Skip to main content

Stewardship Workday!

I'd do this if I could, but I'm in Japan. This Stewardship Network workday takes place in my Michigan neighborhood on the land of beloved family and friends, and it is a chance to spend time in one of the prettiest spots there is with some of the best people. The Kolon and Kellum families, longtime friends, work hard with and for the land they live on and love. It's worth joining them to learn and lend a hand.

Iron Creek Properties

The River Raisin headwaters are near the southern extent of what is referred to as the Southeast Michigan Headwaters Region. The region, loosely defined by the headwaters of ten river systems, is recognized as a high quality area by the Nature Conservancy and other Stewardship Network partners. Iron Creek between Mud Lake and Iron Creek Millpond is representative of the headwaters area and is recognized for its unspoiled habitats and intact plant communities, where several special concern and threatened species have been identified. With nearly forty separate property owners, this stretch of creek is subject to an array of management priorities.

The Kellum and Kolon family properties, totaling over 370 acres, are adjacent to each other and to Iron Creek. The two families share an interest in natural areas management. Goals for the properties are to:

· Identify and protect quality and remnant plant communities
· Prioritize management projects
· Involve newcomers and youth in stewardship activities
· Stimulate interest in neighboring Iron Creek property owners
· Serve as a catalyst for ecosystem health dialogue throughout the watershed.

Wondering how all this translates to your own property? A very unique opportunity awaits you to visit these private properties and take the “what-should-I-do?” answers back to your own land.

Iron Creek Properties Work Days
10:00 am to 1:00 pm

The 2nd Sunday of every month
Kellum Property: 11007 Mull Hwy., Tipton
Kolon Property: 11677 Noggles Rd, Manchester

April 5 – Kellum, general management plan for selected focus area, introduction to prescribed burning, burn strategies, burn preparation, tools and techniques.

May 10 – Kolon, general management plan for selected focus area, after burn review, garlic mustard strategy and pulling.

June 14 – Kellum, after burn review, inventory invasive infestations and introduction to basic invasive eradication with chemical and hand techniques.

July 12 - Kolon, invasive brush removal and thinning of saplings

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Finding Heirloom Seeds in Japan

Drying pods of heirloom Hutterite Soup Beans. Since moving to Japan eight years ago, one of my greatest challenges as a farmer-gardener has been to find heirloom or open-pollinated seeds. The majority of seeds available are not GMO (genetically modified organisms) as Japan, at this point, doesn't accept this material. Most seeds, though, are nearly all F1 varieties. Heirloom and F1 Varieties In plant breeding, F1 is the name given to the first generation of a cross between two true breeding parents. For example, if I decide to cross an Amish Paste Tomato with another heirloom variety tomato such as Emmy, in hopes of getting a gold paste tomato, the resulting generation of fruit is F1. In order to get that tomato of my culinary dreams, I'll need to choose members of that first generation that are headed in a direction I like - early ripening, medium-sized fruit, good taste - and save their seeds. I'll plant them and repeat the process again and again over time unti
4 comments
Read more

Satoimo: One of Japan's Favorite Slimy Things

Satoimo in all their hairy glory. This post first appeared in slightly different form on Garden to Table as part of the 2012  Blogathon . The website has since moved on to the ether, but the post is still a good one. After all, people here are still eating satoimo on a daily basis, and many others are just seeing these little potato-like objects for the first time. Enjoy! Satoimo is one of Japan's odder vegetables. Under it's rough, slightly furry skin is white flesh that is a little bit slimy even raw, and with a gentle nutty flavor.* Baked, grilled, steamed with dashi, or deep-fried satoimo stands well on its own or paired up with other vegetables and meats in a wide variety of soups and stews . (The leaves are also edible.) Satoimo stores well, and like any root crop worth the effort, stocks are just running low on this household favorite as the farmers in my area of Tokyo get ready to put a new crop in the ground in May. I cannot say I was a fan of this l
4 comments
Read more

Goma Ai Shingiku - Sesame and Chrysanthemum Greens

Last week I had the pleasure of helping some friends work in their parents garden not too far away. Tucked behind the house, the garden sits on a former house lot. When it came up for sale about five years ago, my friend's father jumped at the chance. Open land in Tokyo can be hard to find and expensive, but for a retired professional looking for a little spot to till in the city it was an opportunity to good to pass up. Now, it is a garden to envy. As we came through the gate rose, lily, and peony blooms greeted us with great shouts of color while rows of vegetables stood tidily at attention on the sunny center stage. Small fruit trees along with one of the biggest sansho trees I've seen yet stood quietly here and there. Near waist-high sweet corn, bushy young potato plants, cherry tomatoes, eggplants, and beans were preparing their summer fruits, while a handful of still quite luscious looking winter vegetables like komatsuna, mizuna, and kabu held one last ro
4 comments
Read more