Field Trip Saturday September 21, rain date is September 28. If the field trip is postponed, it will be posted on the HVC webpage in the morning by 11:00. http://www.michbotclub.org/huron-valley-chapter
A visit to the Waterloo SRA "Glenn Fen" led by Sheila Bourgoin
11001-11303 Glenn Rd
Grass Lake, MI 49240
42.312531, -84.209198
2:00-4:00 pm
Meet at parking area on the southwest corner of Mt. Hope and Glenn Road. We will walk down the road about a third of a mile and enter the fen at the small parking area on Mt. Hope road, and walk in through the Pinckney Waterloo Trail. If mobility is a problem, there are two or three spaces in the parking area on Mt. Hope Road and we can carpool to there from the Glenn Road lot. We will walk about 1000 feet along the Pinckney Waterloo trail then across a grassy area into the fen.
Once we enter the fen, we will settle into a prime area of fen vegetation. Bring something waterproof to sit on. You are also invited to bring notebooks, cameras, drawing materials, binoculars, field guides and snacks to share as we will spend some time just sitting and enjoying the beautiful fen.
Waterproof footwear is recommended, but shoes that can get damp will also work. Most of the trip will be on easy level ground and there will be some optional exploration through wetter, uneven ground.
About the location:
This area is know as the "Glenn Fen" and the "Mt. Hope Road Fen". It encompasses roughly a square mile of land, although we explore the central section with the greatest variety of fen indicators such as Genanopis Andrewseii, Solidago species, Cirsium muticum, Dasiphora fruticosa (shrubby cinquefoil). We will enjoy the color, learn diagnostic features of the Solidago species, identify the grasses and sedges of the area where we will rest and talk about the interaction of geology and ground water. For those with an interest in exploring, there is an area of tamaracks and pitcher plants near by (watch out for poison sumac), a wetter area with native phragmites and a small section of a drier prairie remnant. Plant lists from surveys of the fen will be available.
From Chelsea/Ann Arbor, take 94 West and travel 9 miles from the M52/I94 intersection to the Mount Hope Exit (Exit 150) and turn right onto Mt. Hope Road. Drive 2 miles north to Glenn Road. You will see a sign for the Waterloo Hunt Club on the corner. Turn right onto Glenn Road and the parking area is within 25 feet of the corner.