As this year's land stewardship season comes to an end, the HeadWaters Land Conservancy, a nonprofit conservation organization protecting nine nature preserves throughout northeast Michigan, celebrates two years of restoration efforts at one of its conservation sites: the Luneack Nature Preserve.
Originally donated to the Michigan Nature Association in 2011 by Ken Luneack, this 580-acre stretch of land is home to many ecosystems, including wetlands, waterways, pine barrens, and other savannas. This rich natural preserve supports an abundance of wildlife, including birds, deer, bears, bobcats, and coyotes, according to HeadWaters Land Conservancy.
The trees found in this nature preserve have come under threat from the spongy moth, an invasive moth species originating from Europe and Asia, that feeds on oak trees and defoliates deciduous and conifer trees, per the Cary Institute.
A significant portion of this year's restoration efforts at the Luneack Nature Preserve went toward reviving the area's oak savanna ecosystem. Per a recent Facebook post shared by HeadWaters Land Conservancy, the organization planted "thousands of oak, cedar, and pine saplings," as well as native shrubs like hazelnut and serviceberry, according to Up North Voice.
Volunteers with the HeadWaters Land Conservancy also constructed fencing to go around oak regeneration areas to keep hungry deer away from young trees and vegetation, allowing them to grow into the next generation's canopy trees.
In addition, the organization installed bird, owl, and bat boxes to provide nesting and roosting sites for pollinators, encouraging further regeneration of native flora that supports and feeds local wildlife.
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This restoration project is one of many conservation efforts underway across the country.
A community of volunteer gardeners in Altadena, California, is salvaging and restoring the soil at the Altadena Community Garden — a landmark garden founded by local African American residents — after the Eaton Fire ravaged Southern California earlier this year.
In southwest England, a herd of water buffalo is helping to clear overgrown shrubs and dense vegetation in a critical wetland habitat in Devon.
In Yosemite National Park, the National Park Service collaborated with Indigenous communities to restore wetlands to Ackerson Meadows, the largest meadow in the park that had experienced significant erosion.
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Definitely 👍 Back at the Luneack Nature Preserve, restoration efforts from the past two years hopefully will gain momentum and return to its natural state of being.
"This work helps sustain wildlife and preserve an increasingly rare habitat," said HeadWaters deputy director Dianne Farner, per Up North Voice.
"We needed to act to ensure the next generation can thrive," added HeadWaters executive director Julie Rubsam.
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