A major environmental effort in southwestern Michigan recently got a boost. The conservation organization Ducks Unlimited (DU) received a grant of $160,000 from the Frey Foundation. The grant will be used to protect and restore valuable habitat through DUs Southeast Lake Michigan Watershed program.
Across Michigan, an intricate network of streams, rivers, lakes, and other wetlands form the watersheds which sustain the Great Lakes, the worlds largest freshwater ecosystem. The Southeast Lake Michigan Watershed has experienced some of the highest rates of wetland and native prairie loss in the state. Agriculture and urban development have resulted in drained wetlands, fragmented forests, and increased sedimentation and nutrient loading in the watersheds lakes and streams. Ducks Unlimited has identified the Muskegon, Grand, and Kalamazoo River watersheds as areas in critical need of wetland and associated upland conservation.
Restoration efforts will include the re-establishment of shallow water wetlands and native grasslands. These restorations may involve the removal of field drainage tile, plugging drainage ditches, building low-level berms, and installing water-control structures to restore the natural hydrology of these degraded wetlands. Native warm-season grasses may be planted adjacent to the restored wetlands to provide nesting cover and to improve water quality.
The Frey Foundation, based in Grand Rapids, is one of Michigans largest family foundations. Grants are provided primarily to non-profit organizations in western Michigan for projects to enhance childrens development, protect natural resources, promote the arts, and expand philanthropic and civic action.
