Headwaters Land Conservancy Spring 2022 Newsletter

HEADWATERS 2022

Staff & Board Staff

Julie Rubsam

Executive Director

Libby Benjamin Director of Conservation

Dianne Farner

Community Engagement & Development

Rhiannon Erhardt Stewardship Technician

Board of Directors

Frank Ruswick Chairperson

Virginia Pierce Vice Chairperson

Robb Smith Treasurer

Martha Eberly Secretary

William Anderson

John Dallas

Keith Martell

Joyanne Mittig

Thomas Schupbach

Jim Supina

Jeffrey Twyman

Brittany VanderWall

Letter from the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

We are not an island. Although, I admit that with shoreline in almost all directions, it can certainly feel that way. In truth, however, not only is our service area not an island, our organization, HeadWaters Land Conservancy, is also not an island. We are part of a larger conservation community within the state of Michigan, across our county, and around the world.

The earth beneath our feet connects us all and the responsibility of protecting our natural areas is an enormous venture. One, we cannot do alone. It requires thousands of conservation organizations and like-minded individuals working together to protect each precious acre. The successes of each lifts our collective conservation community and deserves to be celebrated by all.

Within days of stepping into my role as the Executive Director of HeadWaters Land Conservancy, numerous representatives from other conservation organizations in Michigan welcomed me. Each of these individuals offered, without hesitation, any assistance within their capabilities to help me, well more specifically, HeadWaters, continue to grow and succeed. And, they have. They have shared knowledge, documents, resources, and more. I am thrilled that we are a part of an amazing group of conservation organizations working together to protect and steward Michigan’s natural areas.

HeadWaters’ service area of 11-counties, 3,893,907.2 acres of Michigan land, is not insignificant. It is a lot of area to cover which is why I was excited to learn there are other conservation organizations working within our boarders. I was especially pleased to meet with Huron Pines and hear about the great work they are doing. With a mission which compliments ours, there is an opportunity for our organizations to work collaboratively to increase our collective impact. There are other organizations with some overlap to our service area and I have been connecting with each to learn about their work and where it might make sense to combine our efforts. As I learn more, it is evident that each group has its own unique focus, a niche area where efforts are focused within overarching

missions and service areas. For me, it brings to mind a living ecosystem where each organism and their physical environment interact to create something so much more than their individual parts.

Together, we are greater. I for one am looking forward to discovering just how great WE will be.

As this issue of Currents was going to print, Gaylord was struck by an EF3 tornado. Thankfully, our staff, headquarters and preserves were not impacted by the storm. However, other parts of our town were not as fortunate. As a new member of this community, I am in awe. We truly are Gaylord Strong! Our small community is responding to this tragedy with an outpouring of support which is being bolstered by immense assistance from outside our community. It will take time for Gaylord to completely recover from this event, but we will indeed rebuild and recover. Much of this recovery will be aided in part by people recognizing we are part of a collective community and by supporting one, we uplift all.

Thank you for being part of our community!

Cover Photo Credit: “Pink Lady Slipper” courtesy of Chad Phelps

Volunteer of the Year

MEET JERRY SMITH

Jerry Smith has been a volunteer for Headwaters since the early 2000s. In that time, he has served as a volunteer land steward, lands committee member, and as a trail and sign aficionado. If you have been at a HWLC work day chances are you have met Jerry.

Jerry’s love of nature began at young age, which led him to receive a degree in Parks and Recreation Administration from Michigan State University. Jerry turned his love of nature into a very successful 27 year career managing several Michigan State Parks. As a Volunteer Land Steward, Jerry has been an active member of HWLC for over 10 years. Jerry resides in Presque Isle County with his wife Linda, both are avid woodworkers. Jerry can often be found working in his wood shop creating one of a kind handcrafted pieces which he showcases in the local Rogers City Domaci Gallery.

“I first got involved with headwaters through Dave Nadolsky. He had been appointed to the board as a rep from Presque Isle Co. and introduced me to the organization and its philosophy. The philosophy meshed with a lot of my values. I volunteer because I believe in the organization. The concept of preserving open space, and preventing fragmentation of the North are critically important. As long as I can contribute to the organization, I will continue to volunteer.”

- JERRY SMITH

Board Updates

NEW BOARD MEMBERS

HEADWATERS WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME JOYANNE MITTIG AND BRITTANY VANDERWALL TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS!

