Reconnecting with and Revitalizing a University-Owned Wetland: Celebrating the First 50 Years, and Planning for the Next 50

Description: The St. Pierre Wetland is a University of Michigan field property that has been underutilized for its mission of research and education for much of the past 50 years. Its high-quality prairie fen is currently threatened by several invasive plants. Without management, the site will lose biodiversity and ecosystem function value in the watershed, as well as its value for study. We developed an adaptive management plan toward site restoration and strategic engagement with both U-M and external parties. We will share our ecological assessment methods and results, as well as the development of a spatial prioritization model to guide management. We’ll also discuss the balance of learning from small-scale experimental glossy buckthorn removal, while also implementing large-scale invasives management. Spending numerous hours in such a unique and valuable ecosystem has given our project team a deep appreciation for St. Pierre Wetland and we hope to share that passion.

Presenters: The UM SEAS Master’s Capstone Project Team is comprised of Alex Hamilton, Jason Krick, Katherine Meono, Gwynne Powell, Molly Russell, and Emily Schultheis