michigan nature
Spring 2012 Volume 61 Issue 1
Donation Expands Lakeville Swamp
The Splendors of
Keweenaw Country
Remembering Ed Voss Michigan Nature Association www.michigannature.org
Interview With Dave Dempsey
You make the difference. By Protecting Michigan’s Natural Heritage, Together We Build a Brighter Future. How you can help: • Give a gift of $500 or more and help us meet the J.A. Woollam Challenge • Become a monthly supporter • Become a life member • Honor a loved one with a memorial gift • Remember MNA in your will or estate plan
Photo © markscarlson.com
Contents
14
12
Features In Retrospect
12
Their Legacy Continues A photo tribute to MNA’s founding generation in honor of MNA’s 60th anniversary.
The Splendors of Keweenaw Country A Place Like No Other Few places offer the natural beauty found in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.
14
“
MNA is protecting the soul of Michigan. You have a lot to be proud of and a lot to build on. We’re going to need you more and more each year. Dave Dempsey, page 24
”
Spring 2012 Departments News Briefs 8 2012 Annual Meeting a Success MNA Urges Changes to Farm Bill MNA Comments on Cormorant Control Michigan Species Newly Listed as Endangered New Faces Join MNA Team
Land Protection 10 Donation Expands Lakeville Swamp Newnan Donation Protects Nearly 88 Acres
Stewardship 20
20
Spring Stewardship Season Begins Volunteer Appreciation Picnics Volunteer Opportunities
Membership Matters 22 Nature Sanctuary Photo Tours Kayak the Les Cheneaux Islands 2012 Fall Adventure 60th Anniversary Odyssey Tour Field Trips
Voices 24 Award-winning author Dave Dempsey talks with MNA about his favorite unique landscapes and what should be done to protect them.
22
Booknotes 25 Recommended Reading from MNA
Legacies 26 Remembering MNA Supporter Ed Voss Memorials and Honorariums
On the Cover: Indian Rock at MNA’s Kenneth W. and Timothy S. Gunn Memorial. Photo by Andrew Bacon
24
Tour Michigan’s Unique Natural Features
michigan nature association 326 E. Grand River Williamston, MI 48895 (866) 223-2231 www.michigannature.org
2012 Fall Adventure September 7-9
Experience Michigan’s breathtaking natural landscapes in a series of guided tours featuring Michigan Nature Association sanctuaries in northern Michigan. Cost: $275, includes two nights at the Otsego Club & Resort in Gaylord (double occupancy), transportation, meals and snacks.
Guided MNA sanctuary tours
Two nights, Otsego Club & Resort
For more information, call (866) 223-2231 or email michigannature@michigannature.org.
Celebrating 60 Years of Success
Our Mission The purpose of the MNA is to acquire, protect and maintain natural areas that contain examples of Michigan endangered and threatened flora, fauna and other components of the natural environment, including habitat for fish, wildlife and plants of the state of Michigan and to carry on a program of natural history study and conservation education.
Board of Trustees
Staff
Steve Kelley
Garret M. Johnson
President
Executive Director
Margaret Welsch
Paul Steiner
Vice President
Operations Director
Kurt Jung
Andrew Bacon
Secretary
Stewardship Coordinator
Jerry Gray
David Pizzuti
Treasurer
Land Protection Specialist
Aubrey Golden
Adrienne Bozic
Trustee at Large
Lisa Appel
Regional Stewardship Organizer, U.P.
Katherine Hollins
2012 Volunteer & Donor Recognition Dinner
Mary Ann Czechowski Debby Igleheart
Regional Stewardship Organizer, W.L.P.
October 26 ─ 6:30 p.m. Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, East Lansing
Gisela Lendle King
Allison Barszcz
Stanley Dole
Stan Kuchta William D. McNaughton
Regional Stewardship Organizer, E.L.P.
Matt Schultz
Outreach & Development Specialist
Johanna Swanson
Fr. David Neven
Outreach & Development Specialist
Don Reed
Natalie Kent-Norkowski
David Sharpe
Land Protection Technician
Karen Weingarden
Joelle Humes
Accreditation Technician
Laurie Baum
Administrative Assistant
Tickets: $30 per person To purchase, contact Laurie at the MNA office by calling (866) 223-2231 or emailing lbaum@michigannature.org
All uncredited photography (including sidebars) is taken from the MNA archives. Please direct questions about this newsletter to Outreach & Development Specialist Allison Barszcz by emailing abarszcz@michigannature.org or calling (866) 223-2231. © 2012. Except where used with permission, entire contents copyright 2012 Michigan Nature Association.
From the President
We celebrate both spring and MNA’s 60th anniversary by encouraging everyone to get outside and experience the joys of nature! In March, MNA held its 2012 Annual Meeting at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. It was terrific to see old friends and meet new people. The crowd was interested and engaged, and we shared cake in honor of MNA’s 60th anniversary. I encourage anyone who has not been to the Nature Center before to pay a visit. Following organizational updates, our featured speaker Dave Dempsey shared inspiring stories about conservationists who left their mark on Michigan’s landscape (for a postmeeting interview with Dave, see page 24). Drawing from Michigan’s history, Dave stressed the importance of the three P’s to successful conservation: people, partnerships, and persistence — three things I have always believed are among MNA’s greatest legacies and continuing strengths. Long-time MNA volunteers Dave Wendling and Tina Patterson have put together a once-in-a-lifetime “60th Anniversary MNA Odyssey Tour”, a series of special guided hikes of all 20 MNA Showcase Sanctuaries. Through September 30 Dave and Tina, with the help of local volunteer stewards, will host tours of each of our Showcase Sanctuaries, all selected for their outstanding natural features and relative ease of access and hiking. Be sure to join the Odyssey and experience blooming wildflowers at many sanctuaries; unusual geologic features at Twin Waterfalls, Fred Dye and Mystery Valley (our joint sanctuary with the Michigan Karst Conservancy); the cacti at Newaygo Prairie; the ancient trees at Estivant Pines; and spectacular Great Lakes shoreline at Kernan and Black Creek. Please join Dave and Tina for one sanctuary visit, or all 20, or as often as your schedule allows. There might even be a bit of MNA birthday cake! (Details on how to sign up for the Odyssey are on page 22, and are also posted on MNA’s website.) In addition to the Odyssey, MNA is again offering its popular “Adventure” bus trip, this year to the northern Lower Peninsula. Details on this September 7─9 trip are on page 6. MNA has offered such a trip every year since at least 2005, and each year I look forward to spending time with friends and seeing these magnificent properties. MNA staff and stewards also regularly offer volunteer work days and field trips at many of our sanctuaries across the state. Many hands indeed do make light work, and this is a great way to see a sanctuary and enjoy some time outdoors. (Details on work days can be found on page 21, and for field trips see page 23.) For the benefit of our members, we are beginning to more directly partner with specialized outdoor service providers. For those of you who have always wanted to see the Les Cheneaux Islands just east of the Straits of Mackinac, we have arranged for a special guided paddle tour with a certified kayak guide/instructor. Equipment will be provided and no experience is necessary. (See page 22 for details.) MNA is also pleased to offer a new series of special instructional photo tours at select MNA sanctuaries featuring the highly regarded instructors at Great Lakes Photo Tours. All skill levels are welcome and beginners are especially encouraged to sign up. (See page 22 for details.) As you can see, opportunities to enjoy nature abound. On behalf of the thousands of MNA members and volunteers envisioning, molding, implementing, and supporting MNA in a thousand different ways over its first 60 years, thank you! I hope to see you in the field!
