Announcements
Spring into Fitness with Step it Up!
 This spring, we will “virtually walk” 240 miles along regional trails in Michigan. The challenge begins on Monday, April 3.
This free, 6-week program is designed to help you spring into fitness and get moving after a cold winter. Participants of all fitness levels are invited to join.
Simply track and report your steps each week to be eligible for weekly prize (a FitBit fitness tracker will be awarded each week).
Join us for one or all of our optional group walks as we explore different county parks. Each walk will be led by a naturalist guide, and different pace groups will be available.
April 8: Pine
Bend Park, 10-11 am
April 13: Rosy
Mound Natural Area, 5:30-6:30 pm
April 22: Riley
Trails, 10-11 am
April 27: Grand
Ravines (North), 5:30-6:30 pm
May 2: Hemlock Crossing, 5:30-6:30 pm
May 6: Kirk
Park, 3-4 pm
May 11: Connor
Bayou, 5:30-6:30 pm- walk & wrap up party!
Registration closes April 10, 2017
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Special Events!
You’re invited to the Ottawa County Parks Foundation
Launch Party!
April 20, 2017, 5-6:30 pm - brief program begins
at 5:15
Nature Education Center, located in Hemlock Crossing County
Park: 8115
W Olive Rd, West Olive 49460
Learn more about the Ottawa County Parks Foundation.
 Poor Farm Movie Premieres
Inspired by the success of the recent Poor Farm Sesquicentennial, a documentary on the facility was created over the winter. The film was made in association with the Ottawa County Parks Foundation and Ferris State University. All proceeds from the documentary will be donated to the Ottawa County Parks Foundation.
Join us for a movie premiere in your area!
- May 24, Park Theater (Holland)
- May 31, Grand Haven Community Center
Times and ticket prices will be announced via email. Subscribe to Parks Foundation announcements online!
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 Grand Lady excursions are scheduled for 1:30 and 4:00 pm on Tuesday, May 16!
Mark your calendar! Reservation forms will be available after April 1 at www.friendsofocp.org. Print, complete, and mail the form to FOOCP, along with payment. Cost is still only $10 per person! Please don’t forget to provide your email address so that we can confirm your reservation.
Excursions will be held rain or shine. Sorry, no refunds. If you are unable to attend, we can transfer your reservation. Simply give your confirmation to a friend, then notify us of their name for the passenger list. We greatly appreciate your participation! The annual trips are fundraising opportunities to support FOOCP projects.
FOOCP is dedicated to connecting people with nature, recreation, and community by partnering with Ottawa County Parks. Organized in 2005, FOOCP sponsors programs to build public awareness by providing information about Ottawa County parks and open spaces.
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 Get your Parks Pass
Parks passes are now available for sale at the Parks Office and Nature Education Center! Save yourself time in line at county beach parks and get them early. Passes will be also be on sale at the Kirk Park Lodge on May 6 from 2-5 pm.
As a reminder, parking fees are collected at North Beach Park, Kirk Park, Tunnel Park, Olive Shores, and Rosy Mound Natural Area from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. A boat launch fee is collected at Riverside Park from May 1 through Labor Day.
- Resident: $15
- Resident Seniors: $7
- Resident multi-vehicle: Annual pass + $5
- NEW! Resident hang tag: $20
- NEW! Resident senior hang tag: $12
- Non-resident (incl. seniors): $25
Resident hang tags are new in 2017! These are great options for families with multiple vehicles, rental cars, or anyone hosting guests in the summer months. They do not affix to the windshield like permits, but they must be displayed in the vehicle when the vehicle is at the park.
The Michigan State Recreation Passport is not valid at Ottawa County Parks.
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Summer Camps
Our Summer Camp schedule is ready!
We offer a variety of camps for ages 3 through high school. There’s art, adventure, kayaking, mountain biking, and more!
Don’t miss early bird pricing, register online today: miOttawa.org/OCPEvents.
More info about spring public programming below!
