Restoration of Oak Savanna at Hampton Creek Wetland – Gourdneck State Game Area
Don Poppe, DNR Wildlife Biologist
Monday February 26, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
Peoples Church, 1758 10th St. N, Kalamazoo MI 49009, Room 19
(Socializing begins at 6:30)
Gourdneck SGA was a popular collecting site for Clarence Robert Hanes and Florence N. Hanes who authored the “Flora of Kalamazoo County” in 1947. Much of the high-quality natural communities have been lost, but the DNR is working to restore the areas around Vanderbilt Fen and Hampton Creek Fen.
Don will update us on the management history and the DNR’s plans for Oak Savanna complexes adjacent to the Fens. He will also cover the Legacy of Gourdneck including other current and future projects at the State Game Area.
Don Poppe is a Wildlife Biologist at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Southwestern Lower Peninsula Region. He manages Wildlife Populations and State Game Areas in Allegan, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren Counties. He has a MS in Conservation Biology from Central Michigan University and BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Lake Superior State University. He has been with the DNR Wildlife Division since 2014 and in his current position since November of 2017. Prior to 2014 worked for U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
All indoor programs are at the People’s Church, 1758 N 10th St, Kalamazoo, 49009. Socializing begins at 6:30 pm and the programs begin at 7:00 pm. Non-members are always welcome to join us for programs and field trips. Masks are recommended but not required in the church.