Project Update

By |2026-03-18T19:24:21-04:00January 31st, 2026|News|

Moving forward with EGLEs requirements, yesterday we had a wetland specialist come out to do a survey, which will be part of what we will be submitting for the permit process. We are doing our best throughout this process to show EGLE that our intent is for land regeneration, as well as for giving opportunities for the public to experience and learn from the restored land. (EGLE is the State of Michigan's department of Environment, Great Lakes, ...

Looking Back

By |2026-03-18T19:19:04-04:00January 31st, 2026|News|

Hi Everyone! I apologize for the delay in posting. I have been working on a project needed by EGLE for getting our permits to do the permaculture landscaping for the pond and gathering areas that we've been working on these last several years. After going through an engineering company for our first meeting with EGLE earlier this spring, Dan and I were given a quote by the engineer for $11,000 to do a "forensic wetland analysis" to ...

Native Plant Spotlight : Blue Flag Iris

By |2026-03-13T02:15:58-04:00January 31st, 2026|Flora, Insects|

A new native plant that has appeared at the Sanctuary this year is the Blue Flag Iris. It grows in wet areas, often along the edges of water. So unsurprisingly it has begun growing along the edge of the creek bed, not far from the beautiful buttonbush, another amazing plant which I will highlight in a later post.Blue Flag Iris provides nectar for native pollinators, and is also forage for muskrats. It likewise attracts hummingbirds, which we already ...

Speckled Alder

By |2026-03-13T00:37:43-04:00January 31st, 2026|Flora|

Unopened catkins, a dried leaf, and buds on a speckled alder branch - January 2019Dried flower "cones" and dried leaves on an alder branch - January 2019Back in 2015, several years before the nonprofit was started, the Cavanaughs were planting quite a few different kinds of trees. We moved to the property in 2013 after having lived in South Florida for 14 years.  Many of those years we were learning permaculture design techniques and growing tropical edible ...

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