Welcome to the Kirtland's Warbler GeoTrail (KWGT). This trail will take you in a loop in central Northern Michigan through the Jack Pine ecosystem, breeding home of the Kirtland's Warbler. This tour takes you to a total of 25 caches with an amazing trackable geocoin as a reward. The KWGT Passport can be downloaded here: https://f81c572e-1d95-4026-befc-8c60f69cbcd9.filesusr.com/ugd/31e003_41b2f3aa918442e8b08c880e746e6946.pdf
Located in Mio, on the Oscoda County Courthouse lawn, stands what could be the World’s first monument to a songbird. This replica of a Kirtland’s Warbler was built in July of 1963 by the people of Oscoda County and placed where all could see. The stone cairn contains a four-foot high image of the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler. The replica was carved from fiberglass and plastic by wildlife sculptor Leo Nelson of Kalkaska, Michigan. Roger Tory Peterson, from the National Audubon Society, arrived in Mio to dedicate the monument during the Great Lakes Forestry Exposition.
The Mack Lake Fire started as a prescribed burn on 5 May 1980. The fire, which was set by U.S. Forest Service personnel, was intended to burn a 200-acre area. However, about an hour and a half after the burn started, wind gusts of up to 25 mph caused the flames to spread and burn approximately 24,000 acres of forest land. One firefighter was killed, dozens of homes destroyed, and about 1,000 people were forced to evacuate the area.
While tragic, the Mack Lake Fire is widely considered the event that saved Kirtland's Warblers from extinction. Land managers currently try to mimic the vegetation result from the fire when planting Jack Pine for Kirtland's Warbler habitat. The fire also showed that bigger is better when it comes to Kirtland's plantation sizes.
Cache
The cache is not at the posted coordinates. The posted coordinates take you to the world's largest Kirtland's Warbler (If I had a choice this would be a virtual!). There you will need to gather some information for the final stage which takes you near the starting point of the 1980 Mack Lake Fire. Please do not take the stamp and inkpad. They are part of the cache and not swag.
The final stage is at N 44 34.ABC W 084 07.XYZ. To solve for the final coordinates, go to the posted coordinates and gather information for the following questions.
A=From the plaque on the left, what is the last digit of the year erected?
B=From the James Swiderski memorial plaque, what day in November was he born?
C=What is the number of the month the Kirtland’s Warbler was restored in 2004?
X=From the James Swiderski memorial plaque, what is the sum of the digits in the number of acres burned?
Y=From the James Swiderski memorial plaque, what is the 3rd digit of the year he died?
Z= From the plaque on the left, what is the 3rd digit of the year erected?
Check sum A+B+C=19, X+Y+Z=21
Please do not take the stamp and inkpad. They are part of the cache and not swag.
For more information on the Mack Lake Fire, visit https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr_nc083.pdf