Joyanne (Joy) Mittig is a forester for the American Bird Conservancy, covering 27 counties in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. She operates as a partner employee for the Natural Resource Conservation Service, providing financial and technical forestry assistance to private landowners and land conservancies through outreach and site visits. In addition, Joy regularly gives presentations on the importance of sustainable forestry, and partners with local land conservancies to lead bird watching hikes and assist with workshops. She has been with ABC for a little over a year and is stationed out of the NRCS office in Bellaire. Joy is on the steering committee for “Forestry for

Michigan Birds” a new toolkit designed to help foresters and landowners manage forests with birds in mind, to help address the sharp decline of our forest bird populations. Joy is also on the Human Dimensions subcommittee for the Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation Team and carries out activities related to Kirtland’s Warbler conservation efforts. Joy graduated from Michigan Technological University in 2018 with a B.S. in forestry, and immediately began working with the Michigan DNR as a forest technician and wildland firefighter. During her time with the DNR she recorded forest inventory and conducted timber sales over thousands of acres of state land, as well as performed initial attack on

wildfires, operated and maintained heavy machinery, and performed reforestation activities after harvests. In her free time, Joy likes to go trail running, mountain biking, boating, mushroom hunting, and bird watching. Joy and her husband live on a peaceful 10-acre woodlot with their vegetable garden and 15 chickens.

Brittany VanderWall is the District Forester with the Presque Isle Conservation District which includes Presque Isle and Cheboygan counties. A graduate of Michigan Tech University with a B.S. in forestry and an ecology minor, Brittany is part of a statewide landowner assistance program called

the "Forestry Assistance Program" which was created to help Michigan landowners navigate a wide array of land management options. She spends her days teaching landowners about their woods, hosting public workshops and presentations, conferring with policymakers, and being civically active in the community as a subject matter expert. In her 7-year career, she has personally assisted over 600 landowners with their conservation and management goals. Brittany also helps landowners identify and monitor their risk for invasive forest pests and diseases. In addition, Brittany designed and manages her conservation district website and the Michigan SAF website. Brittany has been particularly active in Tree Farm where she served as State Chair of the

Michigan Tree Farm Committee from 2016-2020. She served as Michigan SAF Vice Chair from 2017-2019 and is an SAF Certified Forester. She has been a member of the American Forest Foundation's Woodland Operating Committee since 2018 - and in 2022 was elected Vice Chair. Also in 2022, Brittany was elected to the American Forest Foundation's Board of Trustees. In 2019 she was named the National Leadership Award winner for her work with the American Tree Farm System and the American Forest Foundation. When she's off the clock, Brittany enjoys performing in the local community theater, long bike rides, playing video games and spending time with her partner Chris and their 2 hairless cats.

A Letter from the New Board Chairperson

BY FRANK RUSWICK, BOARD CHAIRPERSON

As the new Chair of the Headwaters Land Conservancy Board of Directors, I want to highlight two of my emotions. The first is gratitude to our immediate past Chair, James “Jim” Supina. Jim just ended a three-year stint as Chair, his second and the HWLC has enjoyed the benefits of both stability and growth under his leadership. We have acquired 11 conservation easements, and one preserve during his tenure. Staff and budget have increased and we hired a new Executive Director. Jim has served on the Board for over fifteen years and is an important contributor to the Finance and Lands Committees. We look forward to his continued guidance as a Board member.

The second emotion is excitement. I think we are truly poised to flourish more than ever. Our new Executive Director, Julie Rubsam, has hit the ground running with loads of enthusiasm and ideas. Our staff is vastly talented and dedicated. Our presence and reputation in the community is expanding. Our Board combines the experience and wisdom of veterans and the energy and innovation of newer members. In short, I perceive a moment of great blossoming. Indeed, I know that the true source of energy underlying our potential is you: HWLC members. And that brings a confidence that we will indeed flower.

Photo courtesy of Chad Phelps

PRESERVE

SPOTLIGHT

New Preserve Acquisition

BY LIBBY BENJAMIN, DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION

This spring, HWLC has some exciting news to share: we have accepted a 20-acre land donation from the Peng Family, which will soon be open to the public as our newest nature preserve. With the addition of this property, HWLC now owns 7 nature preserves and protects 12,367 acres of land!

The property is located on Lake Nettie Road, just south of County Road 638. The land is hilly and forested; its valleys drain towards Lake Nettie. There is a small wetland complex in the southern portion of the property with tag alder and swamp conifers, home to turtles, frogs, and salamanders, which acts as a filter for spring snowmelt and rain. Preserving this land keeps wildlife habitat intact, and helps maintain the water quality of Lake Nettie and the Ocqueoc River watershed.

Lake Nettie is the largest of the “chain of lakes” that make up the headwaters of the Ocqueoc River. The Ocqueoc River begins south of the village of Millersburg, winding its way north through Presque Isle County before reaching Lake Huron’s Hammond Bay. Preserving natural lands like this property not only protects water resources in the immediate vicinity, but maintains a positive impact downstream as well.