Steve Kelley President michigan nature | Spring 2012
7
News Briefs | MNA 2012 Annual Meeting a Success By Mitch Lex
On the afternoon of March 31st, more than 70 people gathered at the Kalamazoo Nature Center for MNA’s 2012 Annual Meeting. The featured speaker at the event was Dave Dempsey, award-winning author of Ruin & Recovery: Michigan’s Rise as a Conservation Leader. Dempsey spoke of the importance of land protection and highlighted the important role MNA has played in protecting Michigan’s natural heritage. Dave proved to be a popular guest speaker, quickly selling out all of the books he brought for the event. For those who were not able to join us, we caught up with Dave after the meeting. You can read our interview on page 24. The crowd enjoyed specially decorated cakes made in honor of MNA’s 60th anniversary and heard organizational reports from MNA President Steve Kelley, Executive Director Garret Johnson and Stewardship Coordinator Andrew Bacon.
However, the program has the potential to do much more. In its current form, the Forest Legacy Program does not allow for a direct partnership with nonprofit conservation organizations. Current law allows only government entities to own the land or hold the conservation easements, which can create a significant long-term financial strain on state agencies and prevent important conservation projects from moving forward. If enhancements are made to the Forest Legacy Program to allow government agencies to partner with qualified nonprofit conservation organizations, organizations like MNA could more easily preserve forested areas buffering nature sanctuaries, protecting habitats at a much greater scale. Studies have shown that conserving land at a larger scale helps protect sensitive habitat from the potential effects of invasive species, altered hydrology, climate change and other threats. The last Farm Bill passed in 2008 and will expire this year unless Congress acts. Changing the Farm Bill’s Forest Legacy Program to allow groups like MNA to hold the easements it funds would reduce costs for government agencies, allow for additional investment from private funding sources, and significantly expand the success of the Forest Legacy Program.
MNA Comments on Federal Review of Cormorant Control Policies By Allie Jarrell
▲The group listens to presentations at the Annual Meeting on March 31.Photo by Johanna Swanson
MNA Urges Congressional Leaders to Make Changes to the Farm Bill By Allison Barszcz Before Congress left for spring recess, MNA and other conservancies across the state sent a joint letter to Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow and Ranking Member Pat Roberts urging the strengthening of the Farm Bill by allowing federal funding for land acquisition or conservation easement projects where groups like MNA own the land or hold the easement, not a government agency. The recommendations address a key federal program, the Forest Legacy Program, which aims to protect privately-owned forests from development and conversion to non-forest uses by purchasing land or securing conservation easements from landowners. The Forest Legacy Program has helped protect more than 425 square miles of Michigan’s privately owned forests, including lands that buffer more than 192 miles of Class A trout streams, protect more than 300 inland lakes and preserve 52,000 acres of forested wetlands.
8 michigan nature |Spring 2012
MNA recently submitted comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of its 10 year review process to determine the methods, justification, and quantity of nuisance animal permits, and other issues relating to management of the double-crested cormorant. MNA does not support current efforts to oil eggs, shoot or otherwise kill cormorants for population control. If cormorant control must be done it should be based on scientific research and monitoring programs demonstrating a direct, measurable, ecological need for such programs. Over the past decade, MNA has been involved in cormorant issues due to our four sanctuaries containing six islands in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. These island properties are home to a variety of nesting birds, including herons, pelicans, egrets and cormorants. In the 1970s, the use of the pesticide DDT threatened the existence of the double-crested cormorant, a seabird common to the Great Lakes region, resulting in dramatic decline in the region’s population. The species has recovered, but since the resurgence of the population, cormorants have been blamed for the decline of certain fish species in the Great Lakes ecosystem. MNA believes the decline of the Great Lakes fisheries is due to a combination of factors including non-native fish species, pollution
News Briefs | MNA and the degradation of near shore habitats that have negatively impacted native fishes and their spawning habitat, not the resurgence of the cormorant population.
reflects the water quality of their surrounding areas. Local populations of all four mussel species are found in the rivers and streams of southeast Michigan.
It is MNA’s opinion that the current justification for federal cormorant control programs is not based on science, but rather on insufficient information and public perceptions. MNA is committed to supporting the natural communities and ecosystems of Michigan, and believes that any control or management of native species should be based on the best available data and evidence.
Many people are unaware that the United States is a global hotspot of freshwater biodiversity. The U.S. has nearly 300 species of freshwater mussels, more than any other country in the world (Europe, for example, has 12 species). According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, nearly 70% of freshwater mussel species are now extinct, endangered or threatened. MNA’s mission statement explicitly calls for the protection of aquatic species that are rare, threatened and endangered, and we are currently exploring how MNA can play an even bigger role in freshwater conservation in Michigan.
New Faces Join the MNA Team By Megan Clute and Mitch Lex
Lisa Appel and Bill McNaughton have both joined the Board of Trustees as volunteer leaders of MNA. Lisa currently serves as the coordinator of watershed education at Cranbrook Institute of Science, and Bill is a biology professor at Oakland Community College. ▲Double-crested cormorants. Photo by Rick Baetsen.
Two Michigan Species Newly Listed as Endangered By Johanna Swanson
Two freshwater mussels native to Michigan, the rayed bean and the snuffbox, have been listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and are now subject to provisions of the Endangered Species Act. The rayed bean is a small, smooth-shelled mussel that is usually less than an inch and a half long. It is found in the roots of aquatic vegetation and typically is found in headwater creeks (though some can be found in larger rivers and even Lake Erie). The Pine River just outside MNA’s Jasper Woods Memorial Nature Sanctuary in St. Clair County is one such stream. The snuffbox mussel is usually around two inches long with a thick, yellow/ dark green shell. It inhabits small or medium ▲The rayed bean, one of creeks, though it can also be discovered in two mussels now listed larger rivers. as endangered, only reaches about 1 1/2 inches in size. USFWS photo.
