The Ile Camera
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Protecting our island
Nature and Land Conservancy is dedicated to the environment
By Melissa Brown, The Ile Camera
PUBLISHED: April 1, 2005
You may have seen the signs, or you may have a membership. But chances are you've benefited from the work of the Nature and Land Conservancy on Grosse Ile.
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The conservancy has planned its goals for this year. The group's defined purpose, according to President Doug Thiel, is to protect the natural resources of the island and to educate island residents about the environment.
"Our ultimate goal is to enhance the quality of life for the Grosse Ile residents," he said.
With approximately 150 memberships, the conservancy is divided up into a committee structure to help organize smaller goals.
The education committee is working on a Web site upgrade to give residents a virtual reality tour of the properties the conservancy owns. The committee also runs "Landscape for Learning," which is a program partnered with the Grosse Ile school district. The program creates outdoor learning centers on the grounds of Grosse Ile schools to help students have a hands-on outdoor education.
"We do a lot of the work through grants and donations from the membership," Thiel said.
The committee also is preparing for community lectures in conjunction with the greenways and open space committee.
When they meet
Meetings of the Nature and Land Conservancy are open to the public and are held at 7:15 p.m. every second Wednesday of the month in Township Hall. The conservancy invites all who are interested to attend their meetings.
The next lecture will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Township Hall. The subject will be the emerald ash borer.
According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture website, the emerald ash borer is an invasive insect species, originally from Asia, which has killed hundreds of ash trees in southeastern Michigan. The lecture presents ideas of how to cope with the species.
Thiel said that other potential lectures include the presence of cougars in southeastern Michigan and landscaping with native species.
The nature area committee, which runs the nature area by the airport, also has many goals for the upcoming year, including the continuation of the "shoreline project," and maintenance of the area. The committee also will continue oversight of area hikes, walks and educational programs.
Last fall, the conservancy made major enhancements of the entrance to the area, and Thiel said the group would continue to make further enhancements in the coming year.
"(We're) planning on erecting an osprey nesting platform," Thiel said, adding that ospreys are a predatory bird native to area.
The conservancy also will work with local Boy Scout troops, install a brand new information kiosk for visitors, with literature on the area and the plant, animal species there.
Thiel said that the group works with different youth groups every year, and this year will be no different.
"Every year one or two Boy Scouts do projects (on Grosse Ile with our assistance), things such as benches, overlooks to view wildlife and blazing new trails," Thiel said.
The conservancy also works with the Stream Team, a Downriver youth conservation organization, to work on various projects.
The group also plans to establish a form to help visitors document what they see in the area.
"(Visitors will) turn it in and we'll develop an inventory of the animals each year," Thiel said.
Rare animals in the area include fox, snake, eagles and ospreys, among others, according to Thiel.
The conservancy also has some special projects on the agenda for the year. The first project, in conjunction with Wayne County, is an attempt to control phragmites, an invasive plant species found in marshes.
"(It's an) aggressive plant, it establishes itself and pushes out all other plant species," Thiel said.
Saturday, the first cutting of phragmites took place and experimental tests were conducted to determine how to control the invasive species.
The conservancy also participates in annual Island Clean Up by working on its own properties.
Thiel said that there has been a membership renewal drop. The membership committee has set a goal of 50 new members for the year. However, Thiel wanted to make a special appeal for previous members to renew their memberships. He added that the conservancy is always looking for young, new members.
Created in 1993, the conservancy holds approximately $2 million in protected lands on the island. Many are marked with signs; however, a significant portion is part of a large tract of land that has been plotted for subdivisions.
It is the conservancy's job to monitor its properties and establish management plans for each property's best use for nature and educational purposes.
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