Infrastructure Updates Fall '24
Keeping our public nature preserves up to snuff!
SWMLC protects nature in nine southwest Michigan counties, and has public preserves in seven of them (click here to explore), providing vital habitat for both wildlife AND people! In recent months, SWMLC Stewardship staff have made important improvements at several public preserves that will benefit all users, whether they have two legs or four!
Buildings cleared at Wau-Ke-Na South Tract
It was bittersweet but also time: this past August, we hired a team from Generation III Excavating to knock down two of the old buildings at Wau-Ke-Na W.E. Smith Preserve – South Tract to make room for an expanded grassland habitat restoration project.
Grassland bird populations are on a steep decline nationwide. Species such as bobolinks and meadowlarks that prefer wide open spaces for nesting have been seen at Wau-Ke-Na, so SWMLC is trying to make the grassland habitat bigger and better by removing old hedgerows, non-native spruce trees, and aggressive shrubs. Razing these decrepit buildings makes the human footprint smaller and reduces the area we have to disturb by mowing, which will hopefully make the preserve even more enticing to these birds.
But Wau-Ke-Na aficionados need not worry – we didn’t remove all the buildings! We’ve kept the largest and best one, and given it some upgrades that increase its value for both storage and as a potential location for future events. Someday, if we’re lucky, we may even see a meadowlark sweetly singing from its roof!
New trailhead at Wolf Tree Nature Trails
Wolf Tree Nature Trails has had a glow up! Visitors are now greeted by bright, bi-lingual, centrally located information that includes a trail map, dos and don’ts, a bit about habitat restoration, a brief introduction to SWMLC’s conservation work, and a request for support. There’s also a beautiful bench (dedicated to former SWMLC Board member Betty Lee Ongley) for resting, meeting friends, or picking sticktights off your socks.
Public preserves act as “ambassadors” that introduce visitors to SWMLC because many people still don’t know who we are, what we do, or understand that our preserves are not owned by a government body but instead by us, a local nonprofit organization that works hard to ensure our region is a place where people and nature can live in health and harmony.
Our hope is that the kiosks help create a safe, comfortable outdoor experience for visitors and hopefully make them curious enough to visit our website to learn more about us – and maybe become member/supporters while they’re there!
Trail rehab . . . x4!
Most of our public preserves come with legacy trail systems that were fine for the light foot traffic of their former owners, but slowly fail over time with increased public use. Recently, SWMLC’s Stewardship team worked with our friends at TrailSense to come up with long-lasting solutions to trail erosion issues at four of our most popular preserves: Black River and Chipman Preserves, Spirit Springs Sanctuary, and Wolf Tree Nature Trails. As Stewardship Specialist Dave Brown said, “We want to blend top-notch trails for people with high-quality habitat for wildlife at our public preserves. Managing trail systems is not separate from habitat management: if you do it poorly, wildlife suffers, too.”
In some places, TrailSense closed portions of old tracks and built sturdy new connectors. At others, they rehabbed existing trails by adding gentle humps, dips, and curves that slow the water down and direct it off the path to curb erosion. The results are lovely footpaths that allow walkers to relax and enjoy the scenery rather than focusing on their feet.
Check out these photos and the videos we made about the recent trail work!
