St. Pierre Wetland Stewardship Plan: A Model for SEAS Properties Planning

Abstract

St. Pierre Wetland (STPW) is a 130-acre property managed by the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) on the northern undeveloped shoreline of Bass Lake within Livingston County in Hamburg Township, 14 miles northwest of Ann Arbor. This site was donated to the School of Natural Resources in 1975 by Sam and Angeline St. Pierre for teaching and research. The wetland property is bordered by two housing developments: the Shan-Gri-La Homeowners Association to the east with a canal between the site and the neighborhood, and Bass Ridge Homeowners Association to the northwest. In addition to these neighbors, the site boasts a variety of interested parties, including the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC), The Stewardship Network (TSN), Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA), other associations in the Huron River Chain of Lakes, and a number of University student organizations. STPW contains diverse and important ecosystems. In 2017 the Huron River Watershed Council completed an on-site field assessment of STPW, highlighting that the property includes a pristine lake basin fen of very high ecological quality. Subsequent vegetation surveys conducted in 2022-2024 documented a high native plant species richness (94.6% with 105 species) and an adjusted floristic quality index (FQI) of 57.4, categorizing STPW as a floristically important, rare representation of Michigan’s native biodiversity and natural landscapes. Fauna surveys in 2024 identified 79 species of birds, herps, and small mammals, including rare, vulnerable, and near threatened species. From 1975 to 2022 STPW saw minimal engagement from the University. This neglect contributed to the wetland's degradation, threatening both its ecological and educational value. The proportion of the site dominated by invasive species, especially glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), has increased over time. Unmitigated vulnerability to nutrient pollution, climate change, and trampling also negatively affect wetland diversity, function, and ecosystem services, and further limit engagement opportunities. Like other SEAS properties, STPW lacked a site-specific, strategic management plan to guide stewardship or engagement activities. From January 2024 to April 2025, our master’s project team built on the momentum of the first STPW master’s project (2022-2023) by expanding on-site assessments and restoration work and by meeting the urgent need to create an informed site-specific stewardship plan. In designing this plan, we addressed the unique ecological and operational needs of STPW, while also creating a template for the development of management plans for other SEAS properties, and even for other university-owned natural areas with a research and education mission. We identified three interdependent visions, each with more specific goals and desired outcomes to guide strategic stewardship, academic, and engagement activities. Our long-term vision for STPW is that it: 1. is a resilient ecosystem with characteristic wetland biodiversity and function, 2. provides opportunities for vibrant research, educational, and stewardship programs at the University of Michigan, and 3. is part of a collaborative network that extends beyond the University of Michigan, enhancing its role within its larger socio-ecological landscape. To meet this vision for STPW, we conducted the most comprehensive ecological assessment of the site to date, collecting and synthesizing data on site conditions and biodiversity to be able to develop an informed stewardship plan. From our assessment we determined that STPW occurs on glacial outwash and postglacial alluvium with hydric soils typical of wetlands. It is hydrologically connected to the Hay creekshed within the Huron River watershed. Historically STPW was a shrub swamp with emergent marsh. Currently, the property contains six unique natural community types: southern wet meadow, prairie fen, southern hardwood swamp, southern shrubb-carr, emergent marsh, and submergent marsh. Key threats to these communities include: ● Invasive plant species ● Tampling due to the lack of a functional boardwalk ● Wetland protection policy change ● Development and pollution ● Climate change We also determined that STPW supports at least 111 plant, 76 bird, 9 herp, and 4 mammal species. Notable species include pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea), grass of parnassus (Parnassia glauca), spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata), northern shrike (Lanius borealis), and Wilson’s snipe (Gallinago delicata). STPW has the potential to be a resilient ecosystem with characteristic wetland biodiversity and function while supporting collaborative opportunities for research, education, and stewardship programs extending beyond UM. Based on our assessment of site context, history and ecology, this site-specific stewardship plan identifies and lays out the details and implementation of three strategic priorities: 1. Adaptive Management: Implement adaptive management to restore and maintain site ecological and educational value, including: a. Utilize and update a prioritized management units map to guide on-site stewardship efforts. b. Continue native plant restoration primarily through invasive species management using a three-tiered approach, from small-scale experimental removal, to community-driven workdays, to larger-scale contract work. c. Develop priorities for wildlife management based on known key species present and their landscape-level conservation. d. Reduce nutrient and sediment loading into the wetland through the collaborative installation of rain gardens or other green infrastructure in neighboring residential areas. 2. Research and Education: Continue and expand relevant site research and education through faculty and student research and/or formal (course) and informal projects, labs, or field trips. Priorities include: a. Expand our knowledge of natural features and site ecology, including studies focused on hydrology, geomorphology, and ecosystem ecology. b. Evaluate effectiveness of existing experimental buckthorn removal treatments, as well as effective management approaches for purple loosestrife, cattail, and phragmites, while also exploring additional promising approaches to plant community restoration through studies on weed wrench use, and on the ecological and economic benefits of removed plant waste, including biochar and biofuel production. c. Continue and expand site assessments of birds, herps and mammals, including studies on the impact of deer on vegetation. 3. Capacity Building: Build capacity and processes to support long-term value, stewardship, research, and education. Critical actions include: a. Install infrastructure - a boardwalk and boathouse - to improve safety and access, while reducing negative impacts of site use. b. Secure funding through administrative budget, grants, and/or donor engagement, especially to fund contract-level site management and a staff steward position. c. Continue to boost university and external community engagement opportunities, building the relationships to implement priority actions and achieve site goals. In summary, this plan provides a comprehensive management framework to help STPW become an active, vibrant part of academic work at SEAS—a place where students and researchers can dig in and do meaningful work. Beyond maintaining operations, this plan transforms STPW into a living, learning laboratory and site for meaningful place-based connections. It supports the intent of SEAS properties and the mission of the school as a whole, while also considering the profound impact and value of a diverse, functioning wetland within its broader socio-ecological context.