Invasive-plant removal efforts to start this summer on Belle Isle

Press Release

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2014

Contact: Sam Lovall (Friends of the Detroit River) 734-776-5445; Michele Hodges (Belle Isle Conservancy) or Ed Golder (DNR), 517-284-5815
 

Invasive-plant removal efforts to start this summer on Belle Isle
$470,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant makes two-year project possible 

Efforts to remove invasive plant species on Belle Isle in the Detroit River begin this summer, thanks in large part to a $470,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Friends of the Detroit River (FDR), a nonprofit based in southeast Michigan.

The two-year project, which is currently in the planning phase, aims to control invasive plant species already present on Belle Isle – Michigan’s 102nd state park – and prevent additional invasive species through an outreach and education program that builds public awareness about invasive species and ways to minimize their introduction and spread on the island park.

The grant, submitted last year with input from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), provides funding to:

• Conduct GIS mapping of all invasive plant species on Belle Isle.
• Select a contractor to perform invasive species control procedures.
• Manage volunteers who will assist with control measures and progress monitoring work.
• Create an outreach and educational component to provide information on aquatic invasive species and fish diversity. 

“The Detroit River is a designated area of concern,” said FDR project manager Sam Lovall. “One of this project’s objectives is to remove the river’s top two impairments – loss of fish and wildlife habitat and degradation of fish and wildlife populations. We can assist in doing this through invasive plant species removal on the island.”

Improving habitat diversity

Four invasive plant species – including phragmites, which encompass 50 acres of the island, reed canary grass, purple loosestrife and Japanese knotweed – will be targeted for removal. According to Lovall, each of these invasives can have a negative impact on aquatic plant and animal life in the Lake Erie watershed, which includes the Detroit River.

“Invasive plant species can monopolize the landscape, growing in large groves, patches and stands that destroy the diversity of the habitat,” he said. “The more plant species that live in an area, the healthier that area tends to be.”

Partnership makes it possible 

The Belle Isle Conservancy – in partnership with the DNR – will oversee volunteer efforts, enlisting organizations such as the Greening of Detroit and Student Conservation Association to assist in removal of invasive species and evaluation of progress.

“The conservancy looks forward to engaging its legion of volunteers to fulfill this grant’s educational and community outreach requirements, and we expect to utilize the Belle Isle Aquarium and Belle Isle Nature Zoo as primary vehicles in achieving this goal,” said Belle Isle Conservancy President Michele Hodges, who also serves as the chairperson of the Belle Isle Park Advisory Committee. “This is an excellent opportunity to protect and preserve the natural assets of Belle Isle Park.”

The project involves collaboration among public agencies, non-governmental organizations and academia interested in the environment and Belle Isle.

“We are pleased to further our partnerships with the Belle Isle Conservancy and the Michigan DNR through this important project, as we continue our work on Belle Isle following successful projects at the Blue Heron Lagoon and the South Fishing Pier,” said David Howell, chairman of the Friends of the Detroit River.

Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, said the DNR has been part of this effort from the beginning because the removal of invasive species is important to Belle Isle, and this pooling of agencies’ resources will lead to success. “This project fits in well with the larger plan to enhance Belle Isle through partnerships and collectively leveraging resources,” said Olson. “We look forward to continuing partnerships as efforts move forward in the coming months.”

Spreading the word on invasives

The project’s education and outreach component, managed by Wayne State University, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Office of the Great Lakes, the Belle Isle Aquarium and the Belle Isle Nature Zoo, includes installation of fish tanks at the Belle Isle Aquarium to house live, aquatic invasive species; printed educational materials; a display illustrating environmental DNA (eDNA) methods for early detection and monitoring of invasive species and fish diversity, and more.

For more information on Belle Isle Park, visit www.belleislepark.org and www.belleisleconservancy.org. Information on Friends of the Detroit River can be found at www.detroitriver.org. 

Follow us on Twitter @MichiganDNR. We encourage Belle Isle partners and others interested in the park's revitalization to use the hashtag #AllinforBelleIsle.