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Informed and Community-Engaged Restoration of St. Pierre Wetland, a University of Michigan Property

Hamburg Township, Michigan
Project Description

 

Site Background

St. Pierre is a 130-acre wetland property managed by the School for Environment and Sustainability on the northern undeveloped shoreline of Bass Lake in Hamburg Township, 14 miles northwest of Ann Arbor. This site was donated in 1975 by Sam and Angeline St. Pierre to be used for teaching and research in fisheries, wetland ecology, stream biology, and other aquatic ecology topics. There are two communities neighboring the site: One on the east side with a canal between the site and the neighborhood and another on the northwest side. Part of the northern part of the property borders a popular biking and walking trail, the Lakelands Trail, which offers open views of St. Pierre Wetland. The landscape surrounding Bass Lake has additional wetlands and waterways, and includes the Huron River Chain of Lakes, a series of nine connected lakes along the main branch of the Huron River.  

In 2017 the Huron River Watershed Council completed an on-site field assessment of the property because an analysis of watershed-level GIS data showed that it likely contained valuable ecosystems. The field assessment found that the parcel includes a pristine prairie fen of very high ecological quality and that overall the wetland scored in the top ten of all wetlands in the watershed. Invasive species are pervasive, however, with cattails, purple loosestrife, and glossy buckthorn encroaching on the north and northwest sides, close to the neighboring developments.

Project Goals

We formed our master’s capstone project team in January 2022 to create a culture of stewardship and trust among stakeholders, uphold the research and education mission of the property, and protect the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the wetland. To inform our recommendations and actions toward these goals, we took three main approaches:

  1. Conduct an assessment of realistic opportunities for engaging both external stakeholders and UM users with St. Pierre Wetland, and implement feasible engagement activities
  2. Increase understanding and awareness of the site using remote sensing data to assess and analyze plant species distributions
  3. Design and implement informed and community-engaged experimental invasive species removal in a way that both meets research and education needs and contributes to site restoration.
Year
2022-2023
Project Status
Past Project
Client Organization
University of Michigan SEAS, Shan-Gri-La HOA, The Stewardship Network
Students Involved

Alice Colville, Liam Connolly, Laura Gumpper, Kimberly Heumann, Rachel Kaufmann, Xu Zhou

SEAS Faculty Advisor
Sheila Schueller
Advisor(s)
Sucila Fernandes, Stephen Brown
Final Report
Full Report PDF Access via Deep Blue
Specializations
Behavior, Education, and Communication
Environmental Policy and Planning
Ecosystem Science and Management
Geospatial Data Sciences
Landscape Architecture

Project Report Chapters & Deliverables

Onoclea Sensibilis, Sensitive Fern

Over the course of this project, we completed deliverables that can be used to create opportunities for education and research at St. Pierre Wetland and to inform engaged restoration of wetlands elsewhere. We investigated and documented the challenges and opportunities of working with a privately-owned university research property, conducted remote sensing analysis of invasive species at the wetland, developed and initiated informed experimental removal of glossy buckthorn via field research workdays, and created an ESRI StoryMap to showcase the features and potential to UM affiliates. 

Introduction to St. Pierre Executive Summary Challenges and Opportunities of a University-Owned Property Using Remote Sensing to Inform Wetland Restoration Experimental Removal of Glossy Buckthorn StoryMap of St. Pierre Wetland Wetlands Educational Flyer
SEAS Properties
Field Workday Appendices
Remote Sensing Appendices
Team member Liam Connolly explaining site ecology and research mission during a field workday

Field Research Workdays

2
Workdays held
10
SEAS community volunteers engaged
24
Experimental subplots created
It was great to get out into the wetland and do some hands-on work with a clear science goal. As a SEAS student, this was one of the only opportunities I had for fieldwork this whole semester! It was a great hands-on wetland and invasive species removal experience... It really was a highlight for me this semester."
Field workday volunteer

Meet the Team

Portrait photo of team member Alice Colville sitting on a boulder and looking over her shoulder in front of a hilly landscape
Alice Colville
M.S. Geospatial Data Science
She/Her/They
acolville@umich.edu

Alice’s interests lie in how the use of geospatial applications can demonstrate the interconnections between Earth’s systems, anthropogenic forces, and climate change. In her work with Ducks Unlimited, she has explored her interests in wetland conservation and environmental stewardship. She intends to pursue a career restoring and protecting coastal ecosystems where she may utilize and translate her knowledge of freshwater and marine environments using GIS and Remote Sensing. 