Land and Stewardship Committee members and HWLC staff were excited

to visit the property this spring. The aspen buds were starting to swell but hadn’t yet popped and the forest floor was littered with last fall’s acorns. Wintergreen and pine needles added some green to our late April visit. According to Land and Stewardship Committee chairman Tom Schupbach, “this preserve will be a small local jewel for the Lake Nettie area. The property is twenty acres of mostly rolling glacial hills dominated by middleage oak, pine and aspen. Headwaters Land Conservancy looks forward to establishing a short nature trail within the preserve. It will be a convenient hike to hear the cacophony of morning birds or chorus of spring frogs.”

Stay tuned for events and volunteer opportunities at our newest nature preserve!

“This is an exciting acquisition for me on many levels. This will be a first for me in experiencing land acquisition in my new Michigan home, and the first of what I hope will be many new preserves with Headwaters. I look forward to trails, restoration and outreach events at our newest addition.”

– JULIE RUBSAM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

UPCOMING EVENTS

JUNE 18, 2022 | 12PM – 6PM

Pirate Fest-Gaylord

Headwaters is one of the receiving nonprofits from funds raised by the Gaylord Pirate Fest in 2022. We are looking for volunteers to help out on Saturday, while dressed like a pirate!

Contact Headwaters for more details.

Gaylord, MI

Gaylord Bowling Center

JUNE 18, 2022 | 9AM – 12PM

HeadWaters Land

Conservancy Bioblitz

Headwaters is hosting a bio blitz at our Sturgeon River Nature Preserve. With the use of iNaturalist app, attendees will gather as much information on the preserves biodiversity as possible.

Sturgeon River Preserve 3749 Whitmarsh Rd, Vanderbilt, MI

JULY 8, 2022 | 1PM – 3PM

Forest School Friday

Orienteering and Geocaching

Learn how to navigate with a compass as well as the joy of geocaching with HWLC Executive Director Julie Rubsam. Students and parents will use compasses and deploy a geocache. Compasses and geocache provided. Parents must attend.

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

JULY 15, 2022 | 1PM – 3PM

Forest School Friday

Nature Journaling and Art

Learn about nature journaling and creating art with found objects, hosted by Community Engagement & Development Coordinator Dianne Farner. Students and parents will learn about nature journaling and create art using found materials from nature. Journals provided. Parents must attend.

Sturgeon River Preserve 3749 Whitmarsh Rd, Vanderbilt, MI

JULY 22, 2022 | 1PM – 3PM

Forest School Friday

River Life

Learn about rivers with the HWLC Director of Conservation, Libby Benjamin. Students and parents will learn how to use kick nets, gather river insects and learn about how rivers are important to our ecosystems. Only HWLC staff will be getting into the river. Parents must attend.

Sturgeon River Preserve 3749 Whitmarsh Rd, Vanderbilt, MI

JULY 23, 2022 | 1PM – 3PM

HWLC Birthday Celebration

Join HWLC in celebrating 29 years! We will have snacks and hiking at the Sturgeon River Preserve. We encourage visitors/donors to share why they love and support HWLC via social media as well as the postcard in this issue of Currents. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch, hammocks, fishing poles, and chairs!

Sturgeon River Preserve 3749 Whitmarsh Rd, Vanderbilt, MI

JULY 29, 2022 | 1PM – 3PM

Forest School Friday

Plant and animal ID

Scavenger Hunt

Learn about plant and animal identification with HWLC Stewardship Technician, Rhiannon (Rhi) Erhardt. Students and parents will be given a scavenger hunt for the Sturgeon Preserve. Parents must attend.

Sturgeon River Preserve 3749 Whitmarsh Rd, Vanderbilt, MI

JULY 30, 2022 | 11AM – 1PM

Butterfly Tagging Event MEMBERS ONLY

HWLC will be tagging monarch butterflies for migration and conservation purposes. Contact HWLC to become a member!

AUGUST 10, 2022 | 6PM – 8PM

Mushroom Foray MEMBERS ONLY

Join HWLC Community Engagement & Development Coordinator, Dianne Farner for an intimate evening mushroom foray. Attendees will learn about best foraging practices as well as late summer mushroom identification. Dianne is a MDARD certified wild mushroom identification expert. Contact HWLC to become a member!

AUGUST 13, 2022 | 9:30AM-1PM

9th Annual Hotshots for Headwaters

Join us for a morning of sporting clays for a good cause! Visit our website for more information.

Lewiston Sportsman’s League

AUGUST 27, 2022 | 9AM – 1PM

Pigeon River Country

Mushroom Foray

Join HWLC Community Engagement & Development Coordinator, Dianne Farner for an intimate evening mushroom foray. Attendees will learn about best foraging practices as well as late summer mushroom identification. Dianne is a MDARD certified wild mushroom identification expert.

