FLORA AND FAUNA
The Grass River Natural Area is a biodiversity hotspot covering 1,492 acres. The natural area features nine natural communities: northern fen, northern wet meadow, rich conifer swamp, poor conifer swamp, hardwood conifer swamp, emergent marsh, northern shrub thicket, mesic northern forest, and dry-mesic northern forest.
More than 500 species of plants, 147 species of birds, 35 species of fish, and 33 reptiles and amphibians have been identified. Grass River is a 2.5 mile waterway connecting Lake Bellaire and Clam Lake, forming part of Antrim County’s “Chain of Lakes.”
See a full report from a 2017 MNFI Study at Grass River Natural Area HERE.
More than 500 species of plants, 147 species of birds, 35 species of fish, and 33 reptiles and amphibians have been identified. Grass River is a 2.5 mile waterway connecting Lake Bellaire and Clam Lake, forming part of Antrim County’s “Chain of Lakes.”
See a full report from a 2017 MNFI Study at Grass River Natural Area HERE.
HABITATS & NATURAL COMMUNITIES
northern fen, northern wet meadow, rich conifer swamp, poor conifer swamp, hardwood conifer swamp, emergent marsh, northern shrub thicket, mesic northern forest, and dry-mesic northern forest.
TREESAmerican Basswood
Bigtooth Aspen Quaking Aspen Balsam Fir Balsam Poplar Black Cherry Black Spruce American Beech Eastern Hemlock Jack Pine Northern Red Oak White Oak Red Pine Red Maple Silver Maple Tamarack White Ash Black Ash White Birch Yellow Birch White Cedar White Pine |
FAUNAReptiles
Eastern Garter Snake Eastern Hognose Snake Eastern Milk Snake Northern Brown Snake Northern Red-bellied Snake Northern Ribbon Snake Northern Ringneck Snake Northern Water Snake Smooth Green Snake Blanding's Turtle Painted Turtle Snapping Turtle Wood Turtle Northern Map Turtle Five-lined Skink Amphibians American Toad Bull Frog Green Frog Gray Treefrog Northern Leopard Frog Pickeral Frog Spring Peeper Wood Frog Western Chorus Frog Blue Spotted Salamander Central Newt Four-toed Salamander Mudpuppy Red-backed Salamander Spotted Salamander Mammals
Coyote Opossum Big Brown Bat Black Bear Snowshoe Hare Eastern Cottontail Bobcat Woodchuck Whitetail Deer Beaver River Otter Long-tailed Weasel Mink Muskrat White-footed Mouse Meadow Vole Woodland Jumping Mouse |
Birds Grass River on eBird Hotspot - Species list on eBird Grass River eBird information Using eBird Flow Chart Bird Blitz Information Bird List by Habitat - 2013 Bird Blitz Map Bird Blitz Report - 2012 Bird Blitz Report - 2011 Birding Code of Ethics:
Fish
Bluntnose Minnow Brook Trout Common Bluegill Lake Trout Muskellunge Northern Black Bullhead Northern Pike Northern Rock Bass Northern Smallmouth Bass Sand Shiner Walleye Yellow Perch |
WILDFLOWERS AT GRASS RIVER
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May
Arbutus, Trailing Blueberry, Velvet-leaf Chokeberry, Red Dogwood, Red osier False Solomon seal, 3-leaved False Solomon seal, Starry Foam flower Garlic mustard (exotic, invasive) Goldthread Jack in the pulpit Labrador tea Leather leaf Lily, Trout Marigold, Marsh Mayflower, Canada Pitcher plant, Northern Polygala, Fringed Raspberry, Dwarf Rosemary, Bog Sarsaperilla, Wild Starflower Toothwort Trillum, White Violet, Am. Dog Violet, Common blue Water avens |
Epigaea repens Vaccinium myrtilloides Photinia melanocarpa Cornus sericea Maianthemum trifolium Maianthemum stellata Tiarella cordifolia Alliaria petiolata Coptis trifolia Arisaema triphyllum Ledum groenlandicum Chamaedaphne calyculata Erythronium americanum Caltha palustris Maianthemum canadense Sarracenia purpurea Polygala paucifolia Rubus pubescens Andromeda glaucophylla Aralia nudicaulis Trientalis borealis Cardamine concatenata Trillium grandiflorum Viola labradorica Viola sororia Geum rivale |
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June
