Friends of the Forest Make New Sugar Bush a Sweet Reality

By Tom Springer, Kalamazoo Nature Center

When Michiganders hear “sugarbush,” they think of sunny, late winter days when sweet sap flows in crystalline trickles from the trunks of tapped sugar maples. They picture a “sugar shack” where evaporators boil untold gallons of fresh sap into maple syrup, the perfect natural sweetener for pancakes. (Or waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage, rice, grits, quinoa, you name it.)

While we focus on the final mouthwatering product, it’s easy to overlook the healthy forest that’s required to produce it. Maple trees are only one of the keystone species that comprise the majestic beech maple forest found at places like the Kalamazoo Nature Center. In a natural forest, maples grow alongside companion trees such as basswood, hackberry, hickory, red oak, paw paw and black ash. And when one species falls prey to a new insect pest, or the effects of climate change, the whole forest can suffer with it.

KNC has launched its Friends of the Forest program to combat these emergent threats. Donations to FoF help KNC staff as they remove dead and diseased trees, along with fast-growing invasive species such as honeysuckle vines that can smother new growth. Once the excess woody debris and undergrowth has been removed, donations help with annual replanting efforts that will eventually span 15 acres.

“Our attachment to this beautiful beech maple forest is one of the reasons why KNC was founded in the first place,” said Jessica Simons, vice president for conservation and stewardship. “For 60+ years these forests have meant a lot to us. But in the last 20 years, they’ve faced the double whammy of climate change and the onslaught of the emerald ash borer.”

The woods behind the Alice Batts Apkarian and Ara Apkarian Maple Sugar Shack bear evidence of KNC’s new ap- proach. The emerald ash borer killed dozens of trees here. Their bleached trunks lay akimbo on the forest floor like an upturned box of giant wooden matches. With the dense shade gone, which require extensive watering. “We plant more than 16 species and have chosen those that will be more resilient in a changing climate,” Simons said. KNC acquired its maple trees from Ohio and central Indiana. Trees from these southerly regions are better acclimated to the warmer winters that climate change will increasingly bring to Michigan.

“The trees are the least expensive part of our restoration program,” Simons said. “What donations cover most is the extensive preparation and maintenance that’s required to prepare ground for a new forest.” invasive plants thrived in the abundant sunlight. Here, KNC uses a powerful chipping machine to turn the clutter into mulch. In fall, they plant around 200 trees in the 3-5 feet range to reestablish the forest. Plastic tubes protect the saplings from predators and act as a mini-greenhouse to encourage faster growth. The smaller trees take root faster than larger transplant trees,

KNC has restored 2.5 acres since 2020. Along with planting new trees in fall, they replace trees that didn’t survive in the areas planted earlier. On average, Simons said, about two-thirds of planted trees survive – a far higher percentage than with most re-reforestation efforts.

This fall, KNC will install a new display on the sugar shack that uses “tree cookies” to honor Friends of the Forest donors. To donate, visit https://naturecenter.org/support/friendsoftheforest/ Or call Tom Springer in the KNC Development office at 269.381.1574

Tom Springer is vice president for development at the Kalamazoo Nature Center.

By Steve Ellis

Howe is just a few miles south of the Michigan border. It was settled in 1834 and originally named “Mongoquinong”, a Potawatomi name for the prairies. It was later renamed “Lima” and eventually “Howe” after John B. Howe, a local attorney.

In June, I took a leisurely backroads drive through Vicksburg, Mendon, Nottawa and Sturgis, before heading about 6 miles south on M66 which turns into State Road 9 once you cross the Indiana border. I turned east on State Road 120, admiring the stately old homes as I headed into the picturesque downtown Howe.

I parked my car and headed into The Gathering Place for breakfast. The restaurant was busy. They served large, tasty portions of food at a great price! The western omelet that I ordered, came with American fries - it was delicious. I asked a couple sitting at the next table a few questions about Howe and a lady on the other side of me overheard me and said, “I can help you!” She introduced herself as Margaret Malone and her friend sitting with her, as Sandy Fanning. They had lived most of their lives in Howe and gave me quite the rundown on the town’s history. Margaret runs an animal rescue and adoption organization and told me to make sure to stop into the used bookstore, Ark Paws and Claws Bookstore, that raises money for the organization and “buy some books!”

I asked Margaret about the large brick buildings I noticed heading into town and she told me that this was once the Howe Military Academy. I did a little research and read that the school began in 1884 as Howe Grammar School with two boys. The school became a military school in 1895 and was renamed Howe Military Academy, becoming the town’s most famous attraction. As of September 2008, Howe was one of 28 military schools in the United States, down from a high of 125. On March 18, 2019, Howe announced it would be closing its doors due to fiscal challenges and in June 2020, the school property and its buildings were sold for $3 million to Olivet, a New Yorkbased religious organization. The Academy’s most famous alumni was actor John Cromwell. The Military Academy yearbooks are online and I found that one of Kalamazoo’s