The Haunted Forest Preserve

Saving the Great Lakes will require new ways of thinking about, and working on, conservation. We need to think of the largest freshwater ecosystem as whole; we need to overcome geopolitical boundaries; and we need to remember, and apply, the history of the special places we love.  These lessons, and more, were brought home to me by a recent visit to The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Haunted Forest Preserve.

The South Side of North is where you will find the Garden Peninsula, home to the 574 acre Haunted Forest Preserve.  The Garden Peninsula is on the north shore of Lake Michigan, extending 22 miles from the south side of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  It matches Wisconsin's Door Peninsula and the two rocky points of land form Green Bay and Big Bay De Noc, which are among the most productive fisheries in the Great Lakes.

Geologically, the 420 million year-old Garden Peninsula is part of the Niagara Escarpment, the hard edge of a tipped bowl underlying the Great Lakes.  The erosion-resistant capstone is dolomitic limestone, also called dolostone, or more popularly, dolomite.  It forms not only Niagara Falls, but also Canada's Bruce Peninsula, the Manitoulin Islands, and Michigan's Drummond Island, home to TNC's Maxton Plains Preserve where a rare biotic community, called an alvar, forms in thin soils above flat limestone pavement. On the Garden Peninsula, the white stone is revealed in high cliffs along the blue water.

The Haunted Forest Preserve gets it name from a larger, mature white cedar forest, inaccessible (fortunately) to loggers over years past and still inaccessible (unfortunately) to most visitors, like me, my wife Anna, and the three college students who were with us on their first trip to the Upper Peninsula.  The 574 acre Preserve consists of several points of land divided by a curving and rocky shoreline, steep cliffs, hardwood forests, and coastal wetlands.  It is the wetlands, and the shallow near-shore areas, that give this place its ecological importance.  This pristine, undisturbed overlap of land and water serves as a rich spawning ground for fish and a valuable habitat for migratory and other birds.  We were stopped several times on our walk by the sight of a pair of bald eagles soaring over the Preserve and neighboring bays.  In all, The Nature Conservancy has protected six miles of Great Lakes coastline on the Garden Peninsula.

The political boundaries of the Great Lakes sometimes get in the way of saving them. Not only does an international border divide four of the five lakes, but eight states exercise different programs and regulations to protect the world's largest freshwater lakes. Fortunately, a number of official bodies coordinate the government efforts, and non-governmental organizations have evolved to look at the Great Lakes from an ecosystem point of view.  The Nature Conservancy's Great Lakes Project takes a whole system perspective and combines the efforts of several state chapters, engages the Governors of the Great Lakes states, and uses science to direct conservation where most needed, regardless of boundaries or bureaucracies.

The Haunted Forest Preserve came to be because people's love for the environment is also not constrained by political boundaries.  The Nature Conservancy used its traditional method of working with landowners and funders, from several states, to acquire land through donation, purchase, and easement protection.  The Preserve lies in Michigan, but it owes its protection to both private and public support from Wisconsin.

Big Bay de Noc, on the western side of the Garden Peninsula, is part of the larger Green Bay ecological region. The natural features have supported a vibrant human economy, from fisheries to logging to agriculture to shipping to tourism.  Unfortunately, overuse has damaged the watershed lands, created some toxic hotspots, and eliminated more than 70 percent of the wetlands in the area.  The Fox River & Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee Council was formed to help restore the ecosystem following some of this despoilment. While most of the attention has been given to the southern, Wisconsin end of Green Bay, The Nature Conservancy recognized that saving the wetlands of the Garden Peninsula, would help the entire Green Bay ecosystem recover from its historical mistreatment.  Thus, funds from Wisconsin came to save part of Michigan; all of it making the Great Lakes healthier.

