LeFurge Preserve -- owned by the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This 325 acre property includes woods, a small amount of restored wetlands, and, primarily, formerly farmed fields. The fields are being restored to natural habitat. They back up to an old growth forest. The entrance to the property is on the east side of Prospect Road exactly 1/2 mile north of Geddes Road (and 1/2 mile south of Vreeland Road -- there is a drain at approximately the northern edge of the property). There are small signs (not highly visible from the road) and a locked gate at the property entrance. Parking is on the shoulder of the road. There are several damp areas on the property, which will be restored to natural wetland as one of Superior Land Conservancy's restoration efforts. A walk on the property can be very interesting (coyotes have even been seen here), with great birding, especially near the woods and in the wet corners of the property. The 325 acres extend from Geddes on the south nearly all the way to Vreeland on the north. from Jack Smiley, April 7, 2010 -- This is SMLC's largest nature preserve. SMLC made five land purchases over the course of 11 years to consolidate this splendid preserve which features forest, wetland and grassland habitats, along with some open farmland. Parking is available on the east side of Prospect Road, about 1/4 mile south of Vreeland, near the LeFurge wetland. Parking is also available along the road at the trailhead on Vreeland Road, 1/4 mile east of Prospect. ---- Superior Land Conservancy was established several years ago in Superior Township (just east of Ann Arbor), and has made some great strides, together with the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, in land/habitat preservation in the midst of tremendous pressure to develop. Through April 1996 the SLC and SMLC made three land acquisitions (LeFurge Preserve, Springhill Nature Preserve, and Cherry Hill Preserve) in Superior Township. They are working to preserve other natural areas within the Township. Please consider becoming a member of the Superior Land Conservancy to help in this effort! For information about Superior Land Conservancy, call Bill Secrest (the Chairman of the SLC board) at (734) 482-5957, or e-mail Jan Berry at jeberry@umich.edu. For information about the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, contact Jack Smiley, President, at Smileysmlc@aol.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Smileysmlc@aol.com Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2004 08:47:38 EDT Subject: [birders] LeFurge Woods To: birders@umich.edu LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve, owned by Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy East side of Prospect Road, between Geddes and Vreeland Roads Superior Township, Washtenaw County - West half of Section 27 (from Prospect Road east 1/2 mile), and portions of Section 22 (including land north of Vreeland Road) This is an invitation for people to do some birding at LeFurge Woods this weekend. We will plan to have the gates open on Saturday and Sunday so that people can park at the wetland parking lot, on the east side of Prospect Road, 3/4 mile north of Geddes. (At other times, parking is available along the roadway.) For a map and directions, go to www.mapquest.com and use the address 2384 N. Prospect Road, Ypsilanti, MI 48198. We would appreciate if people could notify us about species observed, especially notable species. We have a pretty good list of birds observed or heard on the property, but we would like to add to our list, especially for warblers. We are looking to better document which species utilize the area so that we can use that information in some grant applications to purchase additional land in the area. Species information has been especially helpful for U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service grants. The Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy has made 6 acquisitions over the past 11 years, consolidating 404 acres of habitat at LeFurge during a time of intense habitat fragmentation. We have a good mix of field, wetland and forest habitats...so LeFurge Woods provides for some good birding opportunities. On Saturday, also feel free to stop by our new farm at 8383 Vreeland Road, 1/2 mile east of Prospect. We will be working on the farm from 11 a.m. until late afternoon/evening. Stop by to check out the farm or to walk the property north of Vreeland (we own over 1/2 mile to the north). We presently have an option to buy an additional 20 acres along Cherry Hill Road (to the north), and we are looking to make other major purchases in the area. Any assistance in documenting species would be greatly appreciated. Good birding! P.S. If anyone would like a copy of our latest newsletter, please drop me a note and I'll be happy to mail one out to you. Jack Smiley President Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy www.landconservancy.com --------------------------------------------------------------- From: Smileysmlc@aol.com Date: Sun, 9 Oct 2005 14:39:24 EDT Subject: [birders] LeFurge Woods - New Parking Spot/Evening sightings To: birders@umich.edu Parking at LeFurge Woods in Superior Township: Parking at LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve has been limited