Habitat Types:

Habitat Loss and Fragmentation:

You may now be asking yourself, "Isn't there plenty of habitat for all these creatures? And isn't that what parks are for?"

The short answer is no. 

So, why isn't there enough habitat? 

Let's start by taking a look at a map with satellite imagery:

At first, there appears to be plenty of "green" spaces, but the farther we zoom out, notice how small that percentage of "green" space is compared to land altered by humans.

Can you think of any area near here that is completely undisturbed by humans? Is there anywhere that is not under some influence of light, noise, or toxic chemical pollution?... any watershed that does not contain human structure or land alteration?... anywhere that does not have at least one human within a mile radius?

Any place humans have developed the land into farms, housing, and urban areas has resulted in habitat loss and direct elimination of many local populations of plants and animals. A far less obvious, yet lethal threat lingers after this development, however, and that is habitat fragmentation. 

Habitat fragmentation places extreme pressure on many species. Remaining patches are often degraded by human activity. There simply is not enough space left to find food, mates, shelter, and other resources. Sometimes, there are not enough individuals or enough genetic diversity left in a remaining habitat patch to reproduce successfully. The populations of these species then decline, trapped in what little low quality habitat is left.

This means many developed areas, including our own, have yet to pay their extinction debt. 

Our Opportunity to Make a Difference:

Notice how the tree coverage around our lakes appears to be a stepping stone of habitat that connects to some larger patches of habitat, like the Hogbacks and Flint River corridor to the northwest and the Lapeer State Game Area to the northeast. 

Now let's look at the same map, but compare it with a wetlands map.

Notice how much of what appears to be remaining tree cover is restricted to wetlands areas. This is another reason we have a special opportunity in our community to protect habitat. Lakes and wetlands can form the backbone of habitat connectivity! 

Preserving and expanding this connectivity of our forests and wetland areas heavily relies on private land owners. We can ensure that our habitat patches remain intact and that our lakes contribute to high water quality and healthy wetlands throughout the area.

Where Do We Begin?:

Now that the need to preserve remaining habitat patches is clear, let's talk about the top 5 ways  we can expand that habitat and properly support the wildlife species we all care about.

1. Grow native plants

This is one of the easiest, and yet most impactful, ways to increase habitat. Native plants are beautiful, low maintenance, and drought tolerant. Yes, as you have likely heard, it is imperative to start replacing your lawn with native plants and trees. This understandably takes time and resources, but every square foot makes a difference. Transforming a lawn into native plantings comes with additional benefits as well: less time spent mowing; less money spent on maintenance, fuel, and equipment; reduction of air pollutants; decreased stormwater runoff; decreased erosion; and increased shade just to name a few.

Visit The ToolBox's Plants page to learn about which plants are best for your yard and where to source local plants.

2. Protect our lakes and wetlands

It is clear from our map exploration that stewardship of our lakes and wetlands is vital. To keep our water clean and support aquatic wildlife, there are a few simple things each of us can do:

• Reduce or eliminate fertilizer use.  Nutrient pollution , from sources like lawn fertilizer and pet waste, is why many lakes experience eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. Algal blooms create cloudy, low-oxygen water conditions and can make a lake toxic to swim in. 

• Eliminate pesticide use. Many pesticides, such as  glyphosate  (Roundup), have been found to have negative direct and indirect effects on ecosystems. These chemicals often accumulate in soil and water, having unforeseen, long-term consequences on both human and wildlife health.

• Keep natural shorelines. This is important for runoff filtration, erosion reduction, and wildlife that need access to and from the water.

• Watch, report, and remove aquatic invasive species. Invasive plants, like phragmites, and invasive animals, like zebra mussels, can severely disrupt aquatic ecosystems, limiting available wildlife food and outcompeting native species.

Visit The ToolBox's Water page to learn more about how you can protect the lakes.

3. Advocate for environmental protection

As we have seen in the previous maps, the habitat patches that remain are often located on private land. How do we ensure those areas are protected? First, we can open a dialogue with our neighbors. Let them know you appreciate the undeveloped habitat on their land. Talk about ways you can be stewards of public areas together. Second, be an environmental advocate. Laws and policies are often the only roadblock standing between developers and habitat. Learning about local issues, supporting environmental nonprofits, and voting are all vital. These actions, taken over time, create a culture that values habitat and wildlife instead of exploiting it. 

Visit the ToolBox's Sustainability page to find more ways to advocate.

4. Participate in citizen science

The more we understand about how the environment around us works and changes, the more insight we gain into how to heal our relationship with the land. Try using citizen science apps like Merlin, eBird, and iNaturalist to explore and observe. There are many local and national projects that rely on people like you to collect the data that will be used to help protect our natural heritage. Participating in citizen science can also be a great opportunity to visit local nature preserves and parks, where you can gain a sense of the state of remaining habitat and imagine what could be.

Visit The ToolBox's Projects page for ideas of how to participate.

5. Be mindful 

Perhaps the most important tool to protect habitat and wildlife is to be mindful. Every action we take has an impact, and we often do not extend our thoughts beyond our own species. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the heating for our homes... it all depends on natural resources from somewhere. There isn't an "away" for which to throw our garbage, only a habitat area somewhere else that we are willing to sacrifice and exploit. We depend on the interconnectedness of all living creatures, and those connections deserve our attention.

Conclusion

The land and wildlife here have brought many of us years of joy, but unless we strive to protect and expand what habitat remains, we will lose this beauty. 

Unless we act now, we doom many of our wild friends to extinction. 

If you want future generations to know the thrill of plunging into the lake's clean waters, to be surrounded with spring bird song, and to find connection with all their living relatives, this is your chance. This is our chance. We can do this.