I am positive if I searched this blog for the words “my favorite nature nook” or “Council Point Park” the amount of hits would be overwhelming. This small venue, which runs along the Ecorse Creek and is smack-dab in the middle of a residential area, has been my daily happy place, weather permitting, since 2013. The Park is small enough to immerse myself in nature without a long drive and, through the years, I am sure my steps have taken me along every square inch of the perimeter path … and then some. I know what trees erupt into blossom first each Spring and those that are first to be cloaked in radiant jewel-like colors each Autumn. The same wildflowers have graced the walking path year after year and I mark Spring’s arrival, not by the calendar date, but by the return of the Red-winged Blackbirds trilling in the marshy area along the Creek near “The Point”.
Likewise when the mulberries, apples and black walnuts arrive, I don’t even need to show up as the Park critters indulge in Mother Nature’s treats instead, not rushing over for treats. Yes, I admit I enjoy being a modern-day version of Snow White with squirrels and birds greeting my arrival and yes, I “get” that they gather around me, not because of my personality per se, but the fact that I’m toting treats like sunflower seeds, shelled peanuts and peanuts in the shell, but it sure is nice to be the center of attention at any rate. In the Winter, I hand out whole walnuts or Nutter Butters to perk up their sagging spirits during the long bouts of brutal cold, snow and ice that linger long into Spring. Longtime followers of this blog know how I fret when icy weather keeps me from walking along the Park’s perimeter path in the dead of Winter; of course you know my angst is not the ambiance or walking miles I miss, but worry for the critters that do forage for food, but also depend upon my frequent visits.
Today’s post is a tale of a paradise lost, not from the wiles of Mother Nature, but due to mankind and something called “progress” both which have left this bleeding heart seeing red.
In my recent post about tree hugging and the “Run for the Trees 5K” I showed you the orange surveyor’s ribbons and marks where the Ecorse Creek was scheduled to be widened 15 feet across to allow for enhanced flow and an improved habitat along the shoreline. I was aghast once I saw how many trees would be gone, knowing full well that squirrels and birds make their homes in these trees. The project would begin during nesting season. What would be the outcome of heavy machinery versus critters’ nests, offspring still in those nests, plus the Canada Geese and Mallard Ducks that nest along the shoreline each April to May?
This $11 million dollar county project was to begin April 8th. The original behemoth amphibious vehicle that was parked in the corner of the parking lot was joined by three smaller earth-moving machines with wide treads and, as each munching machine was added to the project’s arsenal, I had a sinking feeling that Council Point Park, 30 years the natural gem of our small City, was doomed, as were the critters who had made their home in these trees for many years. Our City’s Mayor responded to my e-mail about the unnecessary destruction of the trees/nests along the Ecorse Creek Shoreline writing: “yes, this may be hard on animals for a bit but in the long run this project will be good for the wildlife, flow of the water and good for cities from Dearborn Heights to Lincoln Park.”
Suddenly, the change was both imminent and inevitable.
Each day I’d arrive at the Park wondering if this was the day the project would commence, but it remained status quo day after day until this sign was placed near the Park pavilion on May 6th …
… and on May 7th the three smaller earth-moving machines were driven to a staging area where they could easily enter the Creek. One of the orange machines even took a short test drive back to the parking lot while I was there, but there was no further action that day.
When I finished my walk May 7th I knew the Park as I had known it all these years was now living on borrowed time.
That evening severe weather hit parts of this state when four tornadoes did substantial damage, especially to Portage, Michigan. I was grateful to remain unscathed.
Paradise found.
The next morning, May 8th, dawned bright and beautiful in the aftermath of Mother Nature’s fury. I arrived at the Park, camera in hand as I walked around, doling out the usual fare as the Park’s “wildlife” scampered or flew over.
I shook my head that the crop of dandelions, once a vibrant yellow, had all gone to seed and the grass cutters were way overdue as you see in this photo. Note the abundance of trees to the left of the path and picnic table for comparison later in this post.
