The Buzzzz at Grand River Fen Preserve
Endangered Bumblebees Discovered at TNC’s Restored Prairie.
After eight years of prairie restoration work, several species of bumblebee— including the state-endangered American bumblebee (Bombus pennsylvanicus)— are buzzing about at TNC’s Grand River Fen Preserve.
“This is such an exciting discovery! For someone like me who works in conservation restoration, to restore habitat that brings back an endangered species, this is huge,” says Kim Steinberger, restoration project manager for TNC in Michigan.
Quote: Kim Steinberger
We’ve said, ‘If you build it, they will come,’ and it is true! It is deeply gratifying when you find a species that hasn’t been seen in a while. It means we’re doing something right.
Grand River Fen Preserve
From crucial wetlands to unique oak savannas, the Grand River Fen Preserve has many special habitats supporting rare and endangered species, like Mitchell’s satyr butterfly and bog bluegrass. To improve the health of these ecosystems and protect more contiguous habitats, TNC has been working to restore prairies. The bumblebees were found at a former agricultural site that TNC spent years converting to native prairie in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Including the American bumblebee, the Michigan Natural Features Inventory identified nine species of bumblebee in the restored prairie at Grand River Fen, a record for the area.
Prescribed fire for thriving prairies
The prairies, fens and oak savannas at the Grand River Fen Preserve are fire-dependent ecosystems. Fire is a natural disturbance that can help manage invasive species, restore nutrients for the soil and reduce decaying material that, if allowed to accumulate, can fuel destructive wildfires that burn hotter and last longer.
TNC uses prescribed fire to manage areas on many of our preserves throughout the state, including Grand River Fen Preserve. Last year, we carefully applied fire on 238 acres of our land across Michigan and Ohio, and we plan to treat even more acreage in the future. Learn more
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