The limestone in the white cliffs sourced Fayette

Fayette: Learning from History.  While the future of the Great Lakes can be seen on the Garden Peninsula, so too can its history; the lessons from both present and past are valuable.  It surprises many to learn that this quiet, remote part of the Great Lakes was a 19th century center of the iron industry.  Just south of the Haunted Forest Preserve is the former community, now State Historic Park, of Fayette. Natural resources--access to Great Lakes shipping, a great harbor, and proximity to dolomitic limestone and hardwood fuel--led the Jackson Iron Company to build a smelter here in 1867.  Iron ore was shipped here, then refined to pig iron before being sent on to the growing industries of the Midwest.  A booming community took over the shoreline for several decades, and today many of the buildings still exist in a well-preserved and well-presented condition. It is well worth the drive, or the sail, to this historic spot.

note the former stone wall, now overgrown

Walking through the Haunted Forest Preserve we discovered, amidst the tall and strong maple and beech forest, an important lesson from history.  To fuel the smelters of Fayette, the timber was stripped from the entire Garden Peninsula to be fed into charcoal kilns. After the clear-cutting, farmers made a stab at establishing an agricultural economy.  But over time, farming could not use all the available land.  As we explored the Preserve I felt as if we were in Vermont as we came across old stone walls and large piles of the rock pulled out, by hand, from farm fields that have now reverted to mature, second-growth forests.  The end of Fayette as an economic powerhouse came because they ran out of fuel, because they had an unsustainable business model.

Sustainability.  Throughout the Upper Peninsula, one sees frequent reminders of the dangers of building an economy solely on the one-time use of natural resources.  Time and again, unchecked logging, rampant mining, and overfishing have created boom and bust communities that failed to last.  Today, you come across massive white pine stumps, rusting mining equipment, slag piles, empty ports, and even whole abandoned towns that remind us of the dangers of over-exploiting our natural resource.  Fortunately, the times are changing in the Upper Peninsula.  The Nature Conservancy is creating a sustainable logging model and is working with private timber companies to forever protect forest lands both for economic and environmental benefits (read more).  Mining continues as part of the Michigan economy, but the economy has diversified and better policies and practices minimize damage.

On the Garden Peninsula, farming continues as part of the regional economy.  The natural beauty of the area and the historic resource of Fayette now supports a tourism economy, and the healthy waters and wetlands of the Green Bay-Big Bay de Noc aquatic ecosystem encourages both recreational and commercial fishing.  One other sign of a sustainable future is seen in the presence of windmills generating electricity from the non-polluting wind blowing across the Garden Peninsula.  Of course, none of this happens without attention to the impacts of human activity and a commitment to managing both the ecosystem and the economy.  Science-based policies are necessary to ensure that windmills are sited and operated to minimize impacts on birds and bats, logging and mining needs to be sensibly regulated, and the best and important lands and water of the area need to be preserved.  The future, cognizant of the past, shows much promise.

Click here to learn more about the Haunted Forest Preserve
Click here for more on Fayette and visiting the Garden Peninsula
Click here for information on Fayette Historic State Park

     

This trip could not have been possible without Danielle Miller's guidance and local knowledge, the hospitality and commitment of the Thomas and the Wilson families, the photography of Anna Owens, and the company of Beata, Katrina, and Jenny.  Thank you all.

Marsh, fen or swamp?

Aren't they all swamps? I thought as a scientist for The Nature Conservancy explained the two different types of wetlands we were going to see on a recent outing, and explained how they were both different from the moist areas I had seen on my trip to the Saugatuck dunes. I was swatting mosquitoes with a group of other non-scientists at the entry to the Ross Coastal Plain Marsh Preserve in southwest Michigan. "No, the water in the marshes here comes from rainwater and runoff, the wetlands in the dunes area are a result of rising and falling lake levels," explained John Legge. Thus, I understood why some of the wetlands in Saugatuck were drying up, because Great Lakes water levels were at historic lows, while the marshes here just a few miles inland were overflowing due to the wet summer in the area.

It is this kind of precision and careful attention to the details of our environment that is a hallmark of The Nature Conservancy (TNC). I was on an outing with the philanthropy team of Michigan's TNC office, who are professionals in their own endeavors, but who understand the need to get the science right. On our trip we were going to learn the difference between a marsh and a fen, two very different types of wetlands.

