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The Quiet Work of Protecting Dayton Wet Prairie

Posted on October 15, 2025

Down a quiet country road in Bertrand Township lies a place few have seen: 

Dayton Wet Prairie Preserve.

Chikaming Open Lands acquired the 40-acre site from The Nature Conservancy in 2011. Split between two parcels on Curran Road, it is small but ecologically significant — a rare remnant of Michigan’s lost wetlands, shaped by mineral-rich groundwater, seasonal flooding, and fire. With nearly 50% of the state’s original wetlands gone, Dayton Wet Prairie endures.

Within these wetlands, uncommon species still survive — from Michigan lily and fringed gentian to the DeKay’s brown snake and sedge wren. Some are so sensitive, and unfortunately so coveted, that their names are not shared publicly. Their presence makes Dayton Wet Prairie both fragile and among the most important places COL protects.

Pictured: Fringed fentian (left) and Michigan lily (right)

In an ecosystem as rare and delicate as Dayton Wet Prairie, stewardship demands both caution and commitment. The same water that sustains the fen also makes it difficult to manage. With no off-road vehicles allowed, most work is done on foot — or even by drone, as when reed canary grass was treated this year. Each visit is purposeful: monitoring seasonal changes, documenting wildlife, or addressing new challenges.

Pictured: McCoy Creek at Dayton Wet Prairie

Guided by the preserve management plan, first written in 2011 and updated in 2023, COL has steadily restored the prairie through invasive species control, habitat management, and long-term monitoring.

Tackling Invasives

Phragmites: Non-native stands are controlled with herbicide, cutting, and controlled burns to prevent small populations from spreading.
Shrubs: Buckthorn, multiflora rose, and encroaching native dogwoods and willows are cut back, while select shrubs remain along McCoy Creek to stabilize banks.
Thistle and Reed Canary Grass: Targeted spraying gives native grasses, like cordgrass, room to thrive.

Habitat Management

Controlled Burns: Controlled burns reduce woody growth, recycle nutrients, and encourage native plant growth.
Native Seed: Seed collected on-site and spread in restoration zones diversify and strengthen rare species, including native phragmites.

Wildlife

Butterflies: Annual butterfly surveys contribute to the Michigan Butterfly Network’s understanding of population trends.
Reptiles: Regular surveys have found multiple protected species, including at least one rare turtle and two rare snakes.
Birds: Breeding bird surveys with the Berrien Birding Club confirm Dayton Wet Prairie as a birding hotspot, with sightings from sandhill cranes, cedar waxwings, and warblers to bald and golden eagles. Species of special concern, such as the red-shouldered hawk and prothonotary warbler, have also been recorded.

Pictured: controlled burn at Dayton Wet Prairie (left) and COL Conservation Specialist Alex Schrader hand-wicking invasive phragmites (right)

In addition to other management efforts, cleanups and new signage discourage dumping, while previously disturbed areas have been reseeded with native plants. Some results, such as cleared thickets, are immediate. Others are more subtle, like a cedar plank dam that slows water through an old ditch — restoring natural hydrology and helping the ecosystem flourish.

Most people will never visit Dayton Wet Prairie, but its protection benefits all. Its wetlands filter water into McCoy Creek and the St. Joseph River, shelter rare species, and safeguard a piece of Michigan’s pre-settlement landscape that cannot be replaced.

Stewardship here is muddy boots, patient monitoring, and deep respect for the land. This quiet but hopeful work allows rare plants to bloom and clean water to flow.

View the full newsletter here. 

Some of the most important places we protect are the ones you may never see.

Mighty Acorns Returns for 10th Year with New Homeschool Program

Posted on October 14, 2025

COL celebrates a decade of helping students build knowledge, curiosity, and care for the natural world through hands-on learning. 

Chikaming Open Lands (COL) is proud to announce the return of Mighty Acorns for its 10th year of connecting children to nature through hands-on, science-based learning. Since launching Michigan’s very first Mighty Acorns program in partnership with River Valley Schools in 2016, the program has grown to serve New Buffalo and Bridgman schools and now reaches approximately 350 students each year. This fall, COL is excited to expand access even further with the addition of a brand-new Homeschool Mighty Acorns program.
 