The rayed bean and snuffbox now join two other freshwater mussels found in Michigan, the clubshell and the northern riffleshell, on the federal list of endangered species. This means four of Michigan’s 45 native mussel species may face extinction unless actions are taken to protect them. This is a troubling trend, because the health of freshwater mussel populations often
Two new faces have joined MNA’s staff as well. Allison Barszcz and Johanna Swanson have both joined as our new outreach and development specialists. Allison is a previous MNA intern and Michigan State University graduate with two years of marketing and communications experience in the private sector. Johanna joins the MNA staff with a bachelor’s degree in communication from Hope College. Johanna’s background includes work as a producer for WILX-TV and as a sales assistant for MidMichigan Radio Group. MNA is excited to have Lisa, Bill, Allison and Johanna join the team and we look forward to benefiting from their abundant skills, knowledge and experience.
Notice something different? We are refining our member communications program in an effort to increase the quality and timeliness of our outreach materials. With the introduction of our Events Guide, Michigan Nature magazine, regular emails, and a soon-to-be redesigned website, we hope to keep you up-to-date on all the exciting things happening at MNA. And be sure to check out our improved Facebook page, Twitter profile and blog. Feel free to let us know what you think by contacting Garret Johnson toll-free at (866) 223-2231 or by email at gjohnson@michigannature.org. michigan nature | Spring 2012
9
Land Protection | MNA
Donation Expands Lakeville Swamp Nature Sanctuary by Johanna Swanson
A
generous donation of land from three siblings will expand Lakeville Swamp Nature Sanctuary, one of MNA’s oldest sanctuaries. The donation continues a decades-long commitment by the family to protect environmentally sensitive land in the Lakeville area. MNA began working to protect Lakeville Swamp in 1961, back when it was known simply as Project Number 5. Subsequent studies have determined that the sanctuary is one of the most species-rich natural areas in southeast Michigan, with hundreds of different native plants. Many of the species found at Lakeville Swamp are now listed by the State of Michigan as threatened, endangered or of special concern. Cynthia Bone, Kathleen Niemenski, and Raymond Witt inherited land adjacent to MNA’s Lakeville Swamp Sanctuary from their parents, and are now donating the land to MNA. The family history of protecting Lakeville Swamp runs deep. Cecil Dunn (their great uncle) and his wife, Hazel, donated the original one acre parcel in 1963 to create the sanctuary. After the sanctuary expanded further, their grandparents, Gerald (Cecil’s brother) and Elizabeth Dunn, donated 22 additional acres to the sanctuary in 1969, effectively doubling it from 21 acres to 43. The sanctuary has continued to expand over the years, and the latest donation brings the total protected area at Lakeville Swamp to 78 acres. The expansion of Lakeville Swamp over the years is an excellent example of the legacy that can be created by multiple generations of landowners. It’s also a powerful example of the importance of groups like MNA taking early action to protect the lands and waters that provide critical habitat to vulnerable species. The latest expansion of Lakeville Swamp was approved by the MNA Board of Trustees and the donation is expected to be finalized within the next month.
10 michigan nature | Spring 2012
▲ Lakeville Swamp Nature Sanctuary in Oakland County’s Lakeville Township boasts hundreds of species of native plants.
Find Out More About Donating Land MNA is dedicated to permanently protecting land that provides critical habitat to Michigan’s rare, threatened and endangered species and natural communities. By generously donating land to MNA, landowners leave a lasting legacy for future generations. Donating land may provide you with significant tax savings. Consult your financial advisor. To find out more about donating land to MNA, please contact David Pizzuti by calling (866) 223-2231 or emailing dpizzuti@michigannature.org.
Land Protection | MNA
Newnan Donation Protects Nearly 88 Acres by Johanna Swanson
L
ong-time Michigan Nature Association member and supporter Edna S. Newnan passed away in January 2011, but through the generosity of her estate, her appreciation of all things natural will live on for future generations. During her volunteer work with MNA, which began in the 1960s, Edna Newnan served as President, board member, and co-editor of “In Retrospect,” the landmark book celebrating the early history of MNA. Published in 1988, the book is a constant reminder of Edna’s love for nature and her efforts that always went above-and-beyond. Even when her term as a board member and President came to an end, Edna continued supporting MNA, working particularly hard on our statewide land protection campaign that ran from 2004 through 2007. Her work helped MNA better protect Michigan’s special natural areas, and resonated the importance of protection and stewardship throughout Michigan. Edna Newnan purchased her Wales Township property in 1971 and eventually deeded it to the Edna Newnan Revocable Trust. Edna was in the process of donating land when she passed away. Her son Hal Newnan became the sole Trustee of the trust after her death and, though he was under no obligation, pursued his mother’s desire to have the land maintained in a natural condition for wildlife habitat for the benefit of current and future generations. The Edna S. Newnan Trust has graciously honored Edna’s wishes by donating 87.5 acres of land in St. Clair County to MNA, together with funds to implement invasive species control and restoration. A conservation easement will be held by Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy. MNA is grateful for Edna’s gift and for her trust’s follow-through. Planned gifts are incredibly important to helping MNA continue its mission to preserve natural land in Michigan. The new sanctuary’s mesic southern forest remnant contains a series of small topographic undulations, with a number of vernal pools providing ideal habitat for salamanders and other amphibians. There are swales and wet pockets found throughout the sanctuary which tend to be dominated by dogwoods, meadowsweet, asters, sedges, mosses, knotweeds, bulrushes, and shrubby St. Johns’ wort. The Riley-Wales Drain flows south through the sanctuary, bisecting the property. It feeds into the Pine River, which subsequently flows into the St. Clair River. MNA will dedicate the Edna S. Newnan Nature Sanctuary on June 1 at 11:30 a.m. The sanctuary will open to the public once trails and a parking area are established. It is expected to be easy to navigate and able to handle significant foot traffic. ► MNA’s stewardship staff is working to establish trails and a parking area at Edna S. Newnan Nature Sanctuary.
michigan nature | Spring 2012
11
In Retrospect
Their Legacy A Great Idea 60 Years Ago is an Even Better Idea Today
In honor of MNA’s 60th anniversary, we’ve selected photos from our archives of MNA’s founding generation in action. These spirited individuals pioneered the protection of critical habitat for rare, threatened and endangered species in Michigan. They also laid the foundation for a statewide organization that now protects a remarkable network of more than 170 nature sanctuaries across Michigan.
A Special 60th Anniversary Challenge from the J.A. Woollam Foundation In honor of MNA’s 60th anniversary, the J.A. Woollam Foundation has pledged to match any donation to MNA greater than $500, up to a maximum of $60,000, if the gift is made during 2012 (our 60th anniversary year). We are calling this generous pledge from the Woollam Foundation the “60 for 60 Challenge”. Please consider making a special gift of $500 or more in honor of the MNA’s 60th anniversary. Your gift will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling its impact. All donations must be received by December 31st to be eligible. There is no better way to celebrate MNA’s founding generation than to invest in keeping the organization they created strong.