The 1,254-acre Ross Preserve contains several marshes tucked into low openings among forested ridges that are the remnants of dunes several thousand years old. These wetlands fill up fast and drain slowly; usually by August they have dried up considerably. But on our outing we stood on the shore of small ponds and talked about the unique co-location of tupelo trees and eastern hemlocks. The Nature Conservancy protected this area because of the unique marsh plants that grow here, at least eight of which are rare and endangered in the Great Lakes. A non-expert like me could be alarmed because none of these plants were found on our outing. However, their seeds were lying dormant in the mud at the bottom of the pond waiting to be exposed as the water retreats. Sometimes these annuals will have to wait two or three seasons before they sprout, flower, and go to seed to sustain the cycle.

What is a Fen? After a shared lunch, we headed west to a very different wetland, the Paw Paw Praire Fen. Unlike a marsh, which collects and holds surface water, a fen is a unique wetland created by the underground flow of water that seeps to the surface, usually forming the headwaters of a stream or river. Fens are always wet, and with rubber boots on, we stood in the first waters of the beautiful Paw Paw River and looked at very different plants, several unique butterflies drawn to these plants, and almost no trees. Not only was the feel and look of this wetland different, the water is different. Coming up from limestone areas, the water contains more calcium and other minerals, which supports its own rare plants.

The Paw Paw Prairie Fen was recently established and the preserve saved the area from neglect and an imminent residential development. Since 2004, The Nature Conservancy has extensively surveyed the area, removed invasive buckthorn which soaks up water, and restored some surrounding eroded areas with the help of volunteers from the Coca-Cola Company who have a juice bottling plant in the area. This fen is an important place not only because of its special ecology, but also because it is preservation helps maintain the water quality and quantity of the Paw Paw River. The Nature Conservancy is also at work to protect the Paw Paw and its agriculturally dominated watershed, which is important to the farmers who grow a variety of crops in the area, to cities and companies, like Coca-Cola, who rely on the groundwater of the area, and to residents who recreate and identify with the River. It is an important place.

Wetlands and Science. So what is a swamp? Not anything I saw on my outing. Technically a swamp is a wetland in which trees grow. Think of the Okefenokee Swamp with its large cypress trees. A bog is where the accumulation of organic material exceeds decomposition and peat forms in an acidic environment; a fen has a balanced or alkaline pH. All of them are wetlands, which has a more legal than scientific definition. Those government agencies charged with protecting the environment use the term wetland: "wetlands" means those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas.

On one level, the definition of a fen versus a marsh versus a swamp is so much nature trivia. However, the fact that scientists not only understand the difference but also use this knowledge has profound implications for conservation. When we use science to inform our decisions about where to build house, how to grow what where, how much water to take out of the ground, and where to raise precious dollars to preserve land, then all of our decisions will be better. And when we can make better decisions, than we can support multiple goals and all achieve more together.

How to Visit. Ross Coastal Plain Marsh is near Watervliet. Take M-140 north 6.6 miles from the I-94 interchange to CR 376 (44th Ave.). Go west 3.3 miles to a dirt driveway and small parking area across from Dune Lake Campground. An old two track leads into the preserve and several of the marsh areas are less than a mile walk.  For more information visit this part of the TNC Michigan Chapter's webpage

The Paw Paw Prairie Fen can be found southwest of Kalamazoo.  Take I-94 west to the Mattawan exit, turn left on S. Main and continue to 64th Avenue. Turn left (east) to 22nd Street and turn right (south).  In approximately one mile the parking lot will be on the right side.  More information and a  map can be found on the TNC Michigan Chapter's webpage.

An Evening Walk in Saugatuck Dunes

The landscape unfolds and opens up on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. In a State of forests and farms, a walk with wide vistas in a pure and undisturbed place is rare, but the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area offers it. Several miles of trail roll through dunes, reveal surprise looks into small wetlands, and set a coastal tableau for swimming, birding, or orange sunsets. This gem of a place was recently secured from an uncertain future, is being gently restored, and now can be explored and enjoyed.

