The 52-acre Lepard Nature Preserve in Caledonia joins a growing network of forests across the country recognized as protected Old-Growth Forests.
“These forests are extremely rare.”
Leona Addie is the Great Lakes Regional Manager for the Old-Growth Forest Network.
“Most of the country underwent extreme logging in the 1800s. West of the Mississippi, there's about 5% of remaining old growth forests. East of the Mississippi, it's about one%, and in states like Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, it's less than that at about 0.5%.“
The forest at Lepard Nature Preserve is not considered true old growth; long ago it did undergo a clear cut.
“However, since it has been properly managed throughout its time and because it has stretched strong resilience, it has been able to regrow those old growth characteristics. It has abundant large old trees, complex canopies, and vast root systems. It is developing everything that we are looking for.”
It is now one of 26 protected old-growth forests in Michigan, including Dolan Nature Sanctuary in Kent County, Aman and Duncan Parks in Ottawa County.
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