The Flowering Dogwood was gorgeous – you can see the backdrop of trees at the Creek shoreline.
The peanut-eating goose with the horizontal feather issue waddled over to eat the peanuts, managing to scarf down a few before I wagged a finger at it and, with a stern “no” for once it obeyed me and disappeared into the water.
Three families of Canada Geese, with goslings at different ages, lounged and/or grazed along the perimeter path.
I finally got to see the family with a dozen goslings a fellow walker had told me about. Mama gave me a haughty look as I apparently intruded into their morning graze time …
… so, along with Papa’s help, the pair quickly herded their goslings and paraded past me to the water’s edge and sped away.
I am glad my last amble was peaceful before the destruction began.
Paradise lost.
The following day we had rain and I didn’t walk and it was then the ravaging began. Later that day in our City’s Residents Forum on Facebook, a walker stopped by that afternoon and posted photos of the “new” shoreline. I felt sick seeing those photos and knew I had to see it for myself but first I would steel myself for this “new” look.
The destruction was even worse when I viewed it in person. I stood at the same spot where I took the photos of each of the four seasons at Council Point Park to create the header image collage and took this photo.
Remember the tree-lined pathway along the Creek? Well, all those trees were gone except way back near the Point, a half-mile away and those trees were felled a few days later.
To me, this sorry shoreline image best shows the drastic change after the destruction of all the beautiful trees. Some trees were removed as you see in the foreground; most remain piled up on the shoreline to this day.
In this slideshow, you will see the skinned trees, their bare wood stripped of bark. In speaking with some of the workers I have learned that the original plan to dredge the Creek has been scrapped and now, instead of widening the Creek by 15 feet, each shoreline, including “across the Creek” will have 12 feet removed.
Sure, there are grandiose plans after completion of the project; the Friends of the Detroit River will plant native plants along the shoreline – great, lovely, but the beautiful trees are all gone, as is the shade for us walkers, but … forget about the walkers – think about my furry and feathered friends.
I’m heartsick over the rampage and …
… what it has done to them. Just imagine the squirrels that lost their nests … and for some, their offspring. There were many nursing squirrels prior to the start of this devastation. After I saw this one, looking lost, not hunkered down eating peanuts. I wondered if she lost her kits.
Squirrels here in Michigan have two litters, one in mid-March to April and one in late August to September. The kits are born with closed eyes and totally dependent upon their mom and are not weaned and ready to leave the nest for about six weeks. On my first visit I saw squirrels prowling through the debris, sitting on stumps of fallen trees, some trees just bare wood. Were they looking for their nests and their offspring?
I understand from another walker that the amphibious bulldozer rolled through the Creek unearthing turtles and throwing them here, there and everywhere. I am glad I didn’t witness that and wish he hadn’t shared that story to me who enjoyed the occasional glimpse of turtles sunbathing on a log. A couple were spared as you saw in the slideshow. This is one of them.
And, before this ordeal began there was a pair of Wood Ducks at the Creek. I thought they were passing through but last week I saw a female Wood Duck with ducklings in tow. They’ll likely get out of here once the ducklings are strong enough to paddle a long distance.
I no longer take a camera to the Park and won’t be doing so for a long time.
The last few weeks have been a sad realization that this habitat will never be the same. The ambiance is gone, the squirrels are skittish and scared, even of me who has spent years interacting with them. The noise of the machinery kept them away from the path for the first week, finally venturing out for peanuts and seeds when the workers moved to the other walking loop past the Pavilion area. Never have I had to coax squirrels and birds to come and get seeds and peanuts – they scampered or flew over willingly. Unbelievably the squirrels that live in nests NOT near the Creek are timid – even Parker. I think the noise and sudden destruction terrifies them.
One by one I hope they will come around, even the birds, but my fear is they will venture out into the neighborhood, a place where most have never been, having lived their entire lives in the confines of the Park. I’ve already seen a couple of black squirrel’s bodies near the Park.
