The River Raisin Cluster of the Southeast Michigan Stewardship Network Announces Spring and Summer Work Shops

pring is in the air and our thoughts are beginning to turn to the outdoors. As your mind begins to wander among the trees, fields and flowers, the River Raisin Cluster of the Southeast Michigan Stewardship Network would like to offer you the opportunity to join in a great learning experience. If you want to participate in any of these workshops, please respond via e-mail or phone to Sybil Kolon by the Friday before the workshop (skolon@rvlt.org, 734-428-8108) for directions to the site.)

Managing for Woodland Wildflowers and Controlling Invasive Species
Saturday, May 10th, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. — Get a breath of fresh air and learn about the diversity of woodland wild flowers in the watershed. Join us at the Michigan Nature Association's Palmyra site to learn about the dynamics of a woodland ecosystem and help control invasive garlic mustard and dame’s rocket. Local experts Bob Smith and John Freeland will share their knowledge and stories about these early beauties.

A Tale of Two Fens
Saturday, June 7th, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. — Join us for a day of discovering the fens of the River Raisin Watershed. We will explore methods of controlling woody invasive species like buckthorn by cutting and herbiciding. We will have a unique chance to explore two splendid natural areas — the Goose Creek and Liberty Fens. Participants will see the dramatic difference between a site that has been managed for years for local biodiversity and one where management has only recently begun.

Purple Loosestrife Control
Saturday, July 26th, 9:00 a.m. to noon — Visit the Ives Road Fen to tackle that old devil Purple Loosestrife. Learn proven techniques to eradicate this invasive, and enjoy an early summer morning.

More Workshops Being Planned
Recently, groups and individuals from throughout the River Raisin Watershed have banded together to share expertise and network to further enhance protection of natural areas in the region. Groups like the Raisin Valley Land Trust, the Lenawee Conservation District, and The Nature Conservancy are part of this Stewardship Network. Our goal is to teach people how to be better stewards of their land whether a novice or a local expert. We hope to preserve the natural landscape, and work in partnership with nature so that future generations may enjoy the beauty of our landscape and relish our natural heritage.

Towards this goal, we are offering the series of workshops listed above that will teach essential components of stewardship, as well as offer hands-on learning in the field. The first workshop, preparation for a prescribed ecological fire was held in April. Three more are scheduled through July. We hope you will join us, and share your knowledge, questions, and suggestions for future workshops. We are currently planning for our fall workshops and welcome your suggestions of sites and/or topics. If you’d like more information about the Stewardship Network please contact Lisa Brush (lbrush@umich.edu, 734-769-6981).

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