E XC AVAT I O N / SITE WORK
PHOTO BY MARCI CHRISTIAN, CAM MAGAZINE
Deer roam the newly sculpted uplands of the Refuge Gateway, courtesy of Glencorp, Inc.
Finding New Ground MOVING FROM INDUSTRIAL PLANTS TO NATIVE PLANTS AT THE REFUGE GATEWAY B Y M A RY E . K R E M P O S K Y, A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R alking the grounds of what will become the gateway and visitor center to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (DRIWR) is like time traveling through three different centuries. In one direction is the quiet forest of Humbug Marsh, the last mile of natural shoreline remaining on the U.S. mainland of the Detroit River. With oaks over five feet in diameter, Humbug Marsh is a vision of presettlement America. In the other direction, native plants give way to industrial plants in a tableau rooted in the 20th century. The Refuge Gateway is tucked between the two in a 44-acre parcel of land poised to become a 21st century model of sustainability. Under a master plan formulated by Detroit-based Hamilton Anderson Associates, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Wayne County Division of Parks, a dedicated team transformed this former industrial site into a wetland fringed in cattails and a gently rolling upland dotted with deer. In Phase I, Glencorp, Inc., an earthmoving contractor based in Shelby Township, carved the wetlands and sculpted the uplands now rippling across half of the site where on a bright morning a deer mounts a rise, its sleek form outlined against the twin stacks of the Trenton Channel Power Plant. “What attracts people is the paradox of what we are doing,” said John H. Hartig, PhD, refuge manager, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “People
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wonder, ‘How can you take a Brownfield site and restore habitat? How can you be in the shadow of a major power plant and do this?’ It’s a paradox, but it is also a great model. If it can be done here, it can be done anywhere.” How is it being done? The first half of the answer is the support of DTE and other corporations, the backing of the Kresge Foundation and similar institutions, plus sheer community enthusiasm. The second half of the answer is the expertise and talents of Glencorp, Hamilton Anderson and other companies in Michigan’s design and construction industry. Constructing a wetland is second nature to Glencorp. For over 15 years, the company has been excavating, sculpting and re-seeding ponds, wetlands and other watery havens for ducks, turtles and water lilies. The work was done for commercial developments, but little did anyone know how valuable this talent would become for a site directly next door to this rare mile of natural shoreline. This talent for building ponds and boggy places has been a godsend for the Refuge Gateway. “The quality of Glencorp’s work was truly exceptional,” said Hartig. “They were phenomenal to work with, and they went the extra mile for us.” Thanks to Glencorp and Hamilton Anderson, the first seeds of change “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®