to two spots along Prospect Road--at the gates which are 1/2 mile and 3/4 mile north of Geddes Road. Since Prospect Road is a heavily traveled road, birders might want to take advantage of a new parking spot which is on Vreeland Road, 1/4 mile east of Prospect. A new sign has been placed at this spot on Vreeland Road, alongside a trail which leads south towards the LeFurge wetland. Follow the east edge of the farm field back to a bridge which crosses the creek. The trail over the bridge will take you through a nice shrubby habitat towards the wetland. We plan to eventually build a parking lot at this Vreeland Road entrance, but for the time being you can simply park along the roadside. I walked this trail yesterday at sunset and was greeted by a rainbow and a good number of birds. A Great Horned Owl hooted in the woods, 300 Red-winged Blackbirds flocked overhead, a Great Blue Heron rose Pterodactyl-like from the wetland, and several sparrows flitted from the grasses, including a few White-crowned Sparrows. A dozen muskrats were scurrying about the wetland when 64 Canada Geese descended for the night. Darkness obscured my vision as either a Woodcock or Snipe took flight. LeFurge Woods remains one of my favorite spots in southeast Michigan. I hope you'll enjoy it, too. As always, please let us know of the species you observe. Such documentation helps greatly in the grant proposals we make to purchase additional land. Jack Smiley Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy www.landconservancy.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- To: birders@umich.edu Subject: [birders] LeFurge Woods access points Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:40:30 -0500 From: smileysmlc@aol.com Since some of you may be heading out to LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve this weekend in search of the Bohemian Waxwing (and, hopefully, other birds), I thought I'd remind people of the primary access points. 1) On Vreeland Road, 1/4 mile east of Prospect. Feel free to park along the road. The trail at the sign leads you south across the creek, through thick shrub habitat, to the large wetland area. 2) Parking lot on east side of Prospect Road at wetland, 1/4 mile south of Vreeland. The gate for this parking area will be open on Saturday and Sunday. 3) Driveway entering off east side of Prospect Road, 1/2 mile south of Vreeland (1/2 mile north of Geddes). This gate is usually locked, but I will have it open for Saturday and possibly Sunday. You can follow the drive back to the left and reach a parking area near our campfire site. As long as the ground remains frozen, this driveway provides a nice entrance. Caution: the parking lot, driveway and paths are ICY! Good luck searching--and please let me know if you find a Bohemian Waxwing or any other unusual bird! Jack Smiley Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy www.SMLCland.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:00:34 -0500 Subject: Lefurge Preserve From: Laurent Fournier To: bbowman99@comcast.net I really like that place, even if it is probably not as good for spring migrants as the Arb or Dolph Park. Yes, this is basically 25% (cattail marsh), 25% grassland, 25% woods, 25% farm fields, so it is possible to get a very nice list on one visit. The cattail marsh almost always has Marsh Wrens and Swamp Sparrows. This year there was a pair of Least Bittern that probably bred there (I managed a recording of them). I know that American Bitterns were seen too this year. North of the cattail marsh, there is a small (usually muddy) trail that goes through the brushes toward another wet area (you can see that area from Vreeland road, but I think the parking lot on Vreeland is gone now). I never really got any good waterfowl, though (for that, take a look on the other side of Prospect, "Meyer Preserve") The grassland is pretty good too. Last year I had Henslow's Sparrows, this year I had a YB chat. I have never seen meadowlarks or Bobolinks, though. In the fall it is a good spot to find Rusty Blackbirds, early in the morning when the roost of RWBB is leaving the marsh. Very good spot for sparrows too, especially in the fall. If you go there, don't miss the "picnic area", an elevated area on the east side of the grassland. Always good for sparrows, and warblers in the spring (I had a Connecticut with Roger Wyke this spring). Always about 5-7 pairs of Willow Flycatchers around that area. And yes, there is a very good trail system, although it might get muddy around the marsh at times (in the spring, the back of the pond is completely flooded). You can walk around the grassland very easily. I sometimes take my son with me. From the grassland you have a couple of trails going inside the woods, but they are sometimes a bit confusing. I wish they would have a map available. In the long term, I think this area will become even better with the addition of the northwest corner of Vreeland and Prospect. They are going to create an additional wetland there, making the whole area even more attractive. Right now I would not go there, though, as walking through the grasses and wet area is precarious at best. But the conservancy is going (or already has, I don't remember) to get ownership of that area, so I am expecting some significant improvements there. Laurent