On The Ground Junior: Berkley School District Students Plant Native Trees and Build Brush Piles at Chesterfield Township State Game Area

Students work together to carry a log to the base of their first brush pile.

On May 23 and May 24, 2023, sixth grade students and faculty from Norup International School participated in MUCC’s On the Ground Junior (OTG Jr.) program in an effort to improve wildlife habitat at the Chesterfield Township State Game Area (SGA) in Macomb County.

Previously a mix of agricultural fields and forest fragments, this SGA was acquired by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the mid-2010s.

DNR biologists have plans to restore the main hay field into a natural grassland habitat with native wildflowers which will benefit a variety of pollinators.

Students pose next to an opossum hidden in a shrub during their wildlife scavenger hunt!

During the two-day project, student volunteers split-up into small groups and rotated through four stations where they participated in activities ranging from building brush piles, archery lessons, a pollination relay race, and planting native trees like white oak and quaking aspen.

During these projects, approximately 110 native trees were planted and 8 large brush piles were constructed. Students helped improve a total of 5 acres of land for wildlife at the game area.

If you are interested in getting involved in MUCC’s On the Ground or OTG Jr. program, please visit mucc.org/on-the-ground/.