Headwaters Spring 2023 Newsletter

Board

HEADWATERS 2023 Staff &

Staff

Julie Rubsam

Executive Director

Dianne Farner Deputy Director

Joy Mittig Stewardship Manager

Susanna Glass Land Protection Specialist

AmeriCorps Member

Ivy Obuchowski Outreach and Stewardship Ambassador

Board of

Directors

Frank Ruswick Chairperson

Virginia Pierce Vice Chairperson

Robb Smith Treasurer

Martha Eberly Secretary

David Bowman

John Dallas

Elaine Gottschalk

Thomas Schupbach

Erik Snyder

Jim Supina

Jeffrey Twyman

Brittany VanderWall

Letter from the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Spring. The word alone assaults my senses with images of green, the feel of sunshine, the smell that comes after a gentle rain, the sounds of birdsong, and the taste of tart apples.

Spring may come to our part of Michigan a little later than many other places, but it has finally arrived. The evidence is all around us. Swollen tree buds, forest floors covered in the spotted leaves of the trout lily, and the return of vernal pools to our landscape.

HeadWaters recently hosted a vernal pool event in the Pigeon River State Forest. A group of us put on our muck boots and waders, gathered nets, buckets, and magnifying glasses and set off in search of these evanescent aquatic ecosystems. We found fairy shrimp, wood frogs, and spotted salamanders. These three species require vernal pools for at least part of their life cycle.

In addition to providing habitat for the over 500 animal species which have been found in vernal pools here in northeastern Michigan, these shallow pools quietly fulfill a number of very important functions such as flood control, water purification, and carbon sequestration. Their quiet but important work reminds me that our ‘quiet work’ of making connections, submitting grants, writing management plans, creating conservation easement documents, etc. is important and makes our ‘loud’ work of protecting, restoring our Michigan landscape and educational engagement with our community possible.

While the world around us is waking up, HeadWaters is kicking our stewardship activities into high gear. Across our preserves, we are planting trees, maintaining, and

installing trails, putting up signs, building a boardwalk, picking up rubbish, removing invasives, completing biological inventories, and more.

As many individuals return to their properties “Up North”, the number of phone calls and emails we are receiving from people interested in protecting their lands is increasing. Opportunities are popping up across our service area. Thanks to your support, staff and volunteers will be very busy this year. While we are looking ahead to projects and opportunities for 2023, I want to take a moment to remark on some of our 2022 achievements. In 2022, the organization completed 3 new conservation easements, received 3 donations of land, and expanded an existing conservation easement. We installed four new preserve entrance signs at Hess, Luneack, Big Lake, and Dault Nature Preserves. HeadWaters expanded our conservation work to include land protection in every one of our 11 counties, acquired our first work vehicle, and expanded our trail system at Luneack Nature Preserve. I have immense gratitude to all of you for helping make 2022 such a success and setting 2023 to be just as amazing. Our Michigan landscape would not be the same without you.

I hope you can join us for our upcoming Annual Meeting where we will share more about our accomplishments from 2022 and our vision for 2023.

From a Particular Place

BY FRANK RUSWICK, BOARD CHAIRPERSON

I’ve been thinking of energy lately. The sources, production, and distribution of energy are, of course, central to our society, economy and indeed culture. These are all much in the news as we transition to renewable energy sources and less hydrocarbonbased transportation systems.

However, the energy that’s been on my mind is of a different sort: It is the personal and collective energy that characterizes an organization, specifically the increased energy I’ve observed around the HeadWaters Land Conservancy.

Perhaps this is most noticeable among staff, Deputy Director, Dianne Farner, has been tremendously successful in acquiring grants for nature preserve stewardship activities, and our summer youth outreach program. Joy Mittig, our new Stewardship Manager, is in the process of installing trails at two preserves while also developing updated preserve management plans. Our new Land Protection Specialist, Susanna Glass, is reaching out to potential Conservation Easement (CE) donors and helping existing CE owners connect with the natural features of their property

through citizen science. Ivy Obuchowski, our AmeriCorps member, is coordinating volunteer activities on our preserves and enhancing our community outreach by designing a Junior Naturalist activity booklet. Executive Director, Julie Rubsam, has been making new contacts among community leaders in the Alpena area and with the Chambers of Commerce in Gaylord, Grayling and Rogers City. All of this is but a taste of what staff is accomplishing.