On a recent Sunday evening I was fortunate to go on a guided walk through the 171-acre natural area and enjoyed both the feel of an expansive sky and an undulating landscape. Being out in the open in Michigan usually means a farm field, a restored prairie, or an open boat in an inland lake. These surfaces are flat; the Saugatuck dunes are not. As one climbs over a small rise, or around a low dune, new scenes appear: a lone oak tree standing in dune grass, a pair of monarch butterflies rising, or a small marsh adding texture and color. These inter-dune wetlands are home to some unique plants as well as the rare Blanchard's cricket frog. The backdrop to these low coastal dunes are, on the one side, high, tree covered dunes, and on the other, limitless Lake Michigan.

Natural Features Create Economic Value. The Saugatuck-Douglas area is one of several special summer destinations on Lake Michigan, and its success and charm would not exist if it were not for the ancient and ongoing collision of land and water that occurs here; nor would its character persist if not for the care that people have exercised for more than a century to preserve this special place. Since the ice age, the inexorable force of wind and waves have moved sand east while the inevitable flow of the Kalamazoo River has moved water west. The result is a twisting watercourse set among dunes of increasing heights. The oldest and tallest of the dunes are now well forested, while the newest one rise up from one of the best beaches of the Great Lakes. Importantly, the mouth of the River, now fixed by human engineering, has given entrance to a harbor that has supported many years of commerce, fishing, pleasure boating and the transport of vacationers from Chicago.

The Nature Conservancy talks of ecological services like potable water, food and fiber that have monetary value, but the success of resort communities throughout the Great Lakes is perhaps the clearest case of the economic benefits derived from a healthy ecosystem. Without clean beaches, desirable waterways, and scenic landscapes, places like Saugatuck and Douglas (and many other places on all five Great Lakes) would not be the economic success they are. Not only do these nature-based economies support businesses that employ thousands of people, they also support the arts, strengthen families, and even feed our spiritual selves. It is not by accident that art institutes, vacation homes, and church camps are drawn to these interesting places of water and sand, wind and sun, flora and fauna.

The Long Work of Protection. The Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area is only the latest, and perhaps most hard won, act of preservation in this area. Starting in 1882 with the purchase of the signature dune called Mt. Baldhead by the City of Saugatuck, the local residents of this piece of Lake Michigan coast have worked hard to preserve the environmental prizes of their community. Private institutions and land owners, land conservancies, local government, and state agencies have all taken steps large and small to secure this special place. Together they have created an 1800 acre coastal zone that provides important habitat for resident and migratory animals, plant communities largely free of invasive species, and humans in need of re-creation.

For decades, there has been an effort to preserve the coastal dunes that were the location of my recent hike. Only in the last few years has The Nature Conservancy and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan finally helped secure $22 million to preserve the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area. The biggest single source of funds is the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, a powerful preservation tool supported by the revenues of oil and gas leases sold on public land, but significant personal donations as well as funding from foundations and other grants have also been raised; a final few thousand dollars are needed to complete the acquisition (click on the link above to donate).

Conservation takes persistence, and I was impressed to have as a guide April Scholtz of the Land Conservancy of West Michigan who has been working literally for decades to preserve the unique natural areas that make Saugatuck-Douglas and the west shore of Lake Michigan the very important place they are. Not surprisingly, she calls this area "one of my most favorite places." I can see why.

To Visit. The Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area can be accessed from the City of Saugatuck's Oval Beach (click here for map). There is a $6 fee to enter the park, then head to the north of the parking lot and walk along the beach to enter the preserve. Work is diligently underway to reduce the erosion of the dunes, so please stay on the several miles of trail. Dogs and motorized vehicles are not allowed; no camping or fires.

The area is open and exposed, so on a summer day the heat can be intense. While Lake Michigan offers relief, a morning or evening walk can be the best time to experience the dunes (though the area is closed from dusk to dawn). In fall and spring, migratory bird sitings will be common. One guest on our hike told of an enjoyable winter snowshoe trip through the preserve. Soon the preserve will become the property of the City of Saugatuck and with the ongoing stewardship assistance of two land conservancies, the value of this place will grow and be appreciated for generations to come.