Portage Township is in the process of converting 1.5 acres of township land into a “pocket prairie” with native plants to support insects, birds, and small animals. The work is funded through a $2,000 grant from the Chippewa Luce Mackinac Conservation District (CLMCD). Donations and in-kind donations of $2,363 have funded the rest of the project.
Though small in price, the work will take a few years to complete. The area will be prepped and seeded with native grasses and plants and will be permanently fenced. A walking path book trail illustrating the life cycle of the monarch butterfly will be installed, and bluebird houses and bee hotels will be ready to welcome winged guests.
The native plants will be purchased from and installed by Northern Natives, a Newberry-based company that sources local seeds from native plants that thrive in our local ecosystem.
Curtis resident Dawn Buckley, a self-professed lover of native plants, worked with Portage Township Treasurer Pat MacLachlan and volunteer Barb Frazier on the plans, and Frazier wrote the grant for the work.
“I’ve just had this dream that we could have a prairie place in this area on this side of the county,” Buckley said.
The prairie will take time to develop, Buckley said – some plants won’t flower until their third year. As native plants, however, they’re expected to flourish and provide benefits to humans, wildlife, and pollinators for years to come.
“Northern Natives is pleased to work with Portage Township and the CLMCD on this native wildflower garden,” said Ken Kerkhof, owner of Northern Natives. “Pollinators need our support now more than ever. We hope to make this installation a certified monarch waystation when completed.”
