Informed and Community-Engaged Restoration of St. Pierre Wetland, a University of Michigan Property

Abstract

St. Pierre Wetland is a 130-acre wetland property owned by the University of Michigan (UM) and managed by the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS). An assessment done in 2017 by the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) identified the prairie fen on the site as highly ecologically valuable, noting encroachment by invasive species, including glossy buckthorn. Renewed interest in the site, and the need for restoration, brought attention to the lack of use by UM affiliates since its acquisition in 1975, as well as a lack of positive relational development with surrounding communities. Our master’s capstone team project was formed in January 2022 to create a culture of stewardship and increase trust between stakeholders, uphold the research and education mission of the property, and protect the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the wetland. To inform our recommendations and actions toward these goals, we took three main approaches: 1) Conduct an assessment of realistic opportunities for engaging both external stakeholders and UM users with St. Pierre wetland, and implement feasible engagement activities, 2) Increase understanding and awareness of the site using remote sensing data to assess and analyze plant species distributions, and analyze plant species distributions. 3) Design and implement informed and community-engaged experimental invasive species removal in a way that both meets research and education needs and contributes to site restoration. Community-Engaged Stewardship Though we had originally intended to involve stakeholders in a collaborative adaptive model of restoration, our research and experience guided a much more informed approach to community engagement on a university-owned property that is not open to the public. We use a variety of sources to provide the most informed analysis of the situation to date. We review the historical and current barriers to the use and management of the wetland site, identify key stakeholders and opportunities for engagement along a spectrum, and bring to light the challenges unique to engaging with and within a higher education institution. With this more complete understanding of the situation, we share the ways we succeeded in engaging with both UM and external stakeholders (from meetings, gatherings, and agreements, to the production of outreach materials such as site visit protocols, a Story Map, and a wetland educational flier), provide specific recommendations for future opportunities, and general lessons relevant for others seeking to increase stewardship on sites with complex collaboration and access situations. Executive Summary 3 Remote Sensing Data Analysis In an effort to raise awareness and inform the conservation and restoration of St. Pierre Wetland, as well as meet the property’s mission of supporting research and education, we applied remote sensing techniques as an efficient and effective method to learn about the biophysical characteristics of the property. Specifically, we used Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) derived Digital Elevation Model (DEM), associated indexes, and multispectral imagery to assess and classify the current plant species composition of the wetland. We also assessed the reliability of using high resolution remotely sensed data, in combination with field verified data and geospatial applications, by running an accuracy assessment of the image classification model used to estimate species distribution. We then used multivariate techniques to assess the relationships of species distributions to other physical features of the site. This work demonstrates the applicability and resourcefulness of remote sensing techniques to better understand a wetland. Invasive Species Removal Invasive species such as glossy buckthorn, Frangula alnus (F. alnus), pose a particular threat to the community structure of a groundwater-fed prairie fen on the St. Pierre Wetland property. To address the encroachment of F. alnus while meeting St. Pierre Wetland’s education and research mission, we developed and initiated experimental removal treatments of F. alnus in high-priority areas. Our research plan was informed by a review of published research and extensive consultation with experienced practitioners through focus-groups, follow up discussions, and site visits. Due to limited literature and practitioner investigation of non-herbicide methods of removal, we chose to test the effectiveness of two alternative removal methods: buckthorn baggies and cutting shrubs below the water level. We established experimental plots at St. Pierre to test these methods and collected data to prime future students for evaluating the effectiveness of the treatments. In an effort to include stakeholders in this work, we invited SEAS students and staff, main stakeholder representatives, and community members from the homeowners associations adjacent to the wetland to participate in the removal treatments in February and March of 2023. Summary of Recommendations Based on all of our research and experiences, we recommend the following as priorities for faculty, staff, students, and practitioners involved in future work with St. Pierre Wetland: 4 1) To build on efforts to engage both the UM community and external stakeholders in St. Pierre stewardship and learning: a. The Facilities Manager, faculty, and students must continue to refine and regularly update the site policies and protocols we created. For consistency and stronger documentation, integrate these documents across all other SEAS properties. b. Due to the transient nature of academic bodies at higher education institutions, SEAS leadership and staff must regularly communicate research and education opportunities at SPW. Engaging the learning community will support the goals of the school for the education and development of its faculty and students as well as fulfill the goals and mission of the property. c. Continue initiating meetings between external stakeholders and the Facilities Manager in order to build trust and strengthen communication channels. d. Reinforce the role of “power volunteer” for select external stakeholders to have conditional access to the wetland, and consider institutionalizing the role; intentionally engage them in restoration work being done at SPW. e. Work with offices at UM to complete a written use agreement between the Shan-Gri-La and Bass Ridge HOAs to protect access long-term. f. Pursue additional funding opportunities available for wetland restoration, preservation, and research. g. Invest in relationships with other HOAs along the Chain of Lakes (outside of Bass Lake) to ensure restoration and preservation goals align with the stewardship culture they may have already established. 2) To further the application of remote sensing techniques, data, and geographic information systems: a. Monitor the behavior and estimate the rate of expansion of invasive species such as hybrid cattail (Typha x glauca) and buckthorn (F. alnus). b. Perform further multivariate analyses such as a multivariate linear regression to determine which independent variable most significantly influences species distribution. c. Emphasize the use of open-source data and applications to increase awareness of, familiarity with, and accessibility to high-quality data sources. 5 d. Include a variety of variables in analyses and consult practitioners/professionals on what methods they use to derive and analyze remote sensing data. 3) To continue experimental and community-engaged restoration work on site: a. Collect data on or before summer 2024 on the effectiveness of the buckthorn removal experiment treatments implemented in winter 2023, including recovery of the native plant community and expanding to other variables such as soil chemistry. b. Continue regular biannual photo monitoring from established points of the wetland. c. Initiate projects oriented toward removal of other invasive species, especially Phragmites australis and hybrid cattail (Typha x glauca), to prevent their spread and invasion into new areas. d. Create a Master’s project team January 2024 - April 2025 to carry out the next phase of research, restoration, and engagement recommendations above (proposal provided in Appendix F. Proposal for 2024 St. Pierre Wetland Master's Project)