Fall 2024 Mini-Foray
On-line registration at https://forms.office.com/r/EqVsPtm6hy
Date: Saturday, 28sep2024
Location: Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery, 34270 County Rd 652, Mattawan, MI 49071 Coordinates: 42.29467967389622, -85.78331290097005
Hatchery is west of Kalamazoo on M-43.
Schedule
10:00 am [Use on-line registration and select your choice]
MBS State Board Meeting
DNR Fish Hatchery tours
On-site bird watching with Audubon Society of Kalamazoo
Self-guided tour of Hatchery grounds
None of the above
11:30 am Lunch Break – bring your own lunch.
12:30 pm Lecture – Rachel Hackett, Conservation Associate – Botanist, MNFI, “Michigan Fens”
1:30 pm Field Trips. [Use on-line registration and select your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice]
Portman Nature Preserve offers 189 acres of high-quality prairie fen, wetland, oak savanna, and woodland habitats, and is blessed with water from three lakes, a creek, and hundreds of springs. The fen should be showing the typical fen composites Solidago rugosa, Aster puniceus, and others. With canopy thinning, burning, and invasives control, the oak savanna is recovering. The savanna features a large population of Frasera caroliniensis (columbo) that flowered in the spring.
Leader: Mitch Lettow, SWMLC Stewardship Director
Location: 28779-27815 49th Ave, Paw Paw, MI 49079, (approximately 6 miles, 9 minutes from Wolf Lake). Coordinates: 42.24094184199954, -85.83136874552353. Off street parking.
Difficulty Level: Moderate. The terrain is mostly flat. If entering the fen, rubber boots are recommended. Insect repellent, sunscreen, water as well as suitable clothing are suggested.
Wolf Tree Nature Trails hilly terrain was formed by glaciers leaving behind tons of sand and gravel when they melted. Of the 69 acres, about two-thirds of the property is wooded, with the occasional iconic wolf tree reminding visitors of its savanna past. The other portion of the property is rolling, open, and crowded with wildflowers in summer and fall. Years of restoration efforts are producing great results.
Leader: David Riggs, Steward, Southwestern Chapter member
Location: 8794 W Kl Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49009, (approximately 5 miles, 7 minutes from Wolf Lake). Coordinates: 42.28111151553189, -85.72261726086212. Off street parking.
Difficulty Level: Easy. Insect repellent, sunscreen, water as well as suitable clothing are suggested.
Jepthta Lake Fen Preserve offers 49 acres of high-quality wetlands found along the shores of Upper and Lower Jeptha Lakes. The high alkalinity and low nutrients of the spring-fed fens support showy and unusual wildflowers, such as cotton grass, pitcher plants, marsh blazing stars, and sundews. Of particular interest is the white form of swamp thistle (Cirsium muticum) that occurs here. A boardwalk provides easy access to the fen.
Leader: Chuck Jordan, Steward, Southwestern Chapter member
Location: 49123 County Rd 380, Grand Junction MI (approximately 16 miles, 20 minutes from Wolf Lake). Coordinates: 42.346620779550214, -86.0237544031893. Limited parking.
Difficulty Level: Moderate. The terrain is mostly flat. If entering the fen, rubber boots are recommended. Insect repellent, sunscreen, water as well as suitable clothing are suggested.
Paw Paw Prairie Fen Preserve is a 106-acre preserve along the east branch of the Paw Paw River near Mattawan MI. Restoration began in 2004 with the removal of invasives and efforts to restore the native savanna. The fen fed by alkaline, mineral-rich groundwater supports highly diverse and rare plant life. There are several types of fens, but prairie fens, like Paw Paw Prairie Fen, provide habitat for both wetland and prairie plants, making them especially diverse and important to the preserve.
Leader: Dan Burton, Southwestern Chapter member
Location: 22nd St & S Avenue, Mattawan MI (approximately 11 miles, 18 minutes from Wolf Lake). Coordinates: 42.17735757235693, -85.7648525819838. Off street parking.
Difficulty Level: Moderate. The terrain is mostly flat. If entering the fen, rubber boots are recommended. Insect repellent, sunscreen, water as well as suitable clothing are suggested.