If you’ve read this post to the very end, thank you. You know how passionate I am about the Park and my interactions with its wildlife. I will try to be patient and hope that slowly but surely a sense of normalcy will prevail, remaining mindful of this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
Destruction in any form horrifies me, whether a natural setting, or as a result of war and conflict and, as I close out this very long post, I am taking a moment to ask you to remember the reason for this holiday weekend.
P.S. – Terri does not have a Photo Challenge this week due to the Memorial Day holiday.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
I can’t hit the like button. This is horrible. It breaks my heart.
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I know Dawn. Every time I go there I feel worse. They have ruined this park and their habitat.
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I hate when people do this. Consider timing when you start ripping down nests. It all makes me sad.
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I am upset every visit there now Kate. On top of it, they did all this destruction almost three weeks ago when their machines mowed down the trees and the trees are all still laying there. So consider nesting season if you’re just going to leave everything there anyway. None of it makes sense and my pleas fell on deaf ears.
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I’m sorry your paradise was destroyed.
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Thank you – yes, me too and not only for them, but for me, probably the walker who spent the most time and got more out this venue, then just pounding the pavement on the walking path and getting their steps in. I think with no bushes and trees to act as a buffer, the moisture from the Creek will create black ice when it gets colder, like October and might be bad for ice in Winter. I usually walk in the “donut hole” if ice is bad anyway … they had plowed the path in the collage picture, but that is usually not the case.
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I’m so sad to read this. That they waited until nesting season (winter too cold, summer too hot?) shows that they cared noting about the animals.
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It’s really upsetting to me Janis, especially since they ripped out the trees and the trees and tree debris is still there, just like these photos I took the day after they began. So, they could have waited until after nesting season. No respect toward a nature setting or its inhabitants.
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The four seasons photos is a tribute to your love of this park! 🐿️🌳🐥🦆🐢❤️
Manunkind. Senseless.💔😢❤️🩹 Wordless.
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Yes, I have no words either TD – it is senseless destruction of nature and breaks my heart. I got the idea to do the collage and faithfully stood at the same place every season to take a photo back in the good old days.
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Oh, I forgot to say that I was really thrilled that you were able to see Mama & Papa with their dozen! What a great photo that you were able to get! That part gave me a smile. 😊
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I just missed getting them on land TD, but truthfully I probably would not have been able to fit them all in the photo like in the water in a neat queue. I was admiring one of the families one day and a fellow walker said “this is nothing – go find the family with a dozen goslings!” So I lucked out when they went to the water so I could get a picture of all of them. Sweetness overload. 🙂
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🥲
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Indeed – no words for this destruction.
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“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”! So nice !
Beautiful photos. post is a tale of a paradise lost, not from the wiles of Mother Nature, but due to mankind and something called “progress” both which have left this bleeding heart seeing red..
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Thank you Raj, I’m glad you enjoyed this post.
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How very, very sad.
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Yes Anne, I’m sad for the destruction for this park that I care so much about – it will never be the same, at least not in my lifetime.
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You have documented the change well. Let us all hope that the environment will indeed be improved once the widening has been completed: it will never be the same, but will possibly become a lovely place once more.
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Thank you Anne – I also hope one day it will flourish again and in my lifetime. I just do not understand the total destruction of this natural habitat.
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Actually, I loved the picture of all those dandelions heads gone to seed! Nice to see the sweet little goslings out and about with mama, and the huge family swimming safely between their mama and papa. I’m so sorry your beloved park is being ravaged so severely. It’s painful to see your four-season photo spot forever altered. All the beautiful shade in the summer and the wildlife habitat gone. 💔 Thank you for witnessing what is happening, Linda. You have suffered a great loss and I know you will be grieving for a long time to come.