Developed by educators, naturalists, and scientists through the Field Museum in Chicago, Mighty Acorns integrates classroom curriculum with outdoor exploration on COL preserves. Aligned with federal education standards, the program gives students in grades 3–5 opportunities to:

• Explore nature through guided field experiences three times a year (fall, winter, spring)
• Reinforce classroom lessons with interactive games
• Participate in stewardship activities such as removing invasive species and building trails
• Develop a personal connection to the land through free exploration

A special legacy of the program remains visible today: the Mighty Oak Loop trail at Robinson Woods Preserve was named in honor of Mighty Acorns students who helped build it.
 
New This Year: Homeschool Mighty Acorns
For the first time, homeschool students will have the opportunity to participate. The pilot program launches this fall with the 3rd-grade curriculum, which focuses on birds. Families will attend one field day each season at a COL preserve. Specific locations and details will be provided to registered participants prior to the start of the program. Registration for Homeschool Mighty Acorns is now open.
 
Applying Knowledge Beyond the Preserve
In addition to the new homeschool offering, COL is also working with select 5th grade classes to expand the program’s reach beyond COL preserves. These students will apply their knowledge to broader, project-based learning opportunities, connecting what they’ve learned about stewardship to real-world applications in their own communities.
 
Planting Seeds for Future Growth
COL is currently seeking funding to offer Mighty Acorns to more school districts in Berrien County, creating more opportunities for children to experience hands-on environmental learning in our community.
 
“Every year, we see how Mighty Acorns sparks curiosity, builds confidence, and creates a sense of ownership among students,” said Grace Fredenburg, Education & Outreach Coordinator at COL. “Watching them grow in their understanding and love for nature, and then apply that knowledge in creative ways, is the most rewarding part of my job. We’re excited to continue building on this momentum and hope to bring the program to even more students in the future.”
 
To learn more, visit www.chikamingopenlands.org/mighty-acorns.

Southwest Michigan's Fall Colors

Posted on October 6, 2025

Fall has officially arrived in Southwest Michigan, bringing with it the beauty of changing leaves. Each year’s mix of sunlight, temperature, and rainfall creates a unique display that influences when colors peak, how vibrant they appear, and how long they last. It’s part of what makes Michigan’s fall season so intriguing and magical.

Why leaves change color:

As days get shorter and sunlight fades, trees stop making chlorophyll - the green pigment that fuels photosynthesis. When that green fades, the yellows and oranges that were hiding underneath start to show. Reds and purples appear when sugars get trapped in the leaves on sunny days and cool nights, creating those brilliant fall hues that we all love! The first trees to change over will be drought-stressed trees, and trees that are near roads or highways that have less soil availability.

How weather affects fall color:

The best fall color happens after a warm, sunny summer followed by cool (but not freezing) nights. How bright the leaves appear and how long the colors last depend on the temperature and moisture levels leading up to and during the time when trees begin losing chlorophyll. Too much rain or drought can dull the display or cause leaves to drop early. A warm, dry fall can also shorten the leaf-peeping season. 

Michigan’s most colorful trees:

🍁 Sugar and red maples – fiery reds, oranges, and yellows
🌳 Aspen and birch – golden yellows across northern forests
🌿 Oaks and hickories – deep reds, rusts, and golds
🍂 Sassafras – rainbow tones from yellow to purple
🌲 Tamarack (larch) – a rare conifer that turns bright yellow before dropping its needles

In a typical year, the first trees to change colors are maples and sassafras, which give us fiery oranges, reds and yellows. The oaks and hickories typically change later in the season.

COL preserves offer some of the best vantage points to take in the colors of fall. Across the prairies, goldenrods fade from bright yellow to soft brown as they dry, while the tree lines beyond offer sweeping views, as the tops of maple trees are some of the first to change a brilliant red. Walking trails through the understory, you can look up through golden sassafras leaves and catch glimpses of sunlight filtering through the canopy. Take some time this fall to get outside and enjoy the beautiful transformation unfolding around you!

