A Juniper Tale By Fred Wooley   The eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is an evergreen conifer common to our region. It does well in sandy, gravely, even somewhat disturbed soils. Ecologists often refer to it as a pioneer or invader species, the first to come into an old field where agriculture once occurred. Cedars pop up along roadsides where mowers can’t reach and in other unattended areas. It is one of those conifers in-between a shrub and a tree. Generally they grow bush-like, often pyramidal in shape, and not tall. Some, however, in ideal conditions can steadily grow tree-size to 50-plus feet and sport a trunk of two feet in diameter. Those really big ones are not common.

Red cedar in old field of the Wooley property. January 30, 2025.

Though called eastern red cedar, or just “cedar tree,” botanically it is not a cedar at all. There are true cedar trees of the genus Cedrus, but none occur in Indiana. There is a white cedar that grows in Indiana, it classified in the genus Thuja. The white cedar, also called arborvitae, occurs in many domestic cultivar forms and found in garden centers, nurseries, and home landscapes. Common, colloquial names can be confusing when used interchangeably and in combination with others. I was talking to a farmer once along his roadside and with nod and wave back over his shoulder he said, “Yeah, I got me a stand of scrub pine up there by the barn.” I smiled and nodded, as I understood exactly what he had. I didn’t have to see the trees to know he was talking about red cedars. Excuse me. He was talking about junipers! And pines, well, they too are conifers, but in yet another genus, Pinus. Junipers are conifers, and here too, we count on science to sort out what meets the eye. Botanists tell us conifers have cones. They do. What’s with the little blue berries on junipers? Junipers have both male and female cones borne on separate trees. The male cones are small and yellowish with brownish scales. They occur in clusters and turn darker with age.

Red cedar berries on Fred Wooley farm. October 19, 2022.

It’s the female cone that causes confusion. Though bluish and fleshy looking, they are not true berries. It is indeed a cone with fleshy scales that meld together to give that berry-like look. Commercially the “berries” are harvested at their ripest stage and distilled in the process of making gin, giving the alcohol that distinctive taste and aroma. Wildlife use the “berries” as well. It is a favorite food of the beautiful, light chocolate-colored, crested, cedar waxwing. Its name “cedar waxwing” is an obvious nod to the one name for the tree whose fruit it prefers. Clearly, “Juniper waxwing” never caught on. There are two juniper trees that call Indiana home. Again, what most call red cedars are widely scattered and found in most Indiana counties. Another juniper is much rarer, though is called the “common juniper” (Juniperus communis).

Prostrate juniper (Juniperus communis) growing at base of related eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginianum) at the edge of northern Steuben County

Charles Deam in his seminal work, Flora of Indiana, published in 1940, (reprinted in 1970) refers to this juniper as “prostrate juniper” telling of its mostly low growth form. From these wild stocks of native species, horticulturalists develop the ornamental cultivars we plant around our homes and businesses today. “Ground juniper,” “low growing juniper,” “blue rug juniper,” they come in a variety of names reflecting their domestic qualities. Deam shows the native common juniper stock occurring in just seven Indiana counties, five along the Michigan border, one being Steuben. When we bought this part of an old farm in 1997, it did not take many visits to decide to buy. There were many factors, the rolling landscape, a mix of old agricultural fields, pockets of woods, and a back wetland that expanded into a sweeping fen valley that cradles the tiny Little Fawn River as it lazily winds westward to grow and flow into the bigger St. Joseph River, which flows into Lake Michigan. Later exploratory walks uncovered the true bank of uncommon plants that have called this old farm home far longer than I. There is a sense of pride; some are so rare and I now have the opportunity to enhance and protect the areas in which they grow. Deam’s Juniperus communis is one such species. It is not abundant, but a handful of plants cling to the bottom of the northeast facing slope just along the rim of the wetland fen. A deer trail I walk skirts fairly close to them all. It is certainly off the beaten trail from the county road out front. Charles Deam incredibly visited and walked in every one of Indiana’s 1,016 townships in his 40 years of work. That is an incredible feat in any era with any mode of transportation, and he did it in the first half of the last century. Did Deam walk at the base of my fen on trails made by only animals, where I now walk today? Did he collect a sample of my junipers for his herbarium sheet and documentation for this county? That is one part of the Juniper tale we will never know, but I like to think he did.

View from the Crew by Josh Hall and Nate Simons

Josh sharpens the blades on the front-mounted mower of our tracked skid-steer loader, in preparation for winter brush mower.

Madi replaces a roller on the skid-steer loader.

Matt tries his hand at mowing brush with the tracked skid-steer loader.

Madi sows wet prairie seed on frozen ground, on a private landowner property near Marshall, MI.

Madi found an unfrozen spot at the same place.

Madi is ready to give it another go!

John demonstrates sowing seed on frozen ground, with a broadcast spreader mounted on an ATV.

Another February snowfall on the “shop prairie”. The foreground is the proposed location of future office.

