MICHIGAN BOTANICAL SOCIETY
SOUTHWESTERN CHAPTER FIELD TRIP
Robert & Rosalie Emmons Augusta Floodplain Forest
With Mitch Lettow, Stewardship Director, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
Saturday May 11, 2024, 10:00 AM to Noon
The 378-acre Robert and Rosalie Emmons Augusta Floodplain Forest protects some of the best quality floodplain forest habitat in the southern lower peninsula. The property has about 2 miles of frontage along the Kalamazoo River opposite the DNR’s Fort Custer State Recreation Area and consists of seasonally inundated wet forests with islands of beech maple uplands and planted prairie.
The plant communities on the property are some of the most diverse in the region, with state threatened Queen-of-the-Prairie, and a mature forest that stretches for miles. A plant inventory of the initial 70-acre parcel was published in the Great Lakes Botanist1 and identified 287 plant species and more have been found since. The dense forested wetlands are one of the few places in the region where you can get a sense of “forest primeval”.
A floodplain forest is wet and muddy, so rubber boots are recommended. Hiking will be slow and muddy, but mostly on flat terrain. Insect repellent, sunscreen, water as well as suitable clothing are suggested. The trip difficulty level is rated moderate.
As SWMLC’s Stewardship Director, Mitch focuses on restoring natural processes and biodiversity on their many preserves, as well as learning from and working with many volunteers and community members who are critical to long-term stewardship and conservation. Mitch has a B.S. and M.S. in Environmental Biology/Zoology and Entomology from Michigan State University.
Directions: We will meet in the parking lot at the Galesburg-Augusta High School, 1076 N. 37thst Galesburg, MI 49053 and then carpool a short distance. High clearance vehicles are strongly recommended for access to the site.
From the Kalamazoo area, take I-94 eastbound to exit 85 and turn left (north) on 35th St. You will cross the Kalamazoo River and then turn right on to Battle Creek St. Stay on Battle Creek St. through Galesburg. Battle Creek St. becomes eastbound M-96 in downtown Galesburg. There is an odd intersection at the railroad tracks and Burgess Dr., and you will need to turn right to stay on Battle Creek St (eastbound M-96). There are multiple signs for eastbound M-96. In about 0.1 miles, the high school will be on your left (north-west).
1 Walter L. Meager and Stephen J. Tonsor (1992) Checklist or Vascular Flora of the Augusta Floodplain Preserve. Great Lakes Botanist 31:83-98. Link