Grass River Natural Area, Inc.
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FLORA AND FAUNA

The Grass River Natural Area is a biodiversity hotspot covering 1,502 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.
Cranes on Grass River

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.

TREES

American 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

FAUNA

Reptiles 
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:
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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

See a full plant list from a 2017 MNFI Study at Grass River Natural Area HERE.
Download printable wildflower lists on our Online Education page.
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


Trillium in the spring
Jack in the Pulpit

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
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
Osmunda regalis
Thalictrum pubescens
Onoclea sensibilis
Scutellaria galericulata
Sanicula marilandica
Euphorbia esula
Myrica gale

Trillium cernuum
Linnaea borealis


Showy Lady Slipper
Wood lily
Indian Pipes

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
Black Eyed Susan
Picture

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
Aster with monarch butterfly
Goldenrod
Click here for extensive info on Michigan's Invasive Plants from MNFI...
Picture

Grass River Natural Area
6500 Alden Hwy, P.O. Box 231
Bellaire, MI 49615
Office: 231.533.8314
Grass River Center: 231.533.8576

Copyright 2024 Grass River Natural Area
Website created by BrickHouseInteractive.com
Photos from Dustin Ginetz, pvdEric