Portrait photo of team member Liam Connolly during a team workday
Liam Connolly
M.S. Ecosystem Science and Management + Environmental Justice
He/Him/His
wmconnol@umich.edu

Liam Connolly is interested in engaging the public in stewardship and restoration efforts. He is preparing to use what he has learned while working with St. Pierre Wetland to inform community-oriented work that cultivates resilience in stakeholder relationships and ecosystem health.

Portrait photo of team member Laura Gumpper
Laura Gumpper
M.S. Ecosystem Science and Management + Geospatial Data Science
She/Her/Hers
lgumpper@umich.edu

Laura worked as an engineer before transitioning to the environmental field. Raised in Metro Detroit, Laura is passionate about environmental stewardship in Southeast Michigan and will serve this community as an Environmental Consultant post-grad. During her M.S., she worked part-time on various projects aimed at conserving and restoring the biological function and beauty of ecosystems and plans to continue this work in her full-time role.

Portrait photo of team member Kim Heumann in a park
Kimberly Heumann
M.S. Behavior, Education, and Communication
She/Her/Hers
kheumann@umich.edu

Kimberly previously earned a Bachelor in Social Work and has pursued learning about topics such as social vulnerability and adaptation in the environment. She has experience in education, restoration, organizational leadership, and community engagement. She is excited to pursue a career in creating connections between groups and individuals and enhancing education and engagement opportunities for the benefit of both people and the planet.

Portrait photo of team member Rachel Kaufman
Rachel Kaufmann
M.S. Environmental Policy and Planning
She/Her/Hers
rskauf@umich.edu

Experiences in teaching, farming, and trail work inform and motivate Rachel’s studies at the University of Michigan. Her focus is land use planning as a tool to protect natural areas and to support affordable, sustainable lifestyles. Upon graduating, Rachel aims to engage public and private landowners to plan and implement strategies for restoring, monitoring, and managing Michigan’s natural communities.

Portrait photo of team member Zhou, Xu wearing a white University of Michigan hat
Xu Zhou
M.L.A. ; M.S. Ecosystem Science and Management
She/Her/Hers
zhouxu@umich.edu

Zhou is passionate about sustainable design and ecological restoration. With a unique skill set in conveying ideas through visual storytelling, Zhou is also eager to delve into the social impact of landscape design, including community engagement and environmental justice. Following graduation, Zhou hopes to pursue a career in science-based design and explore the human-nature relationship as a landscape designer.

Portrait photo of project advisor Sheila Schueller

Sheila Schueller, Project Advisor

Academic Program Specialist at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability

Portrait photo of project client Sucila Fernandes

Sucila Fernandes, Project Client

University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability Building and Facilities Manager

Portrait photo of project client Stephen Brown standing at the wetland during a site work day

Stephen Brown, Project Client

President of the Shan-Gri-La Homeowners' Association

The Stewardship Network Logo

The Stewardship Network

"Headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI, The Stewardship Network (TSN) is an award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a 20-year history of caring for our natural world. Through shared experiences, knowledge, and resources, [they] continue to build an ever larger and more impactful network of place-based collectives (TSN Member Communities) across the Great Lakes and California to do the most important work of our lifetimes."


I'M READY TO APPLYI WANT TO LEARN MORE

IMG_8894.JPG
Photo of a kayak docked at the entrance to the prairie fen at the north side of Bass Lake
IMG_0334.jpg
Photo of team members speaking at the annual Shan-Gri-La HOA meeting
Lake&Fen.JPG
Photo of Bass Lake and the edge of the prairie fen
20220602_115444.jpg
Team members and clients standing in front of the SEAS Facilities truck with kayaks and a canoe loaded in the bed
Fen_Greenery.jpg
A photo of the prairie fen natural community at St. Pierre Wetland
GroupPhotoWithClients_2022.jpg
Group photo of project team and clients at the site from February 2022. From left to right: Spencer Kellum, Stephen Brown, Kris Olsson, Kim Heuman, Rachel Kaufmann, Liam Connolly, Alice Colville, Laura Gumpper, Xu Zhou, and Sheila Schueller
ExperimentalRemoval.JPG
Photo taken of plot work at the first experimental removal workday. Pictured is a student volunteer holding loppers and two team members measuring and recording diameter of cut buckthorn stumps.
seas logo
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability
Dana Building
440 Church Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
(734) 764-6453
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