Removing Invasive Species with the MDNR
Did you know that the Waterloo State Recreation Area, in Chelsea, Michigan, is home to a rare wetland ecosystem called a prairie fen?
Spicer Group staff members Kevin Wilks, P.E., and Kris Koko, accompanied by Kristin Labert and Jayd Hartwick, spent a beautiful Sunday this past week volunteering with Michigan Department of Natural Resources removing Glossy Buckthorn and other invasive shrubs from this one square mile fen named the Glenn fen.
From left to right, Kristin Labert, Kevin Wilks, P.E., Jayd Hartwick and Kris Koko.
A fen is a type of wetland with groundwater rich in minerals, such as calcium and magnesium carbonate, resulting in an alkaline soil chemistry that sustains a high diversity of plants. With this rich and diverse vegetation, fens are home to a variety of wildlife including American Woodcock, Ruffed Grouse, Cottontail Rabbit, and the endangered Mitchell’s Satyr Butterfly. Unfortunately, Glossy Buckthorn is an invasive shrub that thrives in this ecosystem, overgrowing and choking out other native plants such as nannyberry and dogwood.
A Natural Resource Steward from the MDNR taught the volunteers how to identify and remove the invasive species while leaving other delicate native species. They were pleased to find a native nannyberry plant, which now has a better chance for survival and propagation due to the volunteer’s efforts in removing the invasive buckthorn around it. A big thanks from Spicer Group to the Michigan DNR and Volunteer Stewards for the great work they do protecting our natural resources.
