Thumb Land Conservancy: Gerrits Sanctuary Dedication

TLC Philosophy

The Thumb Land Conservancy (TLC) was formed in 2008 to provide an organization dedicated to filling the gap of natural area preservation in Michigan's Thumb. Although much attention has been given to a few areas near Lake Saint Clair and along Saginaw Bay, the interior of the Thumb has been largely ignored.

There is a general misconception that little is worth saving north of Detroit because of urban development and agriculture. While much of the landscape has been drastically altered, many high quality natural areas remain. Some habitats are nearly pristine, resembling conditions that existed before European settlement about 200 years ago.

Regardless of condition, the extensive destruction makes preservation even more critical in the Thumb. Small, degraded habitat fragments can be restored and expanded, and often serve as isolated havens for rare plant species. We believe all natural landscapes are important locally because they reflect a unique combination of history and features particular to that location. Many benefits of nature are obtained and enjoyed only locally. We believe it is especially important for children to have natural areas nearby where they can play, grow, and learn.

TLC is carrying on a tradition in the Thumb. In 1952, Macomb and Saint Clair Counties were the birthplace of what became the Michigan Nature Association (MNA), the first statewide land preservation group in Michigan. MNA was led for many years by the late Bertha Daubendiek of Kenockee Township in Saint Clair County, and is one of the few organizations that has protected land in the Thumb, with 18 sanctuaries here.

TLC Sanctuaries

Since forming in late 2008, the TLC has acquired three sanctuaries totaling about 68 acres: the 18-acre Dead End Woods Sanctuary in Fort Gratiot Township; the 38.5-acre Gerrits Sanctuary in Ira Township; and the 11.5-acre Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary in Fort Gratiot Township. So far, all TLC preserves are in Saint Clair County only because opportunities have arisen there. Our goal is to eventually protect land in every county of the Thumb.

Please contact the TLC if you are interested in donating land or a conservation easement. The TLC will try to help you protect any land you are interested in.

17.6 Acres in Fort Gratiot Township, Saint Clair County

The Dead End Woods Sanctuary was acquired by TLC from the Saint Clair County Drain Commissioner, Fred Fuller, in December 2008. As a condition for obtaining a wetland permit from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for the Huffman Drain and Bunce Creek drain project, Fred agreed to preserve nearly 12 acres of wetland in the Dead End Woods as mitigation by placing a conservation easement on the property. As mitigation options were being considered, the owner of one of the Dead End Woods parcels approached Fred with an offer to sell the land at a reasonable price. The MDEQ confirmed the presence of a large amount of wetland on the property and found that it is a high quality habitat. Fred then acquired adjacent land with additional wetland to fulfill all of the mitigation for the current phase of the drain project. As a means of satisfying MDEQ requirements for long-term monitoring and stewardship of the wetland, the two Dead End Woods parcels were then transferred to the TLC, relieving the Drain Commissioner from further responsibility for this land.

At 44.5, the Floristic Quality Index calculated for the Dead End Woods ranks well above 35, indicating a natural area of statewide significance. Some higher quality or interesting species that are not routinely encountered in natural areas of the region include Maidenhair Fern, Spikenard, Richweed, Hazelnut, Black Ash, Butternut, Spicebush, Tulip Tree, Cardinal Flower, Indian Pipe, Black Gum, Sycamore, Christmas Fern, Broad-leaved Goldenrod, Foamflower, and Eastern Hemlock.

38.5 Acres in Ira Township, Saint Clair County

On July 16, 2009, the TLC acquired its second nature sanctuary, the Gerrits Sanctuary, a generous donation from Lois Gerrits, the widow of the late Dr. James F. Gerrits. The closing was held at the Law Offices of Timothy J. Lozen, with attorney Anna Kovar and TLC executive board members William Collins and Terry Gill present. Ullenbruch Flowers and Gifts of Port Huron kindly donated a nice bouquet of flowers to express our appreciation to Mrs. Gerrits.

The Gerrits Sanctuary is 38.5 acres of southern mesic and southern swamp forest with old-field to the north. Crapaud Creek flows through the north end of the property, which is located only about ¾ mile north of Anchor Bay and Lake Saint Clair. Such coastal habitat is critical for migratory birds and insects that move along the Great Lakes.

The sanctuary is located along the east boundary of the City of New Baltimore and Macomb County in Ira Township, Saint Clair County. Although development has taken a toll on nearby land, the forest on the sanctuary is mature, contains many high quality woodland species, and is part of what appears to be the largest and least fragmented forest tract remaining along the Great Lakes coastline from Ohio north through the Algonac area, excluding Grosse Ile near Detroit, and Walpole Island on the Ontario side.