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Barbara, had I known you liked the dandelion heads gone to seed, I would have included the close-ups I took of them too. They were everywhere and it reminded me of when the Park was closed the month of May 2020 due to COVID and the governor closed all Michigan parks. I still continued to go three times a week to feed the squirrels at the pavilion area and at first I could see nothing by yellow dandelions, then just before they opened back up on June 2nd, they had all gone to seed. The grass cutters had not been there to mow as the parking lot was barricaded, so it looked pretty wild with the long grass and those tall dandelions. I was happy to see the dozen goslings and probably got the better shot of them in the water, than I could have on land. It looks horrible on that side and they have not cleared away any of the trees yet as now they’re working on the other side, which has a soccer field, inline skating rink and playground equipment, so I rarely walk there anyway. So they could have started on that side of the Park first, then here …. I don’t see it returning to anything that resembles what it was, not in my lifetime anyway. As the squirrels and birds have reluctantly began to come to me, only after coaxing them, I hope when they return to clean up the debris, the machines and noise don’t frighten them away again.
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It’s a shame, but I think the animals will adjust. They are resilient. Nature is amazing. We have a lot of black squirrels in my neighborhood. I’m one street over from the creek, but we aren’t sure if the clean up will be here. I hope down the road you see positive changes.
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I hope so Cathy. I just don’t see the utter devastation in this project serving to help the Creek. I am sure you are reading the same reports in the Resident’s Forum that I am from the Mayor and what irks me is the other places along the Creek are not nature habitats like this one; other parks like Pepper Park are basically playgrounds and grass. I hope the animals will adjust, coping like they do in the bitter cold, but in the meantime, I see how scared they are and hopefully when the machines return from the other side (toward Southfield), they will be more comfortable with the noise and machines and not as terrified as they were initially.
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You’ve done an exceptional job of capturing the beauty and essence of a park that was truly devoted to Mother Nature’s glory and the critters who lived there. The sign says it all with goals and objectives of the Community Partners & Stakeholders and maintenance for their goals and objectives. Truly a sad season of change for this park, my heart aches (bleeds) for you and the critters of the park. 😭 🤗
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Thank you Shelley. Once the sign went up and the smaller machines moved into place, I felt a sense of doom, so I’m glad the last day was pleasant and peaceful so I was able to get a few photos of “before” because “after” is pretty horrifying to see. Yesterday I saw a heron, hopefully Harry, but his regular fishing spot (the cement landing) was covered in tree debris, so he moved down the Creek. I do feel a loss not only for the critters, furry and feathered, but for myself as well.
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You’re welcome. I’m glad you had a peaceful last day to capture the good memories of the place.
In 2016 our town was going through a major change like that – two areas were redone to make an entertainment area for people to gather. It’s an area that floods every spring. The locals still talk about what a waste of $ it was as often, even after the made the new expensive area, it floods and they can’t use it. The geese that lived there find their way back every year to poop on the walkways. 💩 I hope the someday it’ll be nice vision is something you are able to be there to witness, along with the wildlife that you treasure. 🤗
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See, your example is the same thing Shelley … why do they not plan better and take things into consideration. Surely someone would have known and spoke up and kept the venue as is. I hope so too because there are a lot of different parks around me … I’m surrounded by them really, but this one is special so I really hope they have not ruined the ambiance here forever. I kind of pictured myself still walking here for years down the road.
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I hope the plans unfold and the critters return and that you get to enjoy the park again.
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Thanks Shelley – I hope so too.
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Ecorse Creek must be awfully important in your area’s bigger picture to justify this investment of time, resources, and destruction. I’m so sorry for the impact to “Parker’s Park”, Linda. You’ve referenced the place so many times that I’ll always recognize it from a mere mention of the name or a photo. “Modern-day version of Snow White” – your perfect moniker. No doubt you will continue to “whistle while you work” at your other favorite outdoor locales. Of course, the photo of the turtle brought a smile despite the surrounding chaos. Turtles will always be my images of choice in your posts.
