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Photo by E.L. Conley
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Armando Sardanopoli digs in to improve the front entrance of the Nature Area last Saturday. Native wildflowers and prairie grasses will be added to spruce up the entry.
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Spring cleaning is synonymous with the saying, "Out with the old, in with the new."
At the Grosse Ile Nature Area last Saturday, it was out with old and in with the older, or in this case, native.
While some members of the Grosse Ile Nature & Land Conservancy hauled off bags of garbage from the stewarded property east of the airport, others removed the invasive species, which soon will be replaced with the marsh's original inhabitants.
"The biggest task of all was cleaning the south shore to continue the shoreline restoration," conservancy member Barb Leeper said. "The first thing in the restoration is to get rid of the old plants, which are mostly invasive. Then we're going to have planted the native plants."
The two biggest culprits are purple loosestrife and phragmites, which have choked out most indigenous plants.
Removing the invaders is the first step in creating a natural shoreline. The next is securing state and federal grants to finish the project. The new plants will need a solid anchor in which to grow.
Biodegradable mesh tubes will be filled with recycled composted yard waste and emergent seeds of native plants. The "sock" is then placed at the edge of the proposed new shoreline and anchored in place.
Over time, waves will deposit sediment forming a new aquatic shelf.
This method was tried for the first time last year around the southwest part of Gibraltar Bay. There is some growth and certain species seem to be doing well.
Member Fred Pepper said other future plans for the site include a path from the amphitheater to the shoreline and a small fire pit based on a Native American model.
"It has a lot of Native American symbolism," he said. "We're looking for a Scout, maybe working on an Eagle Scout project, to spearhead that."
The pit could be used for Scouting activities or maybe a powwow, Pepper said.
The conservancy also is considering building an artificial osprey nest at the edge of a quarry pond with the aid of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
"We noticed an osprey flying around there last year," Pepper said. "The DNR has built several of them, so we're looking into that once funds become available. Ospreys are fairly rare so we want to attract them if we can."
The cleaning crew also improved the entrance to the nature area off East River Road. A new sign was added last year and soon native flowers and prairie grasses will liven up the entryway.
"It should look very, very pretty once this is done," member Margarete Hasserodt said.
Four young men performing court-mandated community service helped place the boulders and larger stones along the entrance.
"We are very pleased and grateful, we had the fortune that the airport manger allowed the maintenance department to give us the court workers for that day," Hasserodt said.
"I was totally impressed by their willingness to work and once they understood the concept, they went all out by themselves."
In all, about 15 volunteers helped improve the area.
"We're very grateful to all the people that helped," Leeper said. "They keep things going there."
Later this season, the conservancy will add eastern red bud trees next to signs on conservancy property. The trees will make the signs more visible and add color to the island.
"This is our goal this year for Arbor Day," Hasserodt said. "The conservancy was able to find donors for five eastern red bud trees, which we will plant near our five nature and land conservancy signs."
The tree placed at the nature area entrance is a birthday gift to a conservancy board member from her children.
Hasserodt said her grandchildren donated one for her birthday, which will be planted on conservancy property across from Meridian Elementary School.
"Red bud trees are the featured tree by the (National) Arbor Day Foundation this year," she said. "It's one of my favorites because if you notice the red buds have the very early purplish, pinkish flowers along the trunk and branches and they have a wonderful fall color like yellow gold.
"So it's a very early harbinger of spring."
Arbor Day is the last Friday of April in Michigan.
The nature area is open from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and from 1 to 4 p.m. the third Sunday of each month.
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