Stewardship

Conservation Superheroes... Celebrating Paul and Sue McEwen

As the City of Fenton continues to grow, places such as Dauner Martin Nature Sanctuary seem to stay the same. The sanctuary evokes a sense of stillness, abstracted from the hustle and bustle of everyday life - a constant in a time of rapid development. This peace stems from dedicated stewarding from folks like Paul and Sue McEwen.

Paul and Sue first began volunteering with MNA over a decade ago as a way to give back to the natural areas that they’ve enjoyed over the years. They helped former Regional Stewardship Organizer Katherine Hollins establish a Friends Group to help keep up with the demanding maintenance needs of the sanctuary. The combined volunteer hours between the two are evident at nearly every turn of the nearly 4.5 miles of walking trails found in the sanctuary.

Paul and Sue have regularly hosted volunteer work days during their time with MNA, encouraging local trail users to join them in their efforts to repair boardwalks, maintain trails, remove invasive species threats, and survey for rare species in the sanctuary’s vernal pools. As Sanctuary Stewards, Paul and Sue have greatly contributed to MNA’s mission of protecting habitat for rare, threatened, and endangered species in Michigan, as well as serving as ambassadors in the community - spreading MNA’s message throughout the Fenton community. So while growth may be good for the City, staying the same is good for the Sanctuary.

MNA’s Board of Trustees honored Paul and Sue’s contributions by awarding them the Mason and Melvin Schafer Distinguished Service Award in November 2021.

Paul (far left) and Sue (far right) McEwen with a group of volunteers at Dauner Martin Nature Santuary. Photo by Katherine Hollins.

Massasauga Collaboration Advances

The 2021 summer issue of Michigan Nature included an exciting announcement of a multi-year grant award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to aid in the conservation and recovery of priority Eastern massasauga rattlesnake populations in the state. The Eastern massasauga is Michigan’s only venomous snake, but its population decline led to a ‘threatened’ listing under the federal Endangered Species Act and identification as a species of greatest conservation need under Michigan’s Wildlife Action Plan.

MNA is coordinating and facilitating the project with the Michigan Natural Features Inventory and Grand Valley State University. This summer, the project partners began population surveys and monitoring. MNA conducted habitat management and restoration at areas occupied by the Eastern massasauga, including at sites in addition to MNA Nature Sanctuaries.

“We were able to work with Springfield Township in Oakland County and the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy to undertake prescribed burns and invasive species management on property adjacent to the township’s Long Lake Fen,” said Photo by Jennifer Moore. Coutresy MDNR. Andrew Bacon, MNA’s Conservation Director. “These kinds of collaborations are key to the recovery of the massasauga and made possible by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife grant as we can address habitat restoration beyond our own property borders to benefit the rattlesnake.