This page: Top: Bertha Daubendiek. Bottom (from left to right): Daubendiek, Frank Giambrone, Thelma Sonnenberg, Marie Moran Peter, Rita Juckett, Richard Holzman and Julius Peter. Facing page: Clockwise (from top): Daubendiek and students; MNA’s 100th sanctuary, Twin Waterfalls Memorial Plant Preserve; (left to right): Bette Jane Wogen, Daubendiek, Louis Senghas, Thelma Sonnenberg, Irene Jasper, and Joan Senghas; Daubendiek; Daubendiek, Kernie King and Walt Kummer.
12 michigan nature | Spring 2012
Continues
michigan nature | Spring 2012
13
The Splendors of
Keweenaw Country Few places in the Midwest offer the natural beauty and solitude found in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.
A visitor admires the spectacular view from Bare Bluff at MNA’s Grinnell Memorial Nature Sanctuary. Photo by Kelly Ramstack
10
Michigan Nature Association
▲ Grinnell Memorial Nature Sanctuary. Photo by Charlie Eshbach
K
eweenaw Country. Stunning vistas of Lake Superior. Rugged shoreline harboring secluded sandy beaches. Hidden inland lakes glittering in the sunlight. Remote old-growth forests with towering, cathedral-like canopies. Few places in the Midwest offer the natural beauty and solitude found in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. The Michigan Nature Association has been working to protect the splendors of “Keweenaw Country” since 1973. After decades of hard work by volunteers and generous support from donors, MNA currently owns 15 nature sanctuaries along the peninsula, protecting a spectacular array of habitat types and rare species. Given its name by the Ojibwa Indian tribe meaning “a place of crossing,” Native Americans inhabited the remote region as early as 7,000 years ago. It was these native tribes that began the copper culture so commonly associated with the Keweenaw. Along with Isle Royale National Park, the Keweenaw is the only place in the country with evidence of prehistoric mining by Native Americans, who traded copper tools and ornaments as far south as modern-day Alabama. Industrial mining began in the 1840s and the area quickly became one of the nation’s leaders
The Splendors of Keweenaw Country
▲A view up into Estivant Pines’ 125-foot tall trees. Photo by Kyle Rokos
in copper exports, but the industry declined and the old mining shafts and remaining ghost towns now add a unique sense of history to the natural beauty that characterizes the Keweenaw. A Rich Natural Heritage Keweenaw’s distinctive geologic past and location now make it an ideal habitat for a variety of wildlife. Forming one of the Great Lakes flyways, the Keweenaw is a migratory stop for thousands of raptors traveling north in the spring and south in the fall. Bald eagles, hawks and peregrine falcons can all be seen during their migratory journeys in the Keweenaw. Birds share the habitat with larger mammals such as black bear, moose, wolf and bobcat,
16 michigan nature | Spring 2012
showcasing the ecological diversity that can be found in the peninsula.
The Keweenaw is a migratory stop for thousands of raptors traveling north in the spring and south in the fall. MNA’s Estivant Pines Nature Sanctuary remains one of the most extraordinary sites for visitors to explore Keweenaw wilderness. MNA’s statewide effort saved the Estivant Pines from logging in the 1970s. The sanctuary’s first 160 acres acquired in 1973 have now expanded to
more than 510 total acres. Those who visit can immerse themselves in the one of largest stands of old growth eastern pine in the Midwest, with trees hundreds of years old reaching up to 125 feet tall and five feet in diameter. Copper mine pits dug more than 3,000 years ago by Native Americans can also be spotted off the sanctuary’s Cathedral Grove trail if hikers look closely. Much of the rock material found in the peninsula was created by volcanic activity about 1.1 billion years ago during the Mid-Continent Rift, which left behind layers of thick rock that are exposed in the northern reaches around the Keweenaw. The basin that was created from this rift eventually formed current-day Lake Superior. This massive
syncline was filled with sediment and now separates the rock found on the Keweenaw from Isle Royale, which is composed of the same material. More recently, after the last ice age more than 10,000 years ago, retreating glaciers carved out the many interesting hills and features that can be seen on the Keweenaw today. And sea stacks and cave structures formed by the powerful glacial lakes left behind can be seen throughout the peninsula, including in MNA’s Grinnell Memorial Nature Sanctuary. Protecting a Scenic Treasure
▲ Children play in one of the massive old growth eastern pine trees in Estivant Pines Nature Sanctuary. Photo by calamity_hane (Flickr)
Northwest of the towering Estivant Pines is the Keweenaw Peninsula’s storied Brockway Mountain Drive, the highest road between the eastern Alleghenies and the Black Hills of South Dakota. The steep cliffs and stunning views of Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake, make this one of the most scenic stretches of road in America. And as the road reaches the summit of
Brockway Mountain, there is often more to see than Lake Superior. Raptors, which can be viewed flying at eye-level, are among the tens of thousands of birds that migrate through the area. MNA owns four natural areas along Brockway Mountain Drive, including the 160-acre James H. Klipfel Memorial Sanctuary adjacent to the summit of Brockway Mountain. Tucked away in the Klipfel Memorial Sanctuary are rare plants found only on the Keweenaw, such as deerbrush and the heart-leaved arnica. Though publicly accessible, the summit of Brockway Mountain itself has been privately owned by the Wescoat family for generations, but is now en route to becoming the property of Eagle Harbor Township as part of an ambitious conservation plan for the area. The township has been recommended for a $498,000 grant by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund toward the $680,000 acquisition cost of the
Michigan Nature Association Sanctuaries on the Keweenaw Peninsula
2
3 4
7 8
5
9 10 11
13 14 6
41
1
26
203
!
12
15 1. Black Creek Nature Sanctuary 2. Redwyn’s Dunes 3. Cy Clark Memorial 4. Eagle Harbor Red Pine Dunes 5. Dean Webster Memorial 6. Gratiot Lake Overlook 7. Keweenaw Shores No. 1 8. Upson Lake Nature Sanctuary 9. Homer L. & Hattie Hylton Memorial 10. Keweenaw Shores No. 2 11. James H. Klipfel Memorial 12. James Dorion Rooks Memorial at Garden Brook 13. Estivant Pines 14. Russell & Miriam Grinnell Memorial 15. Kenneth W. & Timothy S. Gunn Memorial
michigan nature | Spring 2012
17
The Splendors of Keweenaw Country
Wescoat property. Another $100,000 is being provided by The Nature Conservancy, with the remainder currently being filled by donations from individuals and organizations (including MNA). When complete, the Eagle Harbor Township property will join with MNA’s Klipfel Memorial Sanctuary to protect a remarkable 480 acres at the top of scenic Brockway Mountain. The township’s purchase is expected to close this summer.
