Michigan Forest Life - September 16, 2025

Good morning, friends.

Welcome back to Winterfield Pines Nature Sanctuary!

I am pleased to announce the upcoming release of FOREST LEGEND: THE TALE OF OL’

SPLIT TOE, published by Mission Point Press. This novel will be introduced in the Young Adult genre, though it is a story for all ages (Photo 1). 

I must admit that it was difficult for me to wait until now to bring this to the Michigan Forest Life readers. It fits in well with these emails because when I wrote this novel while sitting in the Treehouse, I was looking at, and thinking about, what is now Winterfield Pines Nature Sanctuary and its surrounding area. The story is fiction, but it reflects much of my understanding of mechanisms at work in a Michigan forest and the living things that depend on it. 

Please share this news with anyone you know who is ready for an adventurous story filled with ACTION, suspense, and emotion. It is laced with historical tidbits, has a dash of magical realism, and offers a redemptive ecological message. The book will be available in hardcover, paperback, and eBook.

Presale date: November 25, 2025

Publication date: March 31, 2026

The Audiobook should be ready for the March 31 Publication date.

This is a brief description:

Mother Nature struggles to maintain equilibrium in a changing world while fire, disease, logging, human displacement, and war repeatedly destroy forests of centuries-old trees. Split Toe, a deer chosen at birth for a unique education, travels through time to understand the interconnected workings of a Michigan forest. He meets humans along the way: Ice Age hunters who trap and kill a mastodon; Mukwoh, a young Ojibwe hunter who stalks Split Toe through swamp and forest; loggers clearcutting Michigan’s white pines; Edra, a woman advocating for the trees; Angus and Grace, pioneers who become a first generation of family farmers; scientists from the future studying the impact of nuclear radiation. Split Toe witnesses two hundred years of conflict building between modern humans - who fight to control the natural world - and Mother Nature, who repeatedly reaches for balance. He wonders whether human ways will ultimately overpower Mother Nature, until he meets a boy who changes everything.

Literary Praise for FOREST LEGEND: THE TALE OF OL’ SPLIT TOE:

“Ol’ Split Toe, the majestic, time-traveling deer, takes us on a magical ride through ancient forests, the land of the First People, colonial settlement and deforestation, and modern times.   An epic adventure story that will transform how you look at our land, and inspire you to conserve it.” 

– Bill Gleason, Author and Tree Naturalist, West Hartford, CT.

“A powerful, lyrical meditation on wilderness, myth, and memory. Ellens has created a tale that feels ancient and urgent at the same time.”

 – William Gibson, author of Neuromancer and New York Times bestseller Agency.

“A captivating, gritty tale that blends folklore with raw, emotional depth, leaving readers both enthralled and moved by its unforgettable characters and powerful storytelling.” 

– Michael Gabrion, Chairman, Muskegon River Watershed Assembly.

“Through the eyes of a mythical, time-traveling whitetail buck, this rich tale explores humanity’s relationship with nature. A really good read.” 

- E. L. Stanesa, avid fly fisherman and conservationist.

“A relevant tale of conscientious stewardship, set at the crossroads of history and the divine, where care for our Earth echoes from the past with sacred purpose.” 

– Garrett Bowman, Director of the Fortune Bay Expedition Team.

“In this wise, deeply moving modern legend, a majestic deer is chosen by the spirits to travel across time while staying in place—his birthplace, one small corner of Michigan—and to witness the ceaseless changes on Earth by glacier, fire, flood, plants and animal, ever more clever and numerous humans, and Mother Nature’s unhurried, even-handed remediation. Spanning time from the end of the Ice Age to the climax of the Industrial Age, Forest Legend, a story for all ages, brings to vivid life the question on which our survival hangs: Can humans ever conquer and replace nature? Should we even try? Can we relearn that we are a part of her, and corral our technological powers within the reverence and respect of our Indigenous ancestors?” 

– Annie Gottlieb, author of Do You Believe in Magic?, co-author of Wishcraft and The Cube, critic and commentator in The New York Times, O the Oprah Magazine, VOGUE, The Nation.

"Forest Legend: The Tale of Ol’ Split Toe provides a unique perspective on the natural world and humanity’s place in it. Through charming story telling and deep reverence for Mother Nature, the book both entertains and inspires a fresh look at the world that surrounds us." 

– Mary Radcliffe, Self-described forest enjoyer and frequent hiker, Chairperson of Data Science at State Navigate.

“Dan Ellens has written a novel of impressive quality, gleaned from 2,500 solitary nights spent in a remote forest sanctuary of his own design. Within the midst, the author’s spirit blends with that of Ol’ Split Toe, a timeless forest presence since the last glacial recession and a giant force, purveyor and critic of mankind’s clever ways, with an imposing survivalist storyline fortified by a strong didactic undercurrent. Forest Legend bridges an immense readership gap, from the adventurous needs of young adult readers to the varied callings of serious minded adults.”

 – J. August Lithen, Author of The Road to Marion Town: The Settlement of Osceola County, State of Michigan.

Today, let me finish with the sunrise I am watching right now (Photo 2.) It is a lovely time to be in the forest.

Until next time,

Dan