragmites, the invasive wetland grass that LMEF is going to spray this summer.

This 80 acre public DNR property sits at the SE edge of the lake. It filters the water before it comes into the lake.

So many great plants at the Kline Wetland! An exhaustive plant survey conducted in 2009 documented 324 plant species, including the State Threatened Bebb's Oval Sedge (Carex bebbii), which was known from only 6-10 sites in the state.

Attached to each photo are descriptions. Highlight of the day was finding Tree Swallows nesting in the old duck nesting boxes. Lowlight was finding a dead Great Blue Heron. Seen in flight: Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, and the stunning, all-white Great Egret.

06/01/2026

Please take note of the following important contact information:

- For immediate emergencies: Call 911.
- For non-life-threatening assistance on the lake: Call Marshall County Dispatch at 574-936-3187.
- DNR: (877) 463-6367

The Marshall County Dispatch number is the only way to directly reach on-duty officers on the lake. We recommend saving this number in your phone for quick access.

Please be aware that our office line is NOT an emergency number and does not provide direct access to on-duty staff.

05/29/2026

Katie and Adam are at the library this afternoon, helping kick off Culver-Union Township Public Library's summer reading program.

We're talking turtles🐢. How to identify them, understand them, and protect them.

Turtle nesting season is underway! If you've got questions, let us know.

The party continues until 4:30 -- food trucks, a petting zoo, face painting, and more.

05/24/2026

Let's be honest... which kind of weekend are you having right now? 😅

05/21/2026

A first for me... watching barn swallows gathering mud for nesting materials. This is at the lake outlet.

Although still widespread and thought of as abundant, Barn Swallows have experienced a 38% decline in population since 1970, including a ~15% decline from 2012-2022.

"The causes of Barn Swallow declines are unclear... multiple drivers thought to potentially be responsible for aerial insectivore [flying bug-eaters] declines in North America, including decreased prey abundance, impacts of environmental contaminants, habitat loss, phenological effects associated with climate change, and conditions on migratory stopover or wintering grounds."

Stay tuned for more swallow content! These are species we can have a big impact on.

05/16/2026

I like this approach! Yes, truly invasive species can be a problem... but let's not get angry or moralistic about it. Let's stay curious & help each other learn and appreciate the world around us. 🌳🌻☮️

05/15/2026

Not pictured: Whipple Hazelwood (Vice Chairman) and Don Fox

The LMEF board met last Friday for our annual meeting, electing officers for the year, and electing Hazelwood and Loehr to final 3-year terms.

do you have a passion for Lake Maxinkuckee, and want to get involved? There are many ways. Learn about how to become a board member, join a committee or volunteer!

Send us an email, and we will get you plugged in! [email protected]