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Dave, this is the most-scenic part of the Ecorse Creek which is a small branch of the Detroit River, but is actually almost 20 miles long. They wanted to hear from homeowners who might be impacted on the other side of the Creek, but that was it … any pleas about destroying the natural habitat fell on deaf ears. I will continue to come here as it is close and I hope once the project is completed, some normalcy will return to this Park, but I don’t expect it will ever have the same ambiance, at least in my lifetime. I was happy to see the turtles sunbathing … they can’t go onto the cement landing as it is covered with tree debris and luckily at least one log for sunbathing was saved I saw a huge turtle at Council Point Park on Thursday morning, on land and on the shoreline near the marsh (not affected by this project). I have some cute turtle shots from Heritage Park to share for my Father’s Day post. 🙂
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The QR code it the photo works all the way here in the UK. This is purely an engineering project to prevent flooding I can see how this needs to be done but there seems no dovetailing of how this project works with the environment and nature. Needs to be a balance for wildlife and the people who benefit from the park. The aims could be met but in a more sensitive way. Thanks for sharing Linda.
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That’s amazing you could read that info with your phone Andy! I went on the website but couldn’t glean any more info on it. I expected there to be some devastation based on the position of the surveyor’s marks and ribbons, but never expected such utter destruction as this. I agree with you Andy – there should have been more studies perhaps and more CARE taken than way. Thank you Andy.
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Sometimes it is not what is done but how it is done.
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You have nailed it with your statement Andy … they went into this blindly, never considering any consequences.
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No way…I feel like I know that place from your posts over the years..
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It’s terrible Michael and you are right, anyone who has followed me for a while knows how I feel about this venue. I am both sad and angry.
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I know we went through the same thing here, waiting for a bridge over the river to come down, wondering how it would impact/damage the flora and fauna around it. Don’t know the final answer to our concern yet as the project has dragged on forever. I hope that the Council Point Park project goes smoothly and quickly and the disruption is minimal. You never know… it could be better.
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It sounds like poor planning at your venue as well Ally. They form task forces and analyze these projects to death but, in my opinion, is there ever any common sense used? Yes, it’s supposed to make the Creek flow better, but their original plan was to just dredge it, then to widen it, now it’s to widen it more and not dredge it – SMH. In the meantime, you’ve torn apart a natural habitat and, like yours, not having a hard completion date as the rest of the venue languishes.
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A shame this happened Linda. I hope no animals were harmed and that they all have found new homes.
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[I replied to you and my reply went into cyberspace – sigh.] Nature lovers see the beauty of this simple and small venue – simple joys in seeing the “wildlife” that frequent the venue, mostly on that side of the Park. It is more than just the squirrels and songbirds, but it is also the waterfowl – we get swans, egrets, green herons, great blue herons, ducks and geese. To think a wood duck family was here after I look for them every time I go to large parks makes me sad – they won’t stay. Last week a possum carrying four youngsters on her back was walking around, likely “evicted” from its home as well. I likely will lose a lot of the everyday critters like the squirrels and songbirds once they start up with the machines again. And why not finish it in one fell swoop – no, drag it on and on.
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Sorry that so many critters were displaced at such a crucial time and trees destroyed. Sometimes it’s hard to understand and be happy about things done in the name of progress. You can be proud that you have documented this park and its beauty over the years for so many to enjoy. Hoping time will heal the scars, both for you and the wildlife at the park.
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Thank you Rebecca. As a fellow nature lover, it’s easy to see the utter destruction and yes, progress is necessary sometimes, but it was the wrong time of year to do it, plus they came through on this rampage, leaving trees felled, debris everywhere, then went off to the other side of the Park – why not finish everything before moving on? They’re going to return to start with the wood chippers and the noise and then if any wildlife is left after all that noise, it will be a wonder. I hope that down the line, I will write about this Park in glowing terms once again and happily post photos showing the ambiance restored, hopefully before I am too old to enjoy it.
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Grrr! I’m with you Linda. I don’t understand why the project was so important and especially why they had to do it during while so many critters were raising their young. Last year our neighbor dug out their pond where cattails had grown up. I watched the distressed red winged blackbirds circling around the area as their nests and likely young were being destroyed. Sometimes I don’t like people very much.
