MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Meridian Township’s Land Preservation Program held an event at the Towar Woods Preserve located at the Northwest corner of Meridian Township along the northern boundary of the Tower Neighborhood and the western boundary of the Walnut Hills Country Club in Haslett, MI on Saturday, May 1st in honor of Arbor Day, which was celebrated this year on April 30th.

30 Volunteers in the community came to show their support and plant 205 native trees creating a diverse forest in a degraded part of the preserve. 8 different species were being planted and protected from deer browsing. Emma Campbell, the Land Stewardship Coordinator of Meridian Township, Meridian Township Treasurer Phil Deschaine were in attendance, and Don Dickman, a Professor of Emeritus of Forestry at Michigan State University.

HOMTV spoke with a Steward of the Towar Woods Preserve, Dave Cazsett, who also received a local grant from the Our Community Foundation to purchase the trees, as well as protecting them said he and the volunteers have planted two other times and primarily doing replacements and lost 22% of trees which is natural. Cazsett says, “We’re replacing those trees with the 8 species that’s done the best in the past. Due to the population of Deer, 3,000 total which were red pine and white pine were wiped out as food.”

Caszett was blown away from the support he has received from the community and would love to talk to other people who are thinking about doing this, and has lots of ideas to pass on to other neighbor associations and added, “I would like other places to do this and use the Land Preservation wisely. It’s a great program, great idea to save property and perpetuity for generations to come.”

For more information about this event, contact Emma Campbell at 517.853.4614 or email her at ecampbell@meridian.mi.us