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Returns

Posted on October 1, 2025

As summer transitions into fall, Michigan often sees the seasonal appearance of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in white-tailed deer. EHD is a viral disease spread by biting midges, tiny insects that thrive during late summer and early fall. Outbreaks typically subside after the first hard frost kills off the midge population.

Within the last month, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources confirmed the state’s first cases of EHD for 2025 in deer from several southern counties. While small, localized die-offs occur almost every year, these outbreaks can be concerning for hunters, landowners, and anyone who enjoys time outdoors.

What to know about EHD:

• The disease is not transmissible to humans or pets, nor can deer transmit the disease directly to one another. The virus must pass through the insect.
• Venison remains safe to eat if handled and cooked properly, as long as the meat is handled properly and cooked thoroughly. The virus does not infect humans and does not pose a food safety risk.
• Infected deer may appear weak, disoriented, or unafraid of humans, and are often found near water sources. Unfortunately, most deer that contract the virus die within days.
• EHD outbreaks are often localized, meaning one area may see significant losses while nearby areas are unaffected.
• Environmental conditions—such as hot, dry late summers that create more muddy water where midges breed—can increase the likelihood and severity of outbreaks.

Signs of EHD include:

• Weakness, reluctance to move
• Excessive salivation
• High fever
• Decreased fear of people
• Seeking out water to lie in (to cool down)
• Bleeding - including from mouth or in internal organs
• Rapid progression to death (often within 1–2 days after signs appear

Because there is no treatment for EHD, public awareness and monitoring are key. If you encounter a sick or dead deer that you suspect may be affected, please report it to the DNR and the landowner (such as Chikaming Open Lands) if you are at a preserve or park.

For more information about EHD in Michigan and the latest updates from the DNR, or to report a sick deer visit: michigan.gov/ehd

Pictured: Photo taken by Don Ashley of a healthy deer at Grand Beach Marsh Preserve

Invasive Species Alert

Posted on August 15, 2025

Chikaming Open Lands was recently notified by CISMA that two species on Michigan’s Invasive Species Watchlist, parrot feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) and cinnamon vine (Dioscorea polystachya), have been documented in Berrien County. CISMA (Southwest by Southwest Corner Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area) works to protect natural resources in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties from the threat of invasive species.

The sightings, confirmed through the community science platform iNaturalist, were on property not owned by COL but close enough to put our stewardship team on alert.

Why This Matters 

Watchlist species are not yet widespread in Michigan, but they have the potential to cause significant environmental harm if they spread. Early detection is critical, as finding and reporting them early gives us the best chance to stop them before they become established. If you’ve heard about the spotted lanternfly, another species on the state’s watchlist, you know how quickly invasive species can spread and the damage they can cause to plants, trees, and crops. Parrot feather and cinnamon vine may not be as well-known, but they pose serious risks to our waterways and natural areas. 

Parrot Feather is an aquatic plant with bright green, feathery leaves that grow both above and below the water’s surface. Its whorled leaves have 4–6 leaflets each, and stems rise above the water like bottlebrushes. Dense mats of parrot feather can crowd out native plants, disrupt water flow, and reduce habitat for fish and wildlife. 

 Cinnamon Vine is a vigorous climbing vine with bright green, heart-shaped leaves and small, cinnamon-scented flowers. It produces aerial tubers that resemble tiny potatoes, as well as underground tubers, allowing it to spread rapidly. Once established, it can blanket and smother native vegetation. 

What You Can Do 

Invasive species are easiest to manage when they are first introduced, since it is much easier to mange just a few plants, instead of acres of them. Because of this, early detection is key to protecting our resources! CISMA leans on partners, residents, and citizen scientists to help report emerging species, since they see far more of the county than the CISMA ever will. When you spot invasive species, report them using MISIN!

MISIN, the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network, is program through MSU to help identify and map invasive species throughout the area. Using either the website or the phone app, you can report invasive species locations for managers and municipalities. Or, visit the website to look at what has been reported in your area!