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I don’t see the wisdom of any of it Ruth and my pleas to hold it off until nesting season was over fell on deaf ears. I understand this project goes through other cities, but they have parks on the Creek that are not like this one, not a natural habitat, just playground equipment – no comparison there. I agree with you about not liking people very much sometimes. Those red winged blackbirds build their nests almost on the surface of the water and embed them carefully in the cattails. I never see them unless I see the female and she blends in so well and then I can take a look at the nest. Last year there was a dead red winged blackbird chick on the walking path. I saw it as I approached it. The male red winged blackbird was swooping down and I thought it wanted peanuts as they usually call out and I throw them some and they come over to get one. It was dive-bombing me as I neared its offspring. That baby was already dead. Another walker told me the same thing happened to him … I didn’t walk past it again that day, but went to the other walking loop on the other side. The critters are so protective of their offspring … some humans could learn from that.
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It seems that this was not at all well thought out. Did anyone have a real plan? I’m so sorry. I still believe that nature will surprise you but there was no reason to be this random and without thinking about mating seasons, etc. Unless they make a giant parking lot, nature will come back. But I’m sorry that you will probably have to make all new squirrel and goose friends.
Stupid people. Acting like they can just do anything without thinking of the world around them.
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Well they had a task force, but they were interested in homeowners that might be affected, mostly on the opposite side of the Creek, as their homes are very close to the shoreline. My suggestion for waiting until after nesting season was not considered and what irks me most is they made such a rampage along the shoreline, felling trees, mangling up a park bench in their haste to mow everything down, then they cleared away about 1/4 of the fallen trees, leaving the shoreline bare, but left the rest sitting there, all the trees, so instead of finishing up the entire side, before going to the other side of the Park to restore some degree of normalcy, they gave it no thought. So, they’ll return, once again with the noise and the machines and wreak havoc. The first few days a handful of squirrels ventured out, but not near where they destroyed. If we have any “wildlife” left after they are finished, it will be a wonder. It is more than squirrels and songbirds – we have swans, egrets, green herons, great blue herons, ducks and geese and turtles – can’t forget the turtles which amazingly those two survived. They all hang out around the cement ledge on that side and the ledge is obliterated by tree debris now. Someone said they saw a possum with four offspring on her back last week – probably “evicted” by this destruction. Yes, people are self-centered – I sure agree with you Zazzy.
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Reading the sign they put up doesn’t state any good reason for doing this where nature is concerned! I hope things are better by next year. It sure does ruin a fun walk in nature for you Linda!
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This is true Diane – they say that ultimately it will make the Creek flow better, but this portion of the Ecorse Creek (which is 20 miles long) is a natural habitat, whereas other portions of the Creek are either parks with playground equipment or just flowing by a road and no big deal. I hope it is better too this time next year because they have literally destroyed this natural venue, a place I thought/hoped to be walking in for many more years to come.
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So sorry to read about the destruction in the park, Linda. One of your favorite nature spots! I hope they replant some of the lost trees when they are done making “progress”. They did in the meadow down below our house. An organization came in and planted hundreds of trees. Most of them survived and we now have a little miniature forest down there.
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Thanks Laurie. As a long-time follower you know just how important this park is to me, more than just a place to mark my miles. I wish they had finished up the original destruction instead of returning to it weeks later which will cause not only commotion again, but the same lack of critters which distanced themselves and were scarce and scared when it initially happened. Some are beginning to return again and the geese are about to leave with their goslings as the parents have begun losing their flight feathers, so they will go to the Detroit River (two miles away) with the other geese so they stay on the water safe from predators. I hope they follow through with putting in native plants on the shoreline to at least make it look like something. I was shocked to see how awful it looked in the space of one day, as bad as if a natural disaster occurred. I wish they’d plant trees and it could grow like yours.
