Due to a recent change in the way email programs on the internet determine what’s spam, some of our nature club members did not receive the March MCNC newsletter in their Inboxes. Instead it went directly to their Spam folders.
At our March 13 meeting Ric Pedler and Beth Miller explained the revised plan for using the $10,000 bequeathed to our club by the late George Wickstrom. The original plan included a bridge over the ditch west of the Wickstrom area which would have violated wording in an emergency plan for the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center (MCRRC, formerly the Muskegon Wastewater System). Anita Friend of the MCRRC walked Beth and Ric around the Wickstrom acreage on Feb. 12, 2024.
This land is east and northeast of the MCRRC headquarters. It extends north to White Road and east to the Muskegon Michigan Area Rocket (MMAR) property, is relatively level, and includes grassland and a woodlot. Access will be from the MCRRC headquarters parking lot.
The George Wickstrom Trail will connect with the existing John Helstrom Trail. Creating the trail itself (including a safety barrier around the south end of the ditch) and placing signage (a large sign at the trailhead about George Wickstrom and a few "George Wickstrom Trail" signs along the way) will be provided by the MCRRC and paid for by the bequeathment. If there are remaining funds, they will be used toward construction of a Chimney Swift tower on the property (the balance of which would probably be provided by our club, but would need another membership vote).
March 13
Winter Meeting
Norton Library 11:00 a.m.
A key item of business will be our project at the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center dedicated to George Wickstrom. The latest details regarding access to the area, connection to existing trails, signage, etc. will be presented, discussed, and voted upon. We'll post details afterward on this page.
The Norton Branch of the Muskegon Area District Library is at 705 Seminole Road in Norton Shores. The meeting will begin Wednesday morning, March 13, at 11:00 and last about an hour. We hope to see you there.
March 16
Black Lake Park
Field Trip
Meet at 9:00 Saturday morning in the Black Lake Park parking lot on the west side of Wood Road 3/4 of a mile south of Pontaluna Road.
We will bird that area first before beginnihg a casual walk around the park. With this winter/spring season as crazy as it's been, who knows what birds we might see!
The trip will end around noon. Hope you can make it.
March 19 Program
Education and Restoration at O.D.C.
Jamie Krupka and Tanner Bricker
Jamie Krupka and Tanner Bricker will present this program about the Outdoor Discovery Center’s outdoor education and ecological restoration efforts over the last few years. The Outdoor Discovery Center Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to advancing outdoor education and conservation in West Michigan.
The Outdoor Discovery Center began in 1999 through a partnership between Wildlife Unlimited of Allegan and Ottawa Counties, Inc. and the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD). In the past 20+ years, the ODC Network has transformed from a small nature preserve into a multi- faceted organization that preserves and manages over 2,000 acres of natural area, operates three nature-based preschools, includes an explorer network that features guided trips across the globe, and does much more.
In this presentation you will learn more about ODC's outdoor education and ecological restoration impacts in recent years. Jamie will highlight outdoor education efforts for the first half of the program, and Tanner will explore some of ODC Conservation Services grassland/meadow restoration projects throughout the community during the second half.
Jamie Krupka is the Chief of Interpretation for the ODC Network. He holds a BS in Environmental Biology from the University of Dayton. In 2003, he joined the ODC as its first naturalist and has seen the organization grow from a small non-profit to a thriving regional entity. His job today includes sharing the outward message of the organization through trained naturalist staff, engaging educational signage and high-quality customer service. Jamie is a birder who is always watching and listening to the world around him. He enjoys taking pictures of animals, flowers and landscapes and traveling with his wife and kids.
Tanner Bricker is the Conservation Services Director for the ODC Network. He studied Natural Resources at Central Michigan University. Tanner first joined the ODC conservation team in 2017 as an Invasive Species Technician. His role today involves managing the ODC Conservation Services business line which specializes in natural area management, ecological restoration, and invasive species management. Tanner is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hiking, kayaking, and golfing in his free time.
Social time begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Loutit Library, 407 Columbus Avenue, Grand Haven. The program runs from 6:30-8:00. We hope you can join us!