From a personal perspective, I see the Board of Directors’ contribution. Three new members joined our Board in April: Elaine Gottschalk brings increased financial acumen to the board. David Bowman has a wealth of organizational leadership expertise. Erik Snyder is already helping with on-theground project planning on HeadWaters’ Preserves. You will read more about their skills and background in the following pages. All Board Committees are active: The Development Committee, chaired by John Dallas, is diligently improving our financial foundation. The Lands Committee, chaired by Tom Schupbach, has a full agenda considering new CEs and adding to our preserves. The Governance Committee, chaired by Brittany VanderWall, is beginning work on tools

to improve our Board and overseeing the development of Standards and Practices governing HeadWaters’ operations. The Finance Committee, chaired by Robb Smith is carefully monitoring our income and expenses. Stalwart Board members Jim Supina, Virginia Pierce, and Martha Eberly are all serving on committees. Fundamentally, you, our HeadWaters’ members, are fueling this increased level of service to HeadWaters’ mission. Individual volunteers are providing invaluable assistance. For example, Jim Kurbel is completing parcel analysis, training staff on ArcGIS, and helping update preserve maps. Scot Egleston, who has been a land steward volunteer for years, is visiting HWLC preserves to capture drone footage. In recent months,

Welcome NEW BOARD MEMBERS!

Elaine GOTTSCHALK

Elaine Gottschalk is a Commercial Lender with State Savings Bank and is located at the Gaylord office. She has been in banking for 13 years and has experience in retail, mortgage, and commercial banking. She specializes in business management and finance. As a Commercial Lender with a local community bank, Elaine enjoys helping and building relationships with many individuals and business owners in Otsego County and the surrounding areas. She hopes to utilize these connections to increase awareness of HeadWaters Land Conservancy including strengthening membership and volunteer numbers. Her frequent attendance at community events will help aid her in this goal as well. Growing up in northern Michigan, Elaine has a deep-rooted love for nature and has spent many hours enjoying the outdoors. Exploring forests, playing outdoor sports, biking, boating, and camping are just a few of her favorite things to do. She now has the pleasure of sharing this love with her husband, daughter, and three dogs, and they all try to get outside as much as possible. She is looking forward to the summer months, when she can grow a garden and be outdoors a lot more. Elaine is also heavily involved with youth sports and Gaylord Community Schools. She hopes to encourage more of our youth to put additional focus on protecting and restoring beautiful northern Michigan. Elaine is enthusiastic about her role on the HeadWaters board and helping them achieve their mission. With today’s fast-paced society and increased time spent in front of screens, she would like everyone to consider this quote: "Nature is not a place to visit, it is home." Gary Snyder, poet

Dave BOWMAN

Dave Bowman retired as an Army First Sergeant with 22 years active-duty service, currently serving as an Environmental Quality Analyst for Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy in the Air Quality Division. Dave is originally from Atlanta, MI and now lives in the Gaylord area. He has served on the Board of Directors for Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation – Detroit Chapter as the Treasurer, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers State of Michigan Chapter as a Director, and currently serves as a Director and one of the Past-Presidents of Headwaters Chapter Trout Unlimited. Dave is married to Amy Bowman. Together they share a passion for the outdoors and pursue their time camping, climbing, backpacking, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, canoeing, kayaking, trail running, and many other sports. Dave has a passion for conservation of wild places and wild creatures. You can often find him out in the Pigeon River Country or any of the wild places in Northern Michigan. He is a graduate of Providence College with an undergraduate degree in liberal studies and is working on his final project for his graduate degree in environmental management from American Public University.

Erik SNYDER

Erik is a civil engineer working for the Michigan Department of Transportation. In addition to his degree in civil engineering, he also has a Bachelor of Science in surveying. Erik and his spouse, Moe (Madonna), moved to the Gaylord area in 2004. Along with their dog Stella, Erik and Moe have been enjoying life in the north. Erik loves to go backcountry hiking/camping, mountain biking, and being outdoors in the summertime, and curling, snowshoeing, and XC skiing in the winter. Erik is already assisting HeadWaters in planning projects on our preserves. We are grateful for his expertise and guidance on placing trails, locating survey markers, permits, and erosion control. He has past board experience and is serving on HeadWaters’ development and lands committees.