Dr. Gerrits was well known in Saint Clair County. He was co-pilot of a bomber in World War II, and later a fighter and test pilot. Because of his war experiences, he became an outspoken critic of war. He and Lois twice voluntarily went to Vietnam in the 1960’s, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Catholic Church, to provide civilian medical care to the people of both South and North Vietnam. Lois shared several stories about those times after our closing. The TLC will feature more about Dr. and Lois Gerrits in the future.

11.5 Acres in Fort Gratiot Township, Saint Clair County

On June 28, 2010, the TLC acquired its third preserve, the 11.5-acre Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary in Fort Gratiot Township, Saint Clair County. The sanctuary is located south of Metcalf Road, along the east side of the Detroit Water Board property. The parcel was given to the TLC by Ray and Nancy Peltier to satisfy State of Michigan wetland mitigation requirements for an expansion of the Hamzavi Dermatology office in Fort Gratiot. As with our first preserve, the Dead End Woods Sanctuary in Fort Gratiot, the Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary is protected by a State of Michigan conservation easement. In accepting ownership of the mitigation property, the TLC agreed to be responsible for all monitoring, management, and long-term stewardship.

The Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary is a high quality wetland and upland complex with a unique geologic history, unique plant and animal community, significant Great Lakes coastal habitat, good restoration potential, and a great addition to the TLC preserve lands. The sanctuary is a small part of a much larger and ecologically unique beach ridge and swale landscape, a long, narrow formation within about 1 mile of the Lake Huron shoreline, extending from Port Huron into Sanilac County. The landscape began forming about 11,500 years ago as the last stages of the Wisconsinan glacier melted back and early Lake Huron was about 30 feet higher than today. About 1,500 years later, the melting glacier uncovered a new outlet from the Georgian Bay and the water dropped over 400 feet. The massive weight of glacial ice depressed the earth’s crust for thousands of years, but as it melted, the crust slowly rose and continues today. By 4,500 years ago, the drainage outlet from Georgian Bay raised such that early Lake Huron filled to the Lake Nipissing stage and back to the old shoreline of 7,000 years previous. Great Lakes drainage was gradually limited to the Mississippi River through the old Chicago outlet, and then to the Saint Clair River which rapidly down-cut and lowered the Great Lakes to modern levels, leaving a series of beach ridges as the water dropped.

The landscape consists of a series of mostly forested upland sand ridges and mucky wetland troughs or swales between. In Saint Clair County, the sand ridges average about 40 to 50 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet above the adjoining swales. The swales are usually about as wide as the ridges, but some are a few hundred feet wide. The beach ridge and swale landscape provides not only unique habitat, but also a record of Michigan’s post-glacial past.

On the Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary, wetland swales are covered by Silver Maple, Green Ash and Black Ash, the larger ash trees now all dead due to the Emerald Ash Borer, Eastern Cottonwood, and American Elm. The upland beach ridges are covered largely by Black Cherry, Bigtooth Aspen, and American Basswood, with scattered Black Oak, possibly hybridized with Northern Pin Oak, and a few Northern White-cedar. The lower ridge bases are lined with Paper Birch and covered by an unusual concentration of Alternate-leaved Dogwood.

Unique species on the sanctuary include Purple-flowering Raspberry, Yellow Lady’s-slipper orchid, and the Eastern Hog-nosed Snake. Purple-flowering Raspberry is the Lower Peninsula’s equivalent of the Upper Peninsula’s Thimbleberry, thought to be native to only 7 shoreline counties in Michigan. Yellow Lady’s-slipper orchid grows in a variety of habitats, but in Saint Clair County is largely restricted to the moist ridge bases and mucky swales of this landscape. The Eastern Hog-nosed Snake is a special reptilian inhabitant that prefers the more open sand of dunes and disturbed ground such as along the south end of the sanctuary. When aggravated, the snakes flatten their necks like a cobra, and then sometimes rolling over and play dead with their mouths hanging open. They can look imposing, but are harmless.

One of the most critical functions of this coastal forest habitat is the support it provides to an abundance of migratory birds as they move north and south along the Lake Huron shoreline. The spring and summer breeding bird population is very abundant and diverse in this area, especially the forest warblers. Several species of warblers have been identified on the Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Gerrits Sanctuary Dedication

Bill Collins, Executive Director, Thumb Land Conservancy

On July 16, 2009, the TLC was given its second nature sanctuary, a gift of Lois Gerrits, wife of the late Dr. James F. Gerrits, a well-known doctor in Saint Clair County.

The Gerrits Sanctuary is 38.5 acres, a piece of one of the largest forest tracts remaining near Lake Saint Clair, straddling the border of Saint Clair and Macomb Counties. The sanctuary lies along the east boundary of the City of New Baltimore. Although development has taken a toll on nearby land, the forest on the sanctuary is mature and contains many high quality woodland species. It is part of what appears to be the largest and least fragmented forest tract remaining along the Great Lakes coastline from Ohio north through the Algonac area, excluding Grosse Ile near Detroit, and Walpole Island on the Ontario side. The southern half of the Gerrits Sanctuary is a mix of mature upland and swamp forest. The north half is old-field that was once farmed by the Gerrits family. Located only about ¾ mile north of Anchor Bay, this coastal habitat is critical for migratory birds and insects such as butterflies that move along the Great Lakes.