▲The view from Bare Bluff at MNA’s Grinnell Memorial Nature Sanctuary. Photo by Lars Jensen
Public and privately owned natural areas along Brockway Mountain Drive not only conserve land, but promote tourism, the mainstay of the local economy. Unfortunately, the scenic vistas so important to the Brockway Mountain experience could be negatively impacted by the siting of a proposed cell phone tower near an MNA sanctuary. In addition, migratory birds, such as eagles, falcons and hawks, could suffer increased mortality rates, and running electrical lines across the landscape to support a new tower could also cause further loss of habitat for rare plants and wildlife.
▲ Black bear sightings are not uncommon in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Photo © markscarlson.com
18 michigan nature | Spring 2012
Partnership Engages Local Students by Alex Paris Nine years ago, students from Jeffers High School began working with MNA to protect and enhance the Robert T. Brown Nature Sanctuary, an 18 acre natural area protecting a stretch of northern fen that features layers of 10,000 year-old peat (plant material that has yet to fully decompose). The sanctuary is located in Houghton County on the Keweenaw peninsula, southwest of Houghton. For decades, Michigan Technological University professors have been using this site as an opportunity for students to learn about Michigan flora and fauna. ▲Foggy coastline of the Keweenaw near Eagle Harbor. Photo © markscarlson.com
In January 2012, MNA President Steve Kelley sent a letter on behalf of MNA’s members asking the Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners to reconsider its decision to authorize building the 220-plus-foot cell phone tower on Brockway Mountain.
What began as an ideal spot for local field trips has since evolved into numerous community service projects and hands-on learning opportunities for students.
In the letter, Kelley stated MNA’s belief that the addition of the tower will unnecessarily injure and kill migratory birds, negatively impact scenic values and visitor experiences, and could potentially result in a net negative economic impact for the local community. His letter urged the county to work to reduce the anticipated negative wildlife and scenic impacts, and to instead develop a solution that is more compatible with the natural surroundings. MNA continues to monitor the situation closely. The Keweenaw Peninsula is a special place, with special people. They believe in conservation, and practice it in countless ways. MNA is proud of the many relationships and partnerships we have forged in the Keweenaw over the years as we have worked together to protect critical habitat, strengthen local communities, and prepare the next generation to meet the challenges ahead. And we are just getting started. Allie Jarrell and Mitch Lex contributed to this story. Learn more about the work of MNA and other conservation organizations in the Keweenaw by ordering MNA’s Walking Paths & Protected Areas of the Keweenaw at www.michigannature.org. Watch a video featuring some of MNA’s spectacular sanctuaries on the Keweenaw Peninsula. Use your smartphone to scan the code to the left or visit www.youtube.com/michigannature.
▲Students from Jeffers High School work to build a boardwalk at Robert T. Brown Nature Sanctuary.
In 2003, former MNA trustee Joan Chadde arranged a partnership with Jeffers High School so that students could learn in a unique, outdoor classroom. The young volunteers constructed two boardwalks with viewing platforms, which continue to protect rare flora, such as orchids and some carnivorous plants, from being trampled. The Jeffers High School students efforts have been recognized by the Michigan DNR for making the sanctuary “a true destination for everyone”. Visitors can now enjoy a worry-free stroll through the coniferous forests into the fen area of the sanctuary.
Stewardship | MNA
Spring Stewardship Season is Off to a Great Start by Andrew Bacon
A
nother year is off to a roaring start in the stewardship world as we wrap up burn season in the late spring and early summer. Many of the burns we have conducted this spring are direct follow-up by the MNA stewardship team to management we conducted through a series of federal Landowner Incentives Program (LIP) grants completed in the fall of 2011. Examples of these follow-up burns include burning a pocket of lakeplain prairie and forest in Huron County as follow-up to autumn olive and phragmites management, and a burn we conducted at one of our sanctuaries in Berrien County to deter shrubby encroachment into the open prairie fen. Another burn was conducted in Hillsdale County at the Sand Creek Prairie Plant Preserve, where we burned a portion of a 12-acre prairie remnant as a matching labor towards a larger Sustain Our Great Lakes grant, which is helping a number of partner organizations increase management on natural areas throughout the tri-state area where Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan meet. This grant will help fund autumn olive removal in the uplands at Sarah Jane’s Nature Sanctuary in the coming year. The Effects of Prescribed Burns Using fire to manage sites is often critically important to the future of certain rare plants and animals. For example, the the Michigan Natural Features Inventory and MNA collaborated Impact of Prescribed Fire on 500 Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid Populations
406
400 300
267
260
100
2009
2010
2011
▲Survey data showing an increase in eastern prairie fringed orchid in 73 acres of lakeplain prairie habitat from 2009 to 2011.
20 michigan nature | Spring 2012
on a five-year project to monitor the impacts of prescribed burns and removal of woody growth on populations of the eastern prairie fringed orchid, a federally listed endangered species. As part of a larger restoration effort, a total of 73 acres of lakeplain prairie habitat owned and managed by MNA were burned in 2011 through a grant from the Michigan DNR. Surveys of MNA’s land and adjacent properties revealed 267 eastern prairie fringed orchid plants in 2009, 260 plants in 2010, and a remarkable 406 plants in 2011. The 2011 count was the highest recorded number of orchids since MNA began orchid census counts on MNA land in the 1980s. The results clearly show the importance of active land management for vulnerable species such as the eastern prairie fringed orchid. The Importance of Volunteers Many of our volunteer crews worked throughout the past winter (or the season that resembled winter) to implement various management projects at numerous sanctuaries. A few
>> Stewardship Wish List
200
0
▲Members of MNA’s burn crew conduct a prescribed burn at Lefglen Nature Sanctuary on March 29. Photo by Matt Schultz
MNA’s stewardship efforts continue thanks to generous contributions from members and supporters. We are currently in need of the following : • Canoe (that floats) • Hydraulic floor jack • Air compressor • Nice weather for work days If you are able to donate any of these items, contact the MNA office at (866) 223-2231 or email abacon@michigannature.org.
Stewardship | MNA Join Us in the Field for a Volunteer Workday
of these efforts include ongoing management work at Lefglen Nature Sanctuary in Jackson County and Goose Creek Grasslands Nature Sanctuary in Lenawee County to continue to remove glossy buckthorn to protect the diversity of the prairie fens located at each of these sanctuaries.
For complete details, visit the News & Events section of www.michigannature.org or call (866) 223-2231. Date
Location
County
Contact
May 10
Lake Superior Nature Sanctuary
Chippewa
Adrienne
May 10
Robert Powell Memorial N.S.