“I'm drawn to nature and wanted to work with an organization that works to preserve it, so that others can experience the enjoyment and feel the same appreciation for, and hopefully connection to, the outdoors that I do.”

-ERIK SNYDER

Stearns Cabin

Conservation Easement

BY SUSANNA GLASS, LAND PROTECTION SPECIALIST

Located in Oscoda County near the beautiful Au Sable River lies our most recent Conservation Easement property, Stearns Cabin. This 67-acre property was bought in the 1940s by Duane and Frances Stearns from the Friendship Hunting Club. When the Stearns initially purchased the land, it was essentially bare and devoid of trees. To reverse this, the Civilian Conservation Corps came in and planted jack and red pines. Now about 70 years later, the property has transformed into a mature jack

THE STEARNS CABIN, 1975

pine barren, with red pine, cherry, aspen, and oak trees as well. Stearns Cabin is now held in a trust by Duane and Frances’s children, who wanted to keep the land intact and preserve their father’s legacy. “I remember that we didn’t have electricity in the cabin when we were children”, says Marv Stearns, one of the Stearns siblings, “We used kerosene lamps and had an outhouse, it was a fun experience.”

A pine barren is a habitat type that is not well known but is very important for many species of plants and animals. It is defined as an area with sandy soils, flat land, and scattered

trees with open areas in between. Some people may look at it as a waste of land, but barrens are actually needed by species like the Kirtland's Warbler, which only nest in young jack pine forests and barrens. Kirtland’s Warblers were one of the first species to be listed as endangered in the US, but they have now been taken off the list due to their great recovery. Maintaining habitats like those found on the Stearns Cabin property will ensure Kirtland’s Warblers continue to thrive and sing on into the future.

In addition, while the property does not border the Au Sable River, it is

THE STEARNS CABIN, 1979

still a valuable buffer for the health of the river’s watershed. The land surrounding rivers, creeks, and lakes has a great impact on the water that eventually ends up in these waterways. Maintaining a zone of native vegetation creates a safeguard against erosion or trash and contaminants entering our water bodies. By donating a conservation easement on the property, the Stearns have ensured that their property will remain natural, beautiful, and contribute to the health of northern Michigan’s landscape.

THE STEARNS CABIN TODAY

Sprucing Up for Spring

TREE PLANTING AND CLEAN-UP AT OTSEGO COUNTY PRESERVES

BY JOY MITTIG, STEWARDSHIP MANAGER

During the last weekend of April through the first

week of May, our staff and hardworking crew of amazing volunteers planted and caged seedlings, cleared trails, removed trash, and trimmed trees at our two preserves in Otsego County: Sturgeon River Nature Preserve and Big Lake Nature Preserve.

We planted a mix of 260 seedlings: tamarack, sugar maple, highbush cranberry, gray dogwood, eastern white pine, winterberry, and pussy willow. This planting was much needed to improve the diversity of

these preserves and create habitat for wildlife and pollinators. These seedlings are champions of restoration; they diversify the blow-down at the Sturgeon River Preserve, add fruit and nectar to ecosystems, and help regulate water levels of flooded areas at Big Lake Nature Preserve.

In addition to the planting, we took advantage of protecting existing seedlings by placing tree protectors around cedar, hemlock, and yew, which can be difficult to recruit past the seedling stage unless protected from grazing herbivores.

Big thank you to the volunteers for making these workdays a success! Your work in the present ensures that we have thriving, healthy, diverse ecosystems at our preserves in the future.

Stewardship in the suburbs: Russ Mawby Signature Service Project

NEW TRAILS Coming Soon!

Two

Lake Avalon’s trails take you through a mixed hardwood forest, with several legacy (around 200 years old) oaks and pines sprinkled throughout the eastern portion of the property. The trails will be relatively flat and easy to hike. Our Lake Avalon Preserve is located just north of Hillman on CR 459, across the road from the DNR’s Avalon Lake boat launch.

Currently, parking for Lake Avalon is restricted to the shoulder of the road, but by mid-summer we will have a parking area within preserve boundaries for a few vehicles. Lake Avalon’s parking lot is set to receive a lovely coat of gravel, thanks to a grant from First Federal Northern Michigan Legacy Foundation.

