Troop 192 HornadayConservation Project

September 27, 2009

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:Troop 192 of Davisburg, Michigan participated in the National Public Lands Day/Weekend on Sept 27, 2009. We teamed up with the Department of Natural Resources Stewardship Program to remove invasive species at the Highland Recreation Area in White Lake Michigan.

Laurel Draper-Malvitz, DNR Stewardship Program Ranger instructed our group and other volunteers on the proper use of herbicide wands and proper identification of invasive species (buckthorn, autumn olive, etc). This stretch of woods, leading up to a National Historic Landmark (Henry Ford vacation retreat) was overgrown with invasive species. The Haven Hill Natural Area includes every forest type found in southern Michigan, plus wildflowers and a variety of birds.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:Our troop planned out a camping weekend at Highland Recreation Area in White Lake Township to coincide with a planned DNR event to remove invasive species. Laurel Draper-Malvitz, DNR Stewardship Program Ranger was to provide the herbicide wands and herbicide as well as gloves and instruction. The boys in the troop and adult volunteers were requested to bring proper clothing including: gloves, work pants, liquids, and sunscreen.

Ms. Malvitz, our Conservation Advisor, gave instructions on the proper usage of the herbicide wands. Only adults were to use the wands, the youth would help trim the invasive species and drag the trimmings to a brush pile across the road.

This was followed up by a thorough introduction to the invasive species we were working on eradicating. Autumn Olive and Buckthorn were planted in the area as decorative shrubs and edging to the woods leading up to the Henry Ford Retreat.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION (Continued):This stretch of woods, leading up to a National Historic Landmark (former Henry Ford home/vacation retreat) was overgrown with invasive species.

Highland Recreation Area offers 5,900 acres of forest, marshes and lakes in the rolling hills of Southeastern Michigan. The 546 acre Haven Hill Natural Area has all of southern Michigan’s principal forest types within one small area, including swamp forest of tamarack, cedar, beech-maple forest, oak-hickory forest, and mixed hardwood forest. The area has remained largely undisturbed for the past 90 years and has retained its natural character as well as some unusual for a and fauna.

The State Park Stewardship Unit operates within the Parks and Recreation Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The Stewardship Unit strives to balance resource protection with compatible recreation use. To accomplish our mission, they rely heavily on a network of dedicated volunteers to remove non-native weeds, collect native prairie seed, and help with a variety of other stewardship activities.

Photos on Flickr