THE ROSS PRESERVE
The Nature Conservancy owns a 1,449-acre preserve in Covert Township, Van Buren County. This preserve contains some of the best coastal plain marsh in Michigan - a habitat more common to the Atlantic coast. Ancient sand dunes from the shores of preglacial Lake Nipissing create a mosaic of botanical communities on the Ross Preserve. In addition to the outstanding three coastal plain marshes, there are wooded inland dunes, wetlands, small lakes and northern hardwood forest.
Because this preserve is one of the larger contiguous woods in southern Michigan, fall migration of birds that prefer wooded areas is quite immense. You are most likely to catch them on their way south during August and September. Hooded warbler, Blackburnian warbler and other migratory birds frequent the area.
The diverse flora includes eight species that are either endangered or rare, including globe-fruited seedbox, meadow beauty, appressed bog clubmoss and netted nut-rush. The preserve also supports oak, hemlock and swamp forests.
The generosity of H. Stewart Ross and his family made the first 1,254 acres of the preserve a reality in 1988. Part of the settlement of their family estate included this wonderful site. The family gave the Conservancy approximately half of the funds necessary to acquire the acreage and the Conservancy provided the rest.
Four purchases from other landowners since then have resulted in the 1,449 acres protected here by the Conservancy. Sarett Nature Center makes frequent use of the preserve.
Related Links:
For more information on The Nature Conservacy visit their website
For more information on the Ross Preserve
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