Lenawee
Matt
May 12
Alice Moore Woods Nature Sanctuary
St. Clair
Katherine
May 12
Coldwater River Nature Sanctuary
Kent
Matt
May 15
Black River Nature Sanctuary
Van Buren
Matt
May 16
Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary
Cass
Matt
May 20
Lyle and Mary Rizor Nature Sanctuary
Livingston
Katherine
June 2
Mystery Valley Karst Preserve
Presque Isle
Katherine
In recent years much effort has been invested to put MNA in a position to receive accreditation through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. In pursuit of this goal, 2012 marked the second consecutive year of complete monitoring and reporting for all MNA sanctuaries throughout Michigan. Additionally, we have been reviewing and updating all of the sanctuary management plans. At this point we have completed review and writing for about 50% of the sanctuaries, leaving us on track to have updated management plans for all the MNA sanctuaries by this time in 2013.
June 4
Fred Dye Nature Sanctuary
Mackinac
Adrienne
June 5
Schafer Family N.S. at Roach Point
Chippewa
Adrienne
June 10
Pat Grogan Bog
Chippewa
Adrienne
June 14
Fred Dye Nature Sanctuary
Mackinac
Adrienne
June 15
Big Valley Nature Sanctuary
Oakland
Katherine
June 16
A Looking Glass Sanctuary
Clinton
Katherine
June 20
Saginaw Wetlands Nature Sanctuary
Huron
Katherine
June 21
Beaver Dam Nature Sanctuary
Mackinac
Adrienne
June 26
Big Valley Nature Sanctuary
Oakland
Katherine
July 2
H.E. Hardy Memorial Nature Sanctuary
Livingston
Katherine
Volunteer Appreciation Picnics
July 3
Clifford R. and Calla C. Burr Memorial
Oakland
Katherine
July 7
Mystery Valley Karst Preserve
Presque Isle
Katherine
July 18
Clifford R. and Calla C. Burr Memorial
Oakland
Katherine
July 20
Newaygo Prairie Nature Sanctuary
Newaygo
Matt
July 24
Red Cedar River Plant Preserve
Ingham
Katherine
July 27
Sharon Zahrfeld Memorial N.S.
Genesee
Katherine
July 27
Newaygo Prairie Nature Sanctuary
Newaygo
Matt
July 28
Newaygo Prairie Nature Sanctuary
Newaygo
Matt
July 28
Saginaw Wetlands Nature Sanctuary
Huron
Katherine
July 28
Frost Pocket Plant Preserve
Otsego
Katherine
This past fall in the Upper Peninsula, a group of volunteers made progress on removing encroaching woody growth invading the disjunct prairie and overtaking the karst features at the Fred Dye Nature Sanctuary. And in the Keweenaw, MNA led a series of snowshoe and ski trips through sanctuaries attracting a diverse group of attendees throughout the season. MNA’s Progress Toward Accreditation
On behalf of the entire MNA team, I want to thank everyone who has assisted MNA by volunteering in the past few months, and extend an invitation to all to attend the volunteer appreciation picnics we’ll host in the late summer and fall. This is a great opportunity to share your volunteer experiences with each other and learn more about your fellow members and MNA. The dates are set, so mark your calendar today! Northern Lower Peninsula Saturday, August 11 - Parsons Memorial Nature Sanctuary At Buzz Parsons’ house next door Southwestern Lower Peninsula Saturday, August 18 - Hamilton Township Coastal Plain Marsh At the Grange Hall by the entrance Southeastern Lower Peninsula Sunday, August 19 - Rizor Memorial Nature Sanctuary At the neighboring Church of God campground
>>To RSVP for a Workday: Please register for each volunteer day as weather or emergencies may force cancellations. Contact your area’s Regional Stewardship Organizer to learn more: Adrienne Bozic, Upper Peninsula (517) 331-6381 or abozic@michigannature.org
Western Upper Peninsula Saturday, October 6 - Redwyn’s Dunes Nature Sanctuary At Great Sand Bay
Katherine Hollins, Eastern Lower Peninsula (517) 525-2627 or khollins@michigannature.org
Eastern Upper Peninsula Sunday, October 7 - Location TBA
Matt Schultz, Western Lower Peninsula (517) 643-6864 or mschultz@michigannature.org michigan nature | Spring 2012
21
Membership Matters | MNA
▲Learn nature photography from the pros at one of MNA’s Sanctuary Photo Tours.
▲Explore the Les Chenaux Island archipelago during a guided paddling excursion.
▲Join MNA members and friends on a nature hike, exploring some of Michigan’s most spectacular places.
MNA is pleased to offer members the opportunity to explore nature in a variety of ways. Throughout 2012, MNA members are invited to join us at these special events across the state. We hope we’ll see you there.
Nature Sanctuary Photo Tours Join naturalist photographer Mark S. Carlson and digital photography instructor Bob Grzesiak for a special day of photography instruction on location at select MNA nature sanctuaries. All skill levels are welcome. Photo Tour Dates: August 12 - Genevieve Casey Oceana County, Benona Township
September 2 - Rizor Memorial Nature Sanctuary Livingston County, near Hartland
September 19 - Lefglen Nature Sanctuary Jackson County, near Grass Lake
October 23 - Timberland Swamp Oakland County, near Davisburg
Price: $65 members, $99 nonmembers To RSVP, contact the MNA office, (866) 223-2231 or michigannature@michigannature.org.
Kayak the Les Cheneaux Islands
2012 Fall Adventure September 7 - 9
Join us for a special bus tour of unique natural features found in Michigan’s breathtaking landscapes of the northeast lower peninsula, including geological features like caverns, sinkholes and disappearing lakes. For more information, see page 6.
60th Anniversary Odyssey Tour Join former MNA Trustee Dave Wendling and MNA volunteer Tina Patterson on a special 60th anniversary Odyssey tour of some of MNA’s finest and most exceptional sanctuaries. Contribute $100 to the Odyssey (to benefit MNA) and receive a limited-edition Odyssey t-shirt, an Odyssey photo book, and a mention of your name in MNA’s annual report. To contribute, visit www.crowdrise.com/michigannatureassn. Visit www.michigannature.org for more information or to RSVP. Upcoming Odyssey Dates: June 5 - Mystery Valley Karst Preserve & Nature Sanctuary Presque Isle County, near Posen
Saturday, July 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
June 6 - Kernan Memorial Nature Sanctuary
Join MNA and Woods & Water Ecotours on a guided paddling excursion along the clear blue waters and forested shoreline of the Les Cheneaux Island archipelago. View tranquil inner bays, boreal forest, limestone-loving wildflowers, and the fresh water marshes that are abundant within the islands.