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Environmental Stewardship
Pest Alert: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA)
 Hemlock trees devasted by HWA on east coast. Photo by Will Blozan
Last year, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) was first established in the Upper Midwest, and unfortunately right here in Ottawa County. This invasive pest has devastated forests along the East Coast of the United States. Within Michigan, there are an estimated 170 million hemlock trees that are at risk of dying from HWA. However, the loss of hemlock within our forests is just the beginning.
Long-term studies from the east coast have documented extensive negative effects caused by the loss of hemlock within natural communities. These changes affect the ecology and economy of the infested areas.
There is good news. This pest is treatable, and it is not yet widespread.
Currently, there are fewer than 20 HWA-infested sites in all of Michigan, concentrated in Ottawa and Muskegon counties. The time to act is now! Preventing the spread of HWA to other parts of the state and throughout the Midwest is crucial. Forest pests impact our communities both ecologically and financially. One example of the damage they can do is the ongoing issue of ash tree removal due to the Emerald ash borer infestation. By addressing HWA before trees are lost, we will reduce costs associated with tree removal or treatment and also protect the natural resources of our state.
In conjunction with the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC), Ottawa County Parks applied for a $600,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant to help cover surveying and treatment for private land owners. Grant awards are expected to be announced in May. Funding from Ottawa County’s Environmental Fund ($25,000) was approved by the Board of Commissioners in December. A local taskforce has been formed to search for funds to assist land owners with the cost of treatment, as well as to survey for the pest and educate the community.
If you have healthy hemlocks on your property, there is action you can take to slow the spread of HWA. Eggs and young adelgids are often spread during spring bird migration. It is recommended that bird feeders near hemlocks be removed from April through July. Ottawa County Parks will be removing the bird feeders at the Nature Education Center during that time to protect the hemlocks on our property.
Learn More about HWA
Free programs & events:
Slow the Spread: New England has been fighting HWA for over a decade. Allison Kanoti, a forest entomologist with Maine’s Forest Service, will share her experiences managing for HWA on the leading front of the East Coast invasion on Thursday, March 23 at the Nature Education Center at Hemlock Crossing from 9-11 am. There will be a question/answer session following the presentation.
HWA in West Michigan: Learn more about surveying, treatment, and how to get involved in the fight against HWA at a public meeting on Saturday, April 8 at the Nature Education Center at Hemlock Crossing from 12-1 pm. Presentation by Melanie Manion, Natural Resources Management Supervisor, Ottawa County Parks.
IDENTIFY
You can identify HWA by looking for a white woolly substance found on the base of the needles. This woolly substance is actually a mass of eggs.
HOW IT GOT HERE
Insects have entered Michigan several times in the past decade from other HWA-infested areas of the U.S.
Photo from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
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 Hiawatha Drain Project
In February, the Parks Commission granted the Water Resources Commission an easement through Hiawatha Forest for a drain to help mitigate flooding in the area.
Constructing a drain through park property may initially sound like it would be destructive. Luckily, Joe Bush, the county’s recently re-elected Water Resources Commissioner (who also serves on the Parks Commission), was eager to partner with Parks staff to develop a solution that would not only solve flooding issues during large storm events, but also protect and improve a rare ecosystem found in the park.
As the two departments developed this project, a Natural Features Inventory was conducted on the property. Local biologist, Bill Martinus, confirmed the presence of this now uncommon ecosystem, as well as special plant life. Leading state herpatologist, David Misfud, also concluded that the park has the potential to be home to uncommon reptiles and amphibians.
Creating Habitat
The design of the drain, which will be shallower than most drains, will help spread the coastal plain marsh habitat. The pond areas were created to be semi-permanent, meaning there will not always be standing water present; they will fill only when the ground water is high. The constructed vernal ponds create habitat for breeding amphibians. The very wet to very dry conditions over the course of a year is what creates the conditions for the plants and animals that live within coastal plain marshes.
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 Join us for a Volunteer Workday!
Never volunteered for a stewardship workday before? No problem! Here’s what you should know:
- Bring work gloves (preferably leather), insect repellent, and appropriate outdoor gear.
