Garlic mustard is a biennial flowering plant which grows low to the ground in the first year and then flowers in the second year. During the second year, garlic mustard will develop white flowers and grow up to 2 or 3 feet tall with the ability to disperse numerous seeds by wind and water.

​​“With folks spending a little more time at home this spring has inspired to create the Stay Home Garlic Mustard Pull where residents of our community can take a little time to help eradicate this unwanted plant from their yards” commented Elan Lipschitz, Director of Land Protection.
 
“We are all in this together to help improve our local environment and working together we can have an impact on controlling this unwanted plant from our backyards and neighborhoods” commented Lipschitz.

It's important to bag these plants in trash bags and leave in the sun to fully kill the plant. Garlic Mustard has the ability to continue to grow and seed even out of the soil!  ​

While I do enjoy the extra minutes in bed and conducting work in the comfort of my home, but like many, this new normalcy has certainly required more mental decompression and some much-needed fresh air. Living on the east side of Bay City there are a few nearby spots that I’ve visited.

The first being the park across the street from my house. The sidewalk square surrounding it measures out to be about a third of a mile. When it’s fairly warm or the sun is shining I like to walk or jog a few laps around the square. A few weeks back, one of the neighboring families made a sidewalk chalk display that featured some positive messages. I appreciate having this public space literally outside my door and well taken care of by the city and my neighborhood.

​Early on in the Stay Home order, I visited the Golson Nature Area which is owned and primarily maintained by the city with consulting and invasive removal in partnership with the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy. The nature area is a little over 40-acres with trails surrounding a large wetland area. This space is a hidden gem in Bay City, not many locals realize its existence. I may however be biased as this space has personal significance with it being the sight where I had my wedding photos captured last fall!

As Preserve and Volunteer Manager my job is working outdoors ensuring trails are safe and improving the habitat that surrounds those trails. The stay home to stay safe order came when spring was awakening, and it’s the time of year where my job gets to the exciting part putting the plans we’ve been thinking and writing out all winter in action and seeing the results. For the safety of the community, I happily work from home and I was thrilled to see outdoor recreation was still okay as long as we remain a safe distance from people outside our home; there are natural areas in the country that have become so crowded they needed to be shut down. Mid-Michigan is lucky to have a huge variety of natural spaces that even if one place has a full parking lot there is another spot nearby that we can explore and enjoy the sounds of spring.

I live in Mount Pleasant so I am unable to enjoy Little Forks’ trails but let’s face if I were to live closer I would totally be caught working and really when you work in nature it’s hard to stop thinking about ways to improve an area while out walking around. Mount Pleasant is home to a wide array of natural spaces from the paved network of trails in the city parks to the rustic trails in County parks and Chippewa Watershed Conservancy preserve; I am taking the time to enjoy them all! ​

​Deerfield Nature Park is managed by Isabella county west of Mount Pleasant is 591 acres with 8 miles of trail with Chippewa River flowing through it. It is a great spot for a day hike and large enough to walk without constantly running into other users. My dog, Lola, loves walking here with all the smells, briefly running into the water before realizing how cold it is still and meeting some other pups on the trail!

​Chippewa Watershed Conservancy has 8 preserve with established trails open to the public. My two favorites are Sylvan Solace and Bundy Hill. Sylvan Solace has beautiful views of Chippewa River and great spaces for birding. Bundy Hill is the highest point in Isabella County just ¼ mile above sea level. Walking up the hill side has very neat ridges and rock formations. 

​I am lucky to live a stone’s throw away from the Mount Pleasant city parks that follow along the Chippewa River with the trail named Gregory K. Baderschneider Riverwalk Trail; it stretches from Pickard Rd better known in Midland as M-20 all the way almost to Broomfield Rd which for those unfamiliar is the southern road for CMU campus. I can simple walk out my door and walk the length of Mount Pleasant! This area is utilized for our daily walks with our dog and sometimes our cat!  

Stay Healthy. Be Safe. Explore Nearby!

Sara Huetteman
Preserves & Volunteers Manager

​On some mornings, I head towards the Tittabawassee River and explore Dahlia Hill which has a nice view from atop the hill and you can glance in the windows at the wonderful artwork. From there, I walk along the Pere Marquette Rail Trail to visit the new overlook in Upper Emerson Park. Then I head downstream along the the river crossing Currie Bridge entering Chippewassee Park and setting foot on the Tridge. There are so many wonderful areas to explore within the City of Midland. That being said, I still enjoy visiting out nature preserves, but trying to limit my travels has opened up a whole new perspective on what nature abounds staying close to home. 

Elan Lipschitz
Director of Land Conservation

During these past few weeks, I have been trying to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors while practicing social distancing. Being stuck inside all day can really take a toll on a person and I feel like it is important to take a break every once and awhile, stretch your legs, and get some fresh air. I have visited Little Forks’ Riverview preserve a few times recently since it is close to where I live. At Riverview, I enjoy walking the trail along the river, it has a great view (hence the name). My dog loves going for walks there. She did not, however, love the bath that she got afterward since she was so muddy. Some of the trails are still pretty wet so I would recommend boots or waterproof shoes if visiting that preserve. 

The other day, I visited the Chippewa Nature Center, which is only a few miles away from my house. I was walking across a boardwalk on the rustic River Point Trail when I spooked a herd of deer. There were quite a few deer that were not very far away from me. They must have heard or smelled me as I was coming towards them. I had no idea that the deer were there until they started to run away. It was a nice surprise, they didn’t seem too scared of me and took their time jogging away. One of my favorite parts about being in nature is getting to see wildlife. I find animals extremely interesting; I enjoy learning about them and their environments.

​I have also been going on adventures in my own backyard and exploring our property. My family has lots of woods, trails, and ponds on our land. The other day it was sunny, beautiful, and got up to 60 degrees. My sister and I took advantage of the nice weather and went on nature walk out back behind our house. We could hear frogs making noises all around us as we walked. When we would come up to a pond the frogs could be seen jumping or swimming away. We spent some time catching a few and releasing them back into the water. There were also a few areas where we found large amounts of frog eggs. We did not see any tadpoles, but very soon the ponds will be filled with hundreds of them. I really have enjoyed spending some extra time outside lately. During my AmeriCorps service, I look forward to exploring all the preserves that Little Forks has to offer and getting to visit other natural areas nearby. Nature is incredible and has so much to offer; which is why we need to do our part and take care of it. 

Shelby Cain
Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member

Andrea has also been the force behind Andrea's Field Studies, a Little Forks Conservancy web series focusing on nature, outdoors, mental health, and wildlife! Checkout the full series on our YouTube channel!