June 7 - Brennan Memorial Nature Sanctuary
Price: $75 members, $95 nonmembers, includes all equipment and lunch. No experience necessary. To RSVP, contact: Woods & Water Ecotours, LLC (906) 484-4157 or info@woodswaterecotours.com
22 michigan nature | Spring 2012
Huron County, near Port Hope St. Clair County, near Emmett
July 15 - Fred Dye Nature Sanctuary Mackinac County, near Moran
July 17 - Newaygo Prairie Nature Sanctuary Newaygo County, near Newaygo
July 18 - Genevieve Casey Nature Sanctuary Oceana County, in Benona Township
Membership Matters | MNA Field Trips Wildflower Hike: May 11, 10 a.m. Sharon Zahrfeld Memorial, Genesee County, near Argentine
Contact: Katherine Hollins, (517) 525-2627 or khollins@michigannature.org
Birding Hike: May 17, 10 a.m. Saginaw Wetlands Nature Sanctuary, Huron County, near Sebewaing
Contact: Katherine Hollins, (517) 525-2627 or khollins@michigannature.org
Birding Hike: May 20, 7 a.m Rooks Memorial, Keweenaw County near Copper Harbor Contact: Nancy Leonard, (906) 337-2144 or nancy@einerlei.com
Frog and Toad Hike: June 1, 7:30 p.m. Redwyn’s Dunes, Keweenaw County, near Eagle River Contact: Nancy Leonard, (906) 337-2144 or nancy@einerlei.com
Birding Hike: June 9, 8:30 a.m. Dauner Martin Nature Sanctuary, Genesee County, near Fenton
Contact: Katherine Hollins, (517) 525-2627 or khollins@michigannature.org
Northern Fern Hike: June 9, 9:30 a.m. Hiawatha Plant Preserve & Scherer Memorial, Mackinac County, near Rockview
Contact: Steve Baker, (231) 238-8723 or steveandsuebaker@gmail.com.
Botanical Hike: June 20, 2 p.m. Beavertail Point, Chippewa County, near Cedarville
Contact: Adrienne Bozic, (517) 331-6381 or abozic@michigannature.org
Botanical Hike: June 24, 2 p.m Keweenaw Shores No. 2, Keweenaw County, near Eagle Harbor Contact: Nancy Leonard, (906) 337-2144 or nancy@einerlei.com
Coastal Wetland Hike: July 11, 10 a.m. Lightfoot Bay, Baraga County, near Skanee Contact: Adrienne Bozic, (517) 331-6381 or abozic@michigannature.org
2012 MNA Photo Contest Enter to Win! MNA wants to see some of Michigan’s best flora, fauna and landscapes through your lens in the second annual MNA Sanctuary Photo Contest. Winners will be featured in our Fall magazine and will appear in a special gallery on the MNA website. All entries must be photographs taken at one of MNA’s 170 sanctuaries around the state and must fit one of the three categories: flora and/or fauna, landscapes (any season), or people in nature. To enter: Download and fill out an entry form at www.michigannature.org. Entries must be received by August 1, 2012. michigan nature | Spring 2012
23
Voices | MNA
Q&A
Dave Dempsey
The conservationist and award-winning author talks with MNA about his favorite unique landscapes and what should be done to protect them. What led you to become a conservationist? Growing up in Michigan made me a conservationist. My parents weren’t the outdoorsy type but they took us on plenty of car trips to the U.P. and I fell in love with the woods and with Lake Superior. There was a mystery and grandeur to the U.P. that captured me early. Which conservation efforts are you most passionate about? I’m most passionate about the very line of work that MNA does -- protecting land. I’m glad to have played a small role in Michigan’s Federal Wilderness Law, which turns 25 this year. It protects about 90,000 acres of U.S. forest land. But increasingly we’re seeing more land protection initiatives come from nonprofit groups like MNA, and I think that’s where we should all direct more time and financial contributions.
You mention MNA’s work in your book Ruin & Recovery. Why do you think MNA’s contributions to environmental conservation in Michigan are so important? MNA was the first non-governmental land protection organization in the state. It blazed the way and we can see, touch, and enjoy so many strands of Michigan’s natural tapestry because of MNA. The work MNA has done is simply irreplaceable. I wish I’d had room to chronicle more of MNA’s accomplishments -- perhaps someday in a second edition.
The work MNA has done is simply irreplaceable.... MNA is protecting the soul of Michigan.
Do you have a favorite natural area or landscape in Michigan? I can’t name just one -- allow me to name two. Number one, Nordhouse Dunes along the Lake Michigan shore between Ludington and Manistee. Over seven miles of undeveloped beach. It makes you think of what the entire shoreline looked like a few hundred years ago. A great place for hearing yourself think as well as melting into the landscape and gorgeous sunsets. Number two (and I’m not just saying this because I’m talking to MNA): Estivant Pines. Standing among those giant white pines (and hugging them, if you’d like) should be on everyone’s bucket list. I’m inspired by the fighting spirit and vision of MNA’s Bertha Daubendiek.
24 michigan nature | Spring 2012
“Increasingly we’re seeing more land protection initiatives come from nonprofit groups like MNA.”
In your opinion, what are the greatest threats to Michigan’s rare, threatened and endangered species today? What are some of the actions necessary to address these issues? Invasive plant species probably threaten our native biodiversity as much as anything. We’ve got to stop importing them. I’m not sure a law alone can do that -- we need more education and awareness. I really applaud MNA’s work removing invasives from your preserves.
For those who were not able to attend MNA’s Annual Meeting, what do you think is the most important point to take away from the information you presented? Probably that MNA and others need to do even more education work. We need to instill a conservation ethic in every Michigan citizen. That’s ultimately the only solution to our natural resources crisis. Any final thoughts? MNA is protecting the soul of Michigan. You have a lot to be proud of and a lot to build on. We’re going to need you more and more each year. To read more of MNA’s interview with Dave, visit www.michigannature.org.
Booknotes | MNA A brief guide to noteworthy new books that provide readers with a deeper understanding of Michigan’s landscape.
