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Grassland Project
From Meadows to Mosaic: Improving Grasslands for Birds and Butterflies
Orange shaded areas in the map above are where the grassland wildlife habitat areas will be established. The light blue line is the park boundary.
Wildlife habitat improvements are coming to Columbus County Park!
St. Clair County Parks was recently awarded an $80,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to establish over 100 acres of grassland habitat in the northern, eastern, and southern portions of the park. These areas, which are former farm fields, will be converted into songbird and pollinator habitat in the coming months.
Contractors will begin forestry mulching in portions of the park this week to remove woody and invasive shrubs and small trees. During the next few weeks, work areas will be temporarily closed to vehicular and foot traffic and will be marked with flagging, barricades, and/or signs to alert park users.
Forestry mulching is the first step in creating high-quality habitat for native flowers and grasses, as well as the pollinators that rely on them, such as Monarch butterflies. Habitat for songbird species like Grasshopper Sparrow, Henslow’s Sparrow, and Dickcissel will also be created as part of this project.
Additional wildlife expected to benefit from the newly created habitat includes Wild Turkey, White-tailed Deer, and many other species.
For more information on the grassland project at Columbus County Park and how you can get involved, contact Kirsten Lyons at klyons@stclaircounty.org or (810) 989-6317.