Porcupine Run’s trail system meanders with the beautiful topography of this area, taking advantage of scenic views and hills. Porcupine Run is located in Hawks on Lake Nettie Rd. At the moment, there is no parking lot for this preserve; parking is along the shoulder of Lake Nettie Rd.

A big thank you to Erik Snyder, board member and volunteer extraordinaire, for being a part of the trail-making process and trash removal!

UPCOMING PROJECTS AND WORKDAYS ON OUR PRESERVES

The first weekend in June we will be installing a boardwalk at Hess Nature Preserve, our preserve on the shore of Lake Huron. The boardwalk will take visitors across a dune and swale ecosystem out to the the beach. This boardwalk ensures folks can enjoy beautiful places without trampling sensitive areas.

To celebrate the new boardwalk, we will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony and summer solstice celebration at Hess Nature Preserve on June 24th. We would love to see your festive faces as we kick off the summer and celebrate our beautiful natural areas.

Throughout the spring, we will be installing entrance signs at three more preserves: Newly acquired Blackbird Marsh Nature Preserve, located just off US 23 N on Old Long Lake Road, Lake Avalon Nature Preserve, and Porcupine Run Nature Preserve.

Check our calendar for more information about these and other upcoming volunteer opportunities.

HeadWaters is partnering with Huron Pines, Huron Pines AmeriCorps, Otsego Community Foundation, Gaylord Long Term Recovery Group, the City of Gaylord, ReLeaf Michigan and the DTE Foundation to plan and implement the planting of trees on private and public property in the ongoing recovery from the EF-3 tornado which struck Gaylord in May 2022. On Friday, May 19, HeadWaters staff, Huron Pines AmeriCorps members, staff from partnering organizations, and community volunteers were deployed around the city of Gaylord to plant trees and shrubs in an effort to increase climate resiliency, add beautification to the community and restore the tree canopy which was destroyed by the tornado. This event was an AmeriCorps Russ Mawby Signature Service Project, an annual event that tackles an assortment of community needs like park clean-ups, neighborhood beautification projects and trail maintenance.

of our preserves, Lake Avalon and Porcupine Run, are receiving the finishing touches to their new trail systems.

Upcoming Events

JUNE 15, 2023 | 5PM-7PM

Sips with Staff-Rocks & Knapweed

Join HWLC staff for another after work session of discovery. We will be at the Hess Nature Preserve in Presque Isle County to pull invasive knapweed and look at rocks. Meet the staff and bring your favorite beverage!

Hess Nature Preserve

8130 Evergreen Hwy, Rogers City, MI

JUNE 17, 2023 | 10AM-12PM

Annual Meeting

Open to the public, HWLC Annual Meeting. Join us to hear more about our 2022 achievements and our vision for 2023. Following the meeting, we will have a hike at the Sturgeon River Nature Preserve to see our restoration work in progress. Light refreshments will be served.

Jay’s Sporting Goods, Headwaters Room

1151 S Otsego Ave, Gaylord, MI 49735

JUNE 21, 2023 | 1PM-3PM

Forest School: Session 1

It's the first day of summer and we are kicking off Forest School with an afternoon of hikes and observations. Students will get their Forest School journal where they will document their findings during Forest School sessions. This session will center on outdoor safety, Leave no Trace principles and how we interact with nature.

Sturgeon River Nature Preserve 3749 Whitmarsh Rd, Vanderbilt, MI

JUNE 24, 2023 | 6PM-10PM

JUNE 28, 2023 | 1PM – 3PM

Forest School: Session 2

All About Trees! Learn how to identify local tree species, how trees grow, and how they exist together with animals and other plants to create specific ecosystems

Big Lake Nature Preserve 4302 Oley Lake Rd, Gaylord, MI 49735

JULY 12, 2023 | 1PM – 3PM

Forest School: Session 3

Summer Solstice

and Boardwalk Ribbon Cutting Event

Come enjoy the longest day of the year with us! We will be celebrating the grand opening of our new boardwalk at the Hess Nature Preserve. There will be a fire on the beach and friends.

Hess Nature Preserve 8130 Evergreen Hwy, Rogers City, MI

Fire and feed! In this session students will be learning how to build a campfire*, stay safe around fire, and create all-natural bird feeders with pinecones, melted lard, and bird seed.

*Only staff will be lighting and tending fire.