PRC Discovery Center

9984 Twin Lakes Rd, Vanderbilt, MI 49795

SEPTEMBER 17, 2022 | 11AM – 1PM

Luneack Trail Head

Ribbon Cutting

Join Headwaters in unveiling the Luneack Nature Preserve trail head. HWLC’s newest trail is ready for visitors! Dogs are not allowed on the property.

Kenneth R. Luneack Nature Preserve Perch Lake Rd, Comins, MI

Volunteer WORK UPDATE

BY RHIANNON ERHARDT, STEWARDSHIP TECHNICIAN

DAULT NATURE PRESERVE

On Thursday, April 28th, the entire HeadWaters staff as well as 5 volunteers headed out to Dault Nature Preserve in Presque Isle County to work! We were able to remove garbage and food waste from the roadside, non-native plants, a giant wood plank that had served as a bridge, and three truckloads of yard clippings! The wetland next to the road is free to flow, its native plants like the marsh marigold and pitcher plant will not be smothered or outgrown. Thanks to a grant from the First Federal Legacy Foundation, we were able to pay for the refuse disposal and will also be installing a large preserve sign and a boot brush later in the season.

LUNEACK NATURE PRESERVE

On Saturday, April 30th, staff and volunteers installed a portion of our planned trail system at Luneack Nature Preserve in Oscoda County. With six of us we put together posts for the trail intersections, sunk them in the ground, and cleared some of the new trail system that will be unveiled on September 17, 2022 at the ribbon cutting ceremony. Twenty-five posts with signs were placed on the work day, as well as trees cleared from the trail. New maps have been ordered to be erected at each intersection which will complete the trail project.

STURGEON RIVER PRESERVE

On Friday, May 6th, volunteers met staff at the Sturgeon River Preserve in Otsego County, to help clean the boardwalk, roadside, and trails. We were also able to widen some of the trails which had grown narrow from blow down. Volunteers trimmed overhanging limbs, while staff cleared a few trees that had been in dangerous positions. The Sturgeon Preserve is ready for a summer filled with visitors!

A map of our properties with directions can be found on our website at headwatersconservancy.org/ protected-lands/ you can also search them on Google Maps!

You, Me and the Office Bear Makes Three

BY DIANNE FARNER, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Headwaters works with many wonderful businesses and organizations, to which we owe endless thanks. This spring we relied on them for a game changing operations acquisition. The Otsego Community Foundation suggested “thinking big” for their annual community impact grant, so we thought, extended cab, six foot bed, Ford F-150 big. This was a large ask, as many of you know trucks are a hot item and not so easily obtained especially in a tight time frame. Fortunately, the generous grantors saw value in a work vehicle for our organization. We were awarded $13,000 from the Dr. Patrick J. McNamara Fund of the Otsego Community Foundation! Between board members and the Nerbi’s Sugar Bear Fund we raised the full $20,000 we needed to start conversations with the local Ford dealership. Bill Marsh Ford of Gaylord met with us and immediately set to work finding the perfect truck. They were generous enough to help make our funds stretch by donating the difference between what we could afford and what was best suited for our organization.

A week later we picked up our newto-us work truck, during a late April snow squall, the perfect conditions for a photo opportunity! We took the truck out on its maiden voyage to our Luneack work day later that week. Hauling 30 cedar posts, staff, chainsaws, posthole diggers, shovels, rakes and a wagon was a breeze. We could not have gotten that work done in one day, making one trip, with one vehicle. Having a work vehicle is not just a matter of increasing our capacity, rather a matter of safety for the entire staff. We are incredibly grateful that the local community sees the value in our work and organization.

Thank you to everyone involved in making this “big ask” become a reality. In case anyone saw our Otsego Community Foundation proposal video (on Headwaters YouTube Channel), the office bear will in fact fit in this vehicle!

HeadWaters Land Conservancy

110 South Elm Avenue

Gaylord, MI 49735

989-731-0573

www.headwatersconservancy.org

land@headwatersconservancy.org

Two organizations, ONE JOE

Joe Jarecki is active in many organizations around Otsego County. He is the current Chairman of the Huron Pines Board of Directors as well as an active volunteer and Lands Committee member for Headwaters Land Conservancy. When asked why it is important to support both organizations he offered these insights.

“Both organizations provide opportunities and encourage people to value natural systems but each has a different primary focus for its conservation objectives, both of which we support. Huron Pines’ primary focus is to build coalitions and work with communities to address identified conservation issues/concerns. While HeadWaters Land Conservancy’s primary focus is forever land protection by holding conservation easements and owning preserves. The two organizations complement each other and that’s why we support both.”

-JOE JARECKI