Dowagiac Woods

Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary, commonly referred to as Dowagiac Woods, is a 384-acre (155 ha) woods located in Cass County, Michigan. It is maintained and preserved by the Michigan Nature Association, known as "MNA".

Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary
Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary
Location within the state of Michigan
LocationLower Peninsula, Cass County, Michigan USA
Nearest cityDowagiac, Michigan
Coordinates41.97604°N 86.18225°W / 41.97604; -86.18225
Area384 acres (155 ha)
Established1981
Governing bodyMichigan Nature Assoc. (non-profit)

History

These woods were virtually unknown even to those living nearby until 1975, when an MNA member reported that Blue-eyed Mary grew there. MNA made an appeal in 1981 for $110,000 to purchase the woods, and the campaign was completed in one year. More than 550 individual contributions were given, capped with a $20,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation.[1]

In February 2009, MNA purchased adjacent acreage to expand Dowagiac Woods to 384 acres (155 ha). It is now MNA’s largest sanctuary in the Lower Peninsula.[2]

About the Sanctuary

Plants flourish at Dowagiac Woods in countless numbers. A top attraction in Dowagiac Woods is the abundance of blue-eyed Mary, Collinsia verna. More than 150 beds can be seen from the trail, each averaging ten by twenty feet square. More than fifty species of other wildflowers bloom in the spring, and nearly fifty kinds of trees have been found at Dowagiac Woods.

Dowagiac Woods is also home to many animals, including at least 49 different kinds of birds like the yellow warbler and ruffed grouse.

  • Trillium at Dowagiac Woods
gollark: Like I said, I don't believe in religion.
gollark: There are the diode people, giannis people and ceramic wobble people.
gollark: Possibly more.
gollark: Three actually.
gollark: I see. Well, I don't believe in religion, so no.

References
  1. Dowagiac Woods Archived 2010-11-25 at the Wayback Machine Michigan Nature Association
  2. Dowagiac Woods brochure Archived 2010-12-17 at the Wayback Machine Michigan Nature Association
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