Anenome, Canada Anenome, wood Bedstraw, marsh Blue-eyed grass Bog moss Bunchberry Buttercup, Swamp Buttercup, Tall Campion, White Cinnamon fern Cinquefoil, marsh Cinquefoil, Shrubby Cotton grass Cranberry, large Cranberry, small Creeping snowberry Flag, Large blue (or Harlequin blue) Fleabane, Common Forget me not (introduced, naturalized) Garlic mustard (exotic, invasive) Hawkweed, Field Hawkweed, Orange Hawkweed, Panicled Honeysuckle, Glaucous Hound's tongue Indian pipe Iris, Yellow Lady slipper, Pink Lady slipper, Yellow Lily of the Valley Lily, Wood Loosestrife, Tufted Mint, Hairy wood Nightshade, Bittersweet Orchid, Northern green Ox-eye daisy Partridgeberry Poison ivy Poison sumac Ragwort, Golden Ragwort, Round leaved Royal fern Rue, Tall meadow Sensitive fern Skullcap, marsh Snakeroot, Black Spurge, Leafy Sweet gale Trillium, Nodding Twinflower |
Anenome Canadensis Anenome quinquefolia Galium palustre Sisyrinchium montanum Sphagnum spp. Cornus Canadensis Ranunculus hispidus Ranunculus acris Silene latifolia Osmuna cinnamomea Comarum palustre Dasiphora fruticosa Eriophorum spp. Vaccinium oxycoccos Vaccinium macrocarpon Gaultheria hispidula Iris versicolor Erigeron philadelphicus Myosotis scerpiodes Alliaria petiolata Hieracium pratense Hieracium aurantiacum Hieracium paniculatum Lonicera dioica Cynoglossum officinale Monotropa uniflora Iris pseudacorus Cypripedium acaule Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens Maianthemum candense Lilium philadelphicum Lysimachia thyrsiflora Blephilia hirsuta Solanum dulcamara Platanthera aquilonis Leucanthemum vulgare Mitchella repens Toxicodendron radicans Toxicodendron vernix Packera aurea Packera obovata Osmunda regalis Thalictrum pubescens Onoclea sensibilis Scutellaria galericulata Sanicula marilandica Euphorbia esula Myrica gale Trillium cernuum Linnaea borealis |
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July
Allysum, Hoary Bellflower, Marsh Black-eyed Susan Bladder fern Blueberry, Common Boneset Braken fern Cinquefoil, Common Cinquefoil, Rough-fruited Clover, White Dewberry, Swamp Ground pine Joe pye weed, Spotted Knapweed, Spotted (exotic, invasive) Loosestrife, Swamp Marsh fern Milkweed, Swamp Oak fern Plantain, Downy rattlesnake Rose, Swamp Self heal Shinleaf St. john’s wort, Common (invasive) Thistle, Marsh (exotic, invasive) Thistle, Swamp (native) Vetch, Cow Vetchling, Marsh Yarrow |
Bertoroa incana Campanula aparinoides Rudbeckia hirta Cystopteris bulbifera Vaccinum pallidum Eupatorium perfoliatum Pteridium aquilinum Potentilla simplex Potentilla recta Trifolium repens Rubus hispidus Lycopodium obscurum Eupatorium maculatum Centaurea stoebe Decodon verticillatus Thelypteris palustris Asclepias incarnata Gymnocarpium dryopteris Goodyera pubescens Rosa palustris Prunella vulgaris Pyrola elliptica Hypericum perforatum Cirsium palustre Cirsium muticum Vicia cracca Lathyrus palustris Achillea millefolium |
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August
Aster, Arrow-leaved Aster, Calico Aster, Swamp Aster, New England Aster, Panicled Bedstraw, Rough Bugleweed, Northern Cinquefoil, Purple Goldenrod, Canada Goldenrod, Round leaved Grass-of-parnassus Helleborine Hemlock, Bulb bearing Horehound, Water Joe pye weed, Spotted Lobelia, Blue Loosestrife, Purple (exotic, invasive) Orchid, Purple fringed Skullcap, Mad dog Skullcap, Marsh Turtlehead Willow-herb, Northern Wintergreen |
Symphyotrichum urophyllum Symphyotrichum lateriflorum Symphyotrichum puniceum Symphyotrichum novae-angliaelae Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Galium asprellum Lycopus uniflorus Comarum palustre Solidago canadensis Solidago patula Parnassia glauca Epipactis helleborine Cicuta bulbifera Lycopus americanus Eupatorium maculatum Lobelia siphilitica Lythrum salicaria Platanthera psycodes Scutellaria lateriflora Scutellaria galericulata Chelone glabra Epilobium ciliatum Gaultheria procumbens |
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