SMLC Properties in Wayne County

On November 21, 1989, the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy received a donation of 20 acres of wooded land in the City of Taylor. This property was donated by Mrs. Andrea C. Serafin, through her Revocable Trust, and had been previously owned by her mother. Mrs. Serafin wanted to make sure that the land was protected from development so that kids would have a place to explore nature in the urban environment. As development has proceeded in the area, this parcel has truly become an urban oasis. Most of the property is forested wetlands, with some very large trees and a thick understory.

   

The Bell Creek Nature Preserve protects 1/2 mile of river frontage along this major tributary of the Rouge River. The forested property lies entirely within the 100-year floodplain and stretches from Harrison Road to Inkster Road. Trails are maintained by one of the neighbors who serves as a volunteer land steward for the property.

The Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy received a donation of 3 acres of valuable land in Brownstown Township from Lisa Lynn Lee in December of 1991. This parcel is part of a complex of over 600 acres of wet-mesic lakeplain prairie and oak openings, commonly referred to as the Sibley Prairie (located south of Sibley Road, west of Telegraph Road).

The Nature Conservancy documents this site as the largest remaining lakeplain prairie landscape in the Great Lakes region. Lakeplain prairie - the result of an unusual combination of soil and hydrological conditions left over from the shores of a great glacial lake that existed here about 12,000 years ago - is one of the most endangered ecosystem types in the nation. Seven state threatened plant species and seven more species of special concern have been found and documented in the Greater Sibley Prairie Complex. According to historical records, this complex is substantially representative of the landscape of southeast Michigan prior to European settlement.

While this area has not been as heavily damaged over the decades as others from drainage, agriculture, and development, the situation is changing - fast. Now the prairie is under tremendous pressure from suburban development. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has encouraged conservation organizations to acquire more land in this area because of the unusually large number of rare and threatened plant species still found within the complex.

Subsequent to SMLC’s acceptance of this parcel the Michigan Nature Association purchased 5 acres of land a few hundred feet west of the property line, on the east side of the railroad tracks. The Nature Conservancy has also acquired 3 acres adjacent to this parcel. The bulk of the Sibley Prairie is still in private ownership and is threatened by development.

On December 30, 2009, the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy received the Deed to 26-acres in Van Buren Township, near the intersection of Belleville Road and I-94 in western Wayne County.  This is the 5th land protection project that SMLC has completed in Wayne County.

The property is largely forested wetlands and provides a needed stopover site for the many songbirds that migrate through the area. The good quality native forest consists of a variety of trees including Silver Maple, Swamp White Oak, Northern Red Oak, Sycamore, Basswood and American Elm.  These trees support a host of insect species which, in turn, provide critical “fuel” to many Neotropical migrants such as warblers, tanagers, thrushes, grosbeaks, vireos, cuckoos and orioles.  The forest also seems to have good potential habitat for nesting Eastern Screech Owls, Great-horned Owls, Red-tailed Hawks, and Cooper’s Hawks.

A small tributary of the Huron River flows through the site and the Huron River Watershed Council identified the property as a key site to protect through their Bioreserve Project, which identifies and ranks the remaining natural areas within the watershed.

As with all SMLC properties, we will need volunteers to help maintain this preserve. Please notify Stewardship Coordinator Scott Tyrrell at styrrell@smlcland.org if you would be willing to help watch over and care for this property, and keep an eye open for scheduled events in the coming year.