Big Lake Nature Preserve 4302 Oley Lake Rd, Gaylord, MI 49735

JULY 19, 2022 | 1PM – 3PM

Forest School: Session 4

This session is for the birds! North Sky Raptors will be attending with their educational birds to teach this session. Forest Schoolers will get to see first-hand the special adaptations raptors use to survive in northern Michigan.

PRC Discovery Center 9984 Twin Lakes Rd, Vanderbilt, MI 49795

JULY 20, 2023 | 5PM-7PM

Sips with Staff-Avalon

It is the heart of the summer, and our new trail is ready to hike! Join us for a trail ribbon cutting at the Lake Avalon Nature Preserve.

Lake Avalon Nature Preserve

18210 N Co Rd 459, Hillman, MI 49746

AUGUST 2, 2023 | 1PM-3PM

Forest School: Session 5

Macroinvertebrates in the river! Learn why they are important to the river ecosystem, how to identify common macroinvertebrates, and how to clean your boots and equipment to help stop the spread of invasive species.

Sturgeon River Nature Preserve 3749 Whitmarsh Rd, Vanderbilt, MI

AUGUST 9, 2023 | 1PM-3PM

Forest School: Session 6

This is our last session of Forest School where we will use all our new skills we have learned to go on an exploration expedition! Forest Schoolers will spend time out in the Sturgeon River Preserve identifying different plants and animals that they see. They will also learn about citizen science and how to contribute to scientific discovery by reporting their findings on iNaturalist!

Sturgeon River Preserve 3749 Whitmarsh Rd, Vanderbilt, MI

The Best Villages in Michigan

BY DIANNE FARNER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR

As mentioned in the Stewardship section, we have a plethora of new projects this year. The support from local community foundations, businesses, and corporations is humbling. They trust our dedication to the process of restoration, environmental education, and preservation in northeastern Michigan communities. Much like children, a nonprofit organization takes a village to raise, and we are proud to be part of many great villages throughout northeastern Michigan. We want to thank all of the organizations and businesses that have funded projects this year. We are ready for an exciting field season!

THE FOLLOWING LIST ARE THE PROJECTS AND THEIR FUNDERS FOR SUMMER 2023.

The Deerfield Computer Associates Fund of the Otsego Community Foundation (OCF) and Otsego Wildlife Legacy Society (OWLS) have funded the summer Forest School series and the Junior Naturalist Program. HWLC has been awarded

$1,500 for this program for local youth.

The OWLS along with Cwik Holly by Golly Fund, Conservation Fund, and Funds for the Community of the Otsego Community Foundation have funded $5,000 for a large restoration and invasive species removal project at the Big Lake and Sturgeon River Nature preserves in Otsego County.

Through the Community Foundation of North Eastern Michigan (CFNEM), the Mr. & Mrs. O.B. Eustis Memorial Fund granted $1,200 for an entrance sign and boot brush at HWLC’s newest nature preserve, Blackbird Marsh, in Alpena County.

First Federal Northern Michigan Legacy Foundation has funded $1,500 towards the installation of trails and a parking area for the Lake Avalon Nature Preserve in Montmorency County.

The Consumer’s Energy Foundation has donated $25,000 towards restoration projects at the Hess Nature Preserve in Presque Isle County and the Sturgeon River Preserve in Otsego County.

HeadWaters

Land Conservancy

110 South Elm Avenue

Gaylord, MI 49735

989-731-0573

www.headwatersconservancy.org

land@headwatersconservancy.org

SAVE the DATES

SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 2023

10AM-12PM

Headwaters Meeting

HeadWaters will return to the Headwaters Meeting Room at Jay’s Sporting Goods in Gaylord for this year's annual meeting. The meeting will take place on Saturday June 17, 2023 from 10AM-12PM. This meeting is open to the public and is free of charge.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2023

Sturgeon Society Event

While it is finally spring in northern Michigan, we are already thinking about our fall Sturgeon Society Event. We will hold our annual Sturgeon Society Event on Saturday October 7, 2023 in Gaylord, MI. Sturgeon Society members who make an annual gift of $1,000 or more, made a lifetime gift of $10,000 or more, have HWLC in their estate plan, or have made a gift of land or conservation easement. Formal invitations will be mailed in September with full event details. We look forward to seeing new and recurring members this fall!