MiSustainable Holland: Did you know you can contract with ODC to restore land?
HOLLAND — The Outdoor Discovery Center Network aims to advance outdoor education and conservation throughout West Michigan. One of the nine business branches fulfilling the organization's conservation goals is ODC Conservation Services.
Established in 2016, the ODC Conservation Services team provides land management restoration services, invasive species management and wildlife habitat conservation improvements to public and private landowners of West Michigan.
The team offers free consultations and the opportunity to customize contracts for land management or ecological restoration needs. Some noteworthy projects over the past eight years include the prairie restoration and invasive species management at Rabbit River Preserve, property and land management at Holland Energy Park, and miles of streambank restoration that create a healthier ecosystem and wildlife habitat within the Macatawa Watershed.
The team also works closely with Project Clarity, the ODC business branch dedicated to improving the water quality of Lake Macatawa. Together, the two teams implement land management best practices to improve watershed tributaries before they flow into Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan.
In early 2022, Conservation Services was contracted by Tiara Yachts, a Holland-based luxury yacht manufacturer, to restore a 17.6-acre parcel just north of the main Tiara facility off Waverly Road.
As specified in the contract, the restoration services “will create wildlife and pollinator habitats, reduce the carbon footprint and maintenance costs associated with lawn care, and create more green space for our community to enjoy.”
The work is projected to remove 276.76 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the next 40 years. The restoration will also remove 3,000 pounds of air pollution and prevent 780,000 gallons of stormwater run-off from entering the tributaries of the Macatawa Watershed.
The site preparation, seeding and reforestation — the process of re-planting an area with trees — took place in 2022, with trail installation to begin this year.
The meadow restoration process is still underway, but the impact of the completed conservation work has already made a local difference. In spring 2022, the Conservation Services team planted nearly 18 acres of a diverse pollinator shortgrass prairie seed mix. The seeding mix sprouted native wildflower species while also improving the soil quality.
As members of our community ventured out to see the restored acres, local beekeepers discovered the meadow prairie pollinator plants attracted honeybees. By the end of the summer, the beekeepers constructed hives, replaced combs, and harvested honey from the new honeybee population.
Throughout the 2023 growing season, the team will assess and inspect the restoration area for any issues that may need to be treated. The project features two years of work and 40 years of impact, on acreage equivalent to four blocks of Eighth Street.
— Alexa Redick is the vice president of marketing and communications at the ODC Network.
About This Series:MiSustainable Holland is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives.This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme: Environmental Awareness/Action: Environmental education and integrating environmental practices into our planning will change negative outcomes of the past and improve our future.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: MiSustainable Holland: Did you know you can contract with ODC to restore land?
