Waste Management Donates Wetland to Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge

The endangered American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) is one of the features of Consumers Energy's J.R. Whiting Plant in Erie, Michigan. The J.R. Whiting Plant has a cooperative management agreement with the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, and has maintained WHC Wildlife at Work certification since 1991.

“Nationwide, Waste Management has provided more than 17,000 acres of protected habitat for wildlife through partnerships like the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge,” said John Myers, Waste Management’s Compliance and Engineering Manager - Michigan Market Area. Wildlife at Work programs at 49 different Waste Management sites have achieved WHC certification.

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge was established in 2001 along 48 miles of the Detroit River and western Lake Erie, and is one of the few urban refuges in the nation. More than 30 species of waterfowl, 23 species of raptors, 31 species of shorebirds, and 160 species of songbirds are found along or migrate through this corridor. In addition, 117 species of fish are found in or migrate through the Detroit River. The refuge operates in part through cooperative management agreements with private landowners, including WHC-certified sites owned by Consumers Energy and DTE Energy.

Michigan’s Stewardship Network Launches
2009 Garlic Mustard Challenge

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an invasive plant that chokes out native wildflowers by taking their space and sunlight. Each year, volunteers rescue natural areas from this invader by pulling it out and bagging it. (Warning: seeds can mature after the plants are pulled--you do not want this in your compost!)

What is the Garlic Mustard Challenge?
Between mid-April and mid-June, participants report their pulls through the Stewardship Network website and the network keeps a running tally. Organized pulls are held at land conservancies and parks across the area and listed on a searchable events calendar for anybody who wants to attend. Many people simply pull in their own backyards.  Last year participants in the Garlic Mustard Challenge pulled a total of 128,470 pounds.

The Stewardship Network works to protect, restore and manage Michigan's natural lands and waters. The network helps individuals, organizations and businesses manage specific sites through the sharing of ideas, resources, and information.

Scientists Coordinate Research to Benefit
Wildlife in the Lake Huron to Lake Erie Corridor

Are there lake whitefish and lake sturgeon spawning in the St. Clair or Detroit river? How many, and where? Where did these much-diminished natives flourish in the past, and how might we restore bottom habitat and water quality to support them? Those are among questions addressed by the Huron-Erie Corridor Initiative (HEC), a research partnership initiated by the U. S. Geological Survey. Learn more about the research and habitat efforts.

Back