- All necessary tools, drinking water, and snacks will be provided.
- No preregistration is required.
- All ages are welcome; however, we do ask that those under 16 are supervised by an adult.
- Work days are cancelled if raining (or snowing).
Spring Workday Schedule
Nature Education Center Garden Clean-Up, Saturday, March 18 • 1-3 pm (*Snow date* Saturday, March 25 • 1-3 pm)
Tunnel Park Garlic Mustard Pull, Saturday, April 29 • 10 am-12 pm
Hager Park Garlic Mustard Pull (Meet by the Maple Picnic Shelter), Saturday, May 6 • 10 am-12 pm
Historic Ottawa Beach Garlic Mustard Pull (Black Lake Boardwalk East), Saturday, May 6 • 1-3 pm
Questions? Contact Georgia Meyer at (616) 994-4748
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7th Annual Ottawa County Grand River Cleanup
The Ottawa County Grand River Cleanup is being organized by the West Michigan Environmental Action Council and sponsored by the City of Grand Haven, with help from Friends of Ottawa County Parks.
It will be held on Saturday, May 13th, from 8:30 am until 1 pm, rain or shine. Volunteers will gather at Harbor Island in Grand Haven for the kick-off program before going to the various work sites. Several of the sites are within Ottawa County Parks. Save the date, put it on your calendar, and tell your friends to join us! Volunteers are asked to register on wmeac.org to participate in this event.
Park News
 Grand Ravines Construction Update
Construction work in the wetland and floodplain area near the Grand River is on hold until our resident bald eagles finish raising their young. Federal and state permit requirements prevent construction within close proximity to an active eagle’s nest during their nesting period of January 15 to July 30. Work along the riverfront, including extension of the paved trail and a dock on the river, will begin again in August 2017. Construction in areas outside of the Bald Eagle Restriction Zone will continue throughout this period. Interested in getting a peek at the eagles? Join us for an eagle hike this spring.
Grand Ravines (South) will soon have a modern restroom. Construction is expected to be complete by summer. Unlike other county parks’ restroom buildings, dogs are allowed in this restroom, on a leash. The building will include a dog wash station to shampoo and rinse dog(s) after playing at the park. Washes will be approximately 12 minutes and will cost $10.
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Project Highlight
Paw Paw Boardwalk constructed by Nathan Gutknecht of Boy Scout Troop 157 (Holland) Nathan, with the help of his troop, volunteered to construct a large portion (70’) of the new boardwalk at Paw Paw Park (East) as part of his Eagle Scout project. Their help significantly reduced our construction cost, and it improved a section of trail that was previously unwalkable due to flooding.
Grant Funds Awarded
Bend Area Expansion
In December, Ottawa County Parks was awarded a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant to assist with the addition of 231 acres to the Bend Area. The grant will cover $729,000 of the $1,215,000 project, with the balance coming from the Parks Millage. Ottawa County Parks anticipates acquiring the additional acreage in fall 2017.
The Bend Area is a developing park project on the Grand River in Georgetown Township. Currently, the Bend Area is a 258-acre, Open Space property but could grow to over 700 acres and become a fully developed park with areas for swimming, fishing, trails for hiking and biking, boating, and many other activities. The Parks Commission has been working since 2000 to transition gravel mining properties in this area to park land as mining is completed.
 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants have been hugely helpful to the expansion and improvement of the Ottawa County Parks system, and many other park systems in the state. We are grateful for the funding and the park development made possible through this program.
 Kayakers at the Bend Area at sunset. Photo by Kevin Povenz.
Spring Programs
 We have more programs than ever before this spring! Please join us for a wildlife encounter, wildflower or birding walk, an eagle hike, an art class, an Isle Royale presentation and more!
As always, we are committed to keeping our programs free or affordable. You'll find programs for children, adults, and families.
New program!
Construct a Bluebird House
March 18, 10 am-12 pm • Hemlock Crossing
Registration is required; $10 fee per builder
Help nesting birds get a start by constructing one of two birdhouse designs made from recycled pallet wood. All materials and tools will be provided.
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