Blue Heron Ministries 2024 Annual Report Summary

With the close of calendar year 2024, Blue Heron Ministries completed its first year as an independent ministry. Blue Heron Ministries is no longer affiliated with the Presbyterian Chapel of the Lakes nor the Presbyterian Church USA. The year was marked by three momentous events: 1) adjustments to new leadership at the Chapel 2) planning for new office space 3) a computer failure that resulted in the loss of 14 months of bookkeeping records. Betsy Yankowiak joined the Board of Advisors as a replacement for Tom Smith. This year, we experienced some field staff turnover, but it seems that the current Blue Crew is skilled, enthusiastic, and stable. And, I am thankful to our Father that we still have a core crew with lots of experience and time with Blue Heron Ministries and because of their faithfulness to him and our mission in Lakes Country that we have gained a reputation within the conservation community for doing really good work.

Education Together we explored, worked in, and taught the wonders of God’s creation within the community. Rustling Grass e-newsletter and Facebook presence continue to inform friends of our theology, our work, and upcoming volunteer events. Scheduled public events included: -The crew attended The Stewardship Network’s annual conference in January. -John and Nate presented “The Restoration of Duff Lake Fen.” -John Brittenham led this year’s volunteer prairie plug creation and planting project beginning in January. -The crew attended “Burning Issues” Michigan Prescribed Fire Council’s annual (virtual) meeting in February. -John led a Rx Fire class for high school students at Oak Farm Montessori School in March winter hike at Pine Knob Park/Duff Lake Fen. -John led a butterfly monitoring training program in May. John presented a virtual seed planting talk to the IN Native Plant Society in June. -John led butterfly and wildflower presentations and hikes in July and August for the Knee-High Naturalist program and for the general public at CLTLC’s Brennan Woods and LaGrange County Park’s Duff Lake Fen. -One (1) September and five (4) October volunteer Seed Collection Tours. -One (1) of the events was a Northeast Chapter of Indiana Native Plant Society-sponsored event. -20th annual Thanksgiving get-together. Thirty-five (35) folks gave thanks and ate together. -23rd annual Prairie Planting Party at Badger Barrens addition. -Nate presented “Living within the Story of Lakes Country” to staff from ACRES Land Trust, Clear —Lake Township Land Conservancy, Div. of Nature Preserves, and Blue Heron Ministries in December. Land Trust Blue Heron Ministries owns 168 acres of sanctuaries and holds conservation easements on 1,153 acres of private property. In 2024 we: Began talks with a long-time friend of Blue Heron Ministries to receive land in Steuben and DeKalb Counties. The (new) emphasis will be on restoration agriculture. Natural Lands Restoration The hands-on craft of ecological restoration is the visible and active expression of our faith that relationships between God, humanity, and the rest of creation can be restored and experience substantial healing even in an imperfect world. “Stewardship of creation” is our banner. Contractual work is our primary funding source. Blue Heron Ministries actively stewards over 1,900 acres covering 125 separate projects for private, non-profit, and local and State governmental landowners. 2024 highlights included: Controlled woody and herbaceous invasive species and conducted prescribed fires in rare and declining habitats: fens, sedge meadows, prairies, sand barrens, and oak savannas and woodlands within a geographical triangle from Allen County, IN to LaPorte County, IN and Muskegon County, MI. Continued work to restore our own 23-acre Badger Barrens Addition to black oak and lupine barrens. Record number of prescribed fires: 71 total. Record number of projects: 125 total. Conservation Design We kept up on community and local conservation needs. Designed a restoration project for and successfully obtained a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Sustain Our Great Lakes grant for the 235-acre “Making More Room for Marsh Hawks at Nasby Fen”. Work is to begin in 2025. Financial For fiscal year January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024 (see attached “Blue Heron Ministries Profit and Loss”), we ended the year in the black for the first time in two years and had a net income of $29,899.71. Thanks, Dad, for rescuing us this year! Year-end account balances: First Federal Checking Account balance (12/31/24): $73,502.98. Planned with and invested $120,000 with Edward Jones in the form of laddered Certificates of Deposit. Increased field staff wages in 2024 and gave year-end bonuses to staff.   Guided by Board of Advisors (Peg Zeis, Fred Wooley, Nate Simons, Beth Williams, and Betsy Yankowiak), organizational staff Nate Simons (exec. director) and Beth Williams (admin. assistant) along with a cohesive Blue Crew (Phil Bieberich, John Brittenham, Josh Hall, Freya Berntson (half year), Matt Neff, Madeline McQuiston (half year), Madi Parker, and Eva Curtis) worked with a dedicated “family” of volunteers and part-time field crew members to conduct fires, apply herbicide, gather seed, and plant prairie. Blue Heron Ministries exists as a unique opportunity for folks to apply the hand’s-on craft of ecological restoration to steward our Father’s creation within the context of community. Blue Heron Ministries, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) conservation organization. Our mission is to build community where creation is kept; and to keep creation so that community may be restored.