Geology and Landscape of Michigan’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Vicinity William L. Blewett Wayne State University Press, Softcover Price: $22.95
For geology buffs, William Blewett has written an outstanding guide to the bedrock geology and glacial ecology of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and the surrounding area. Blewett, a professor of geography and earth studies at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, guides readers through the history and natural processes that shaped one of the most spectacular landscapes in the Great Lakes region. The book does assume some basic understanding of geology, but Blewett does a remarkable job of synthesizing and explaining complicated phenomena. Especially helpful is an excellent appendix describing some of the area’s best and most accessible field sites, including Memorial and Olson Falls at MNA’s Twin Falls Nature Sanctuary in Munising. – Garret M. Johnson
Imagining the Forest: Narratives of Michigan and the Upper Midwest John Knott University of Michigan Press, Softcover and e-book Price: $29.95
John Knott, a former English professor at the University of Michigan (and long-time member of MNA) has written a rich cultural and environmental history of Michigan’s forests. Using cultural references that range from Schoolcraft’s early representations of Ojibwa life, “heroic” portrayals of lumbering during the cutover period, the rhetoric of early ecologists to the work of contemporary writers like Jim Harrison, the book explores the shifting narratives and metaphors used by writers, politicians, environmentalists and foresters and how they shape society’s views of one of our most important resources. As an addition to the remarkably thin shelf of books exploring the links between Michigan’s landscape, history and culture, Imagining the Forest is well worth reading. - GMJ
The Kirtland’s Warbler: The Story of a Bird’s Fight Against Extinction and the People Who Saved It William Rapai University of Michigan Press, Hardcover and e-book Price: $24.95
Active birder and award-winning reporter William Rapai has written a wonderful book on the recovery of the Kirtland’s warbler. Scientists estimate that this small bird, dependent on the remaining Jack Pine forests of northern Michigan and its wintering grounds in the Bahamas, has been a distinct species for nearly 2 million years. But back in the 1970s and 1980s the Kirtland’s warbler flirted with extinction when its total population fell to below 400. Its numbers are now sufficient that the bird soon may be delisted as an endangered species. Rapai gracefully tells the story of the remarkable group of scientists, researchers and volunteers who fought to save the Kirtland’s warbler, including far-sighted work of longtime TNC scientist and MNA member Dave Ewert. Highly recommended. - GMJ michigan nature | Spring 2012
25
Legacies | MNA
Remembering MNA Supporter Ed Voss by Alex Paris
D
r. Edward G. Voss, roaming botanist, inspiring professor, and long-time MNA member, died in his Ann Arbor home on February 12, 2012. He dedicated his life to the identification and categorization of vascular plants, which is embodied by his award-winning, three-volume guide entitled Michigan Flora.
The University of Michigan would go on to serve as Ed’s professional home for decades. He began teaching field botany at the U. of M. Biological Station
is legendary. “He made the boreal flora come alive,” says former student and current MNA trustee Stan Kuchta. By retirement (during which he continued teaching) Ed had racked up countless accomplishments and was known as a trusted authority in the global botanical community. Ed’s Michigan Flora, a 40-year project involving review of more than 230,000 herbarium specimens, is part of that legacy.
Though born and raised in Ohio, Ed cultivated his botanical interests while in Michigan. Vacationing as a child in Mackinac City, he was Ed was a long-time member and fascinated with the surrounding supporter of MNA. He helped wildlife and began his first explore, identify and inventory a investigations into Michigan’s number of sites that later became ▲Dr. Voss works with students. Photo: University of Michigan natural history. Ed went on to MNA sanctuaries. He also served Herbarium receive a bachelor’s degree in on the boards of the Little Traverse biology from Denison University before even before becoming a professor, and Land Conservancy and The Nature attending the University of Michigan, remained on the faculty until retiring in Conservancy’s Michigan Chapter. He will where he earned a master’s degree in 1996. His lasting impact on his students be remembered, and missed, by many. biology and doctorate in botany.
Memorials and Honorariums In Honor of:
Todd and Dustin Elder by Mary Bieri Stephen M. Kelley by Barbara Kelley Cara and Scott Lee by Lindalee Stocks Ruth Vail by Elizabeth Lacey
In Memory of:
Robert Babcock by Robert and Patricia Dailey by Stanley Burrows by Jonathan and Sally Chappell by Richard and Susan Holth by Jennifer King-Elsner by Martha Stelljes by Dale and Carolann Tremble by Julie Wilson by an Anonymous Donor Inge Basler by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum William Brown by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum John Burns by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum
Darlene A. Dover by Dr. Joseph James Margaret Ekstrom by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Jeanne Elsholz by Patricia Burden by Joseph and MaryAnn Dietlin by Edward and Gloria Elsholz by Janet Fox by Margery Guinther by Joyce Holmes by Maxine Kiehler by Mary Patrick by Sherry Schultz James Fitzgerald by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Lillian Friedman by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Margaret Gersell by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Esther Gordy Edwards by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Winifred Gravel by Marjorie Kohler Marvin Graves by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Doryce Hinman by Sue Welch
September 1, 2011 - March 1, 2012 Richard and Mildred Holem by Doug and Mary Holem Kenneth Jessen by Sue Welch Dr. Dommen Joseph by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Janice Kaczor by Michael Fitzpatrick and Sue Fortuna Frank B. Kerr by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Pauline Madar by Barbara Kelley Phyllis Markiewicz by Hans and Marilyn Lee Brenda McLandress by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Patricia Moran by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Matthew Nitz by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Raymond Peterson Sr. by Ruth Baker Mollie Rentz by Barbara Kelley Renee Rochlin by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum
Jim Rooks by Thomas and Judith Knox Ruth and Art Sercombe by Elizabeth Kausch by Sarah Sercombe Ruth and Clarence Sharpe by David and Jeannette Sharp Florence Sriph-Struble by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Lee Syckle by an Anonymous Donor Milton Taylor by Elinor Taylor Curtis Vail by Linda and John Harris Steven Victor by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Bradley Wayburn by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Jeannette Wheatly by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum Frank Woods by an Anonymous Donor Ruth Zidek by Dr. Joseph James by Dr. Lewis Rosenbaum
Some gifts last a lifetime. For some, that is just a beginning. By including MNA in your will or estate plans, you leave a lasting legacy for future generations. You can make a planned gift by: • Remembering MNA in your will or estate plan • Creating a life-income gift through a charitable annuity • Donating your home, farm or undeveloped land to MNA For more information, please contact Garret Johnson at (866) 223-2231 or gjohnson@michigannature.org. If you have already included MNA in your will or estate plan, please let us know so we can thank you.
Photo by Jason Steel
www.michigannature.org Address Service Requested
Become a member of the Michigan Nature Association to receive Michigan Nature magazine in the mail! Visit www.michigannature.org to learn more.
Help Us Meet the “60 for 60 Challenge” For 2012, the J.A. Woollam Foundation will match all donations to MNA greater than $500 In honor of MNA’s 60th anniversary, the J.A. Woollam Foundation has pledged to match any donation to MNA greater than $500, up to a maximum of $60,000.
60 for 60?
Your gift of $500 or more will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling the impact of your gift. All donations must be received by December 31, 2012 to be eligible. Use the enclosed envelope, make an online donation at the MNA website, or contact the office at (866) 223-2231. Help us make 2012 a year to remember!
The “60 for 60 Challenge”: Raise $60,000 in honor of 60 years