Guided Hike and Update on the Health of Michigan's Trees
Online/Virtual
Guided Hike and Update on the Health of Michigan?s Trees
Emerald Ash Borer Photo: Eric R. Day, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org
Description: Emerald ash borer, oak wilt, hemlock wooly adelgid?how serious are these threats to our beloved Michigan forests and what can we do about it? Join us as we hike through an oak wilt infestation and learn about tree health.
Meet in the parking lot of the Wittenbach Wege Center.
Presenter: Nick Sanchez, Kent Conservation District Forester
Nick Sanchez with his insect trap
Biography: Nick Sanchez is the Conservation District Forester covering Montcalm, Kent and Ionia Counties. He received his bachelor's degree in Forestry from MSU. He lives in Grand Rapids and enjoys hiking and camping.
Hemlock Wooly Adelgid Photo: Elizabeth Willhite, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
About Wege Foundation Natural Area: Located just outside of Lowell, adjacent to Lowell High School and the Wittenbach/Wege Environmental Center, this preserve is often used as an outdoor classroom by Lowell-area students and nature enthusiasts. Hiking trails wind through mixed hardwood forests, cross over a trout stream, and wander through old farm pastures.
A well-established system of trails leads hikers through diverse habitats, including mature hardwood forests, young mixed woodlands, and old fields undergoing restoration.
The Wege Natural Area protects high-quality natural land in an area dominated by suburban and agricultural land uses. The hardwood swamp and shrub-carr wetlands on the property are particularly diverse, together supporting more than 100 native plant species and an abundance of wildlife. Those areas also protect water quality along a half-mile of Lee Creek, a groundwater-fed trout stream that flows into the Grand River. The Land Conservancy?with the help of many volunteers?is also working to limit the impacts of invasive species on the highest quality forests and wetlands on the preserve.
Banner photo: Oak Wilt, Paul A. Mistretta, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org