NAPP News
Natural Areas Preservation Program
Total Land Protected: 940
acres
Administered by WCPARC since 2001
Join us in welcoming the newly purchased Kosch Headwaters Preserve to the County’s growing list of NAPP nature preserves. This 160-acre parcel in Superior Township, which includes significant wetland and forest habitats, brings our total protected land to 940 acres. For more information, see the preserve purchase story.
Natural areas management
continues at the Leonard Preserve (located just outside the
Village of Manchester) where prescribed burns on over 65 acres of grassland
and woodland habitats were completed last spring. For 15 of those acres—two
old fields adjacent to riparian forest restoration completed in spring
2005—fire was just one of several steps to establish a prairie habitat. This
fall, the fields will be seeded with native prairie plant species. Come
visit this fall and explore the nature trails (rustic mown trails) that
meander through rolling grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands of the
preserve.
The DeVine Preserve (Scio Township) has also seen a bit of activity over the summer. For his Eagle Scout Project, John Hatch planned and built an 80-foot boardwalk to protect fragile wetland soils where the woodland trail transitions to wetland. WCPARC was pleased and impressed with John’s dedication, level of professionalism and, of course, with the finished product! The boardwalk will be a real asset to the area.
Finally, plans to install a parking area at the Burns-Stokes Preserve (Scio Township) are in the works with an expected completion date sometime late fall. Until then, visitors can park in the Sweepster lot on Zeeb.