I first noticed this forest back in 2002-03 when I was working to protect another large forest tract not far southwest in Chesterfield Township, near 23 Mile Road and Jefferson Avenue. The forest was partially developed as “Secluded Woods” and “Lakeview Estates”, but that’s another story. In studying the remaining forest fragments near Lake Saint Clair, the large fragment of which the Gerrits Sanctuary is a part, caught my attention. I even spent part of a day walking through the forest back then, and found a high quality community with what appeared to be suitable habitat for Michigan Endangered Painted Trillium – Trillium undulatum. I later told Macomb County officials at a public hearing, that one day they would look back and regret not having protected forests like those at 23 Mile and Jefferson, and the tract that would contain the Gerrits Sanctuary about 6 years later. I could not have guessed that within a few years I would have the opportunity to protect part of that very forest just given to me by the owner. For that, I am very grateful.

The Gerrits Sanctuary, part of one of the largest remaining forest tracts along the Great Lakes from Ohio north to Algonac.

The property closing was held at the Law Offices of Timothy J. Lozen, with attorney Anna Kovar and TLC executive board members William Collins and Terry Gill present. Ullenbruch Flowers and Gifts of Port Huron kindly donated a nice bouquet of flowers to express our appreciation to Mrs. Gerrits. Lois shared several stories about her and her husband at the closing. Dr. Gerrits was co-pilot of a bomber in World War II, and later a fighter and test pilot. Because of his war experiences, he became an outspoken critic of war. He and Lois twice voluntarily went to Vietnam in the 1960’s, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Catholic Church, to provide civilian medical care to the people of both South and North Vietnam.

Dr. Gerrits later became involved with a residential development partner on land that was part of the Gerrits family farm. The parcel that Mrs. Gerrits donated to the TLC was also part of the farm, although the southern half remains forested. Because of development of adjacent land, the parcel was left landlocked. It also has a storm sewer pump station with a complicated legal history. The TLC was aware of these issues before our closing and we felt we could deal with them for the sake of protecting the natural area on the site. For details on this matter, refer back to my posting a few days ago, “Ira Township Dispute 2010 – 2012”.

In early 2011, in the midst of our troubles, Susan Gerrits, daughter of James and Lois Gerrits, suggested that we have a formal dedication of the Gerrits Sanctuary. This is something the TLC had hoped to do eventually, but with the hassle that Ira Township was giving us, I wasn’t even sure that we’d hang on to the property very long. We planned for the dedication anyway.

The Gerrits Sanctuary was dedicated on November 26, 2011 with a large gathering of the Gerrits family. Present were all the children of James and Lois Gerrits – Susan Gerrits, Peter Gerrits, Peggy Gerrits, Tom Gerrits, and Tim Gerrits. Also present were Randy and Kathleen Schein, and many other family members.

Left to right: Peter, Peggy, Tom, Susan, and Tim Gerrits.

Port Huron Times Herald reporter Bob Gross was there and wrote a nice article: http://archive.thetimesherald.com/article/20111130/NEWS01/111300310/Conservancy-dedicates-Gerrits-preserve-family-members-help-clean-up-parcel

As part of the dedication ceremony, Susan Gerrits read an excerpt from “Here with the Long Grass Rippling” a poem by Malcolm Cowley written in 1968:

“I pray for this:

to walk as humbly on the earth as my father and mother did;

to greatly love a few;

to love the earth, to be sparing of what it yields,

and not to leave it poorer for my long presence;

to speak some words in patterns that will be remembered,

and again the voice be heard to exult or mourn -

all this, and in some corner where nettles grew in the black soil,

to plant and hoe a dozen hills of corn.”

Susan and I agree that one day we would like to set a big boulder on the sanctuary with a plaque or engraving that will serve as a monument to Dr. Gerrits and Lois Gerrits.

After our dedication ceremony, we all went about some fall stewardship work. Some picked up trash. There wasn’t a lot of litter, especially for being located next to a large modular home park and having not been cleaned-up much before. Others, including myself, did some much needed tree cutting along the property line. One of the biggest ongoing concerns about forested nature preserves adjacent to residential areas is trying to keep dead trees from falling on houses. This has been especially true since the Emerald Ash Borer hit.

Later, the TLC executive board joined the Gerrits family for a late lunch at the Green Street Tavern in New Baltimore, the Gerrits’ favorite restaurant. I’ll never forget, they gave us an applause when we walked in. And they even paid our bill. Wow! Thank you to the Gerrits family and I hope we can do it again.

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