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I sometimes wonder if the governmental agencies who administer these parks consider the wildlife at all when they make decisions. Our township used to mow the meadow below our house in the early fall, just as the milkweed were blooming to support the monarch butterfly migration. I bet your park will plant trees. They shade the waterway, which improves water quality.
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I wonder the same thing sometimes too Laurie. To mow down the milkweed when there is a well-publicized decline of monarch butterflies is terrible. The construction at Council Point Park has moved across the Creek now and they still haven’t removed the original trees/debris, but hopefully do so before Fourth of July weekend as this is a prime place for people setting off fireworks in the parking lot every year.
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Oh Linda, I’m heartbroken for you and Mother Nature. This same thing happened to me, not widening a creek, but the farmer behind us logging out his woods. It went on for weeks, the whir of the chainsaw, the thump as the trees hit the ground. I swear my blood pressure went up during that time. It was horrible and now ten years later, the woods are starting to recover, but the eagle’s nest hasn’t returned because the tree is gone and the noise from neighboring streets is louder because there are no trees to block the noise. I think those in charge don’t really care much for anything but a tax base, sadly. I hope the critters come back to the park. xo
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That’s the same anger I feel every time I go there now Pam. And I’m especially angered by the fact that they did this destruction, then cleared up about one-quarter of it, then let the rest of the tree debris just sit there. They’ll bring back the noise and commotion and scare off what wildlife has ventured back. What happened with the turtles is despicable and to do this in nesting season just hurts my heart. We also have swans, egrets, green and great blue herons, ducks, geese and the turtles. So I hope they all return. I am hopeful it will be restored to some normalcy like you say the woods has done. I wish they’d plant trees, not native plants. This small natural habitat is special to me in a way the larger parks are not. Sigh. I am going to send you an interesting article I just read before coming to WordPress in a separate comment.
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Pam, this is the article I read – thought about you, as well as Council Point Park, which is on a much-smaller scale of course. You might be aware of this lawsuit already.
https://wnynewsnow.com/2024/05/28/new-york-sues-developer-for-illegally-destroying-protected-wetland/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3vxEkm9trCeqeMB0u-fMOBshgSEKcx4N6m3AGo8i7nniL7wUVFg6rZ3Aw_aem_Affq7q6zmcloJeptGQpq3QLD6vL5orzTro50paRQySwqaNpyPGbJGDlB7VPhw2Dh60-4XKYV0sqh3mGfQngIHc_H
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Thank God they’re going after him at least. All the rest is bollocks, sadly. The environment loses out to greed once again, Linda.
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Yes, good thing they “get him” for this Pam, but sadly the loss to the environment is not so easily fixed.
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Keep us updated on all the changes. Hopefully they have a plan to replant after construction. It will be interesting to see the changes from your walks and photos.
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I have not been taking my camera since I took these photos Sandra because unbelievably they have still not removed all the trees and debris from the first day of the project, now three weeks ago. So, they could have waited until later as to nesting season and started at the other end. Now they are across the Creek but far away. This is a county project and the mayor said a group called the Friends of the Detroit River are going to come in and plant native plants. I have been following that group for a while now on Facebook, so hopefully I’ll know when they do it. I hope they make it look worthwhile, but the trees gave it ambiance, a natural habitat and shade.
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Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry that your beloved park is going through this development phase. So much chaos and destruction for the critters and for the park goers who have come to love this nature nook. How long will this project last??
I’d be heartsick too to see the bodies of dead squirrels and knowing that nests and wildlife’s nests destroyed. So sad to see the trees chopped down. Those take a long time to grow.
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I am very very upset about it Esther. I had no idea they would cause so much destruction just to widen the Creek. They cut down all those trees on May 8th after I left the Park and the same trees and tree debris as of this morning are still all along the shoreline as they went to the other side of the Park. Now they are across the Creek taking down trees – there is no walking path on that side. To have cut the trees down in nesting season for squirrels and birds and all the geese along the shoreline, then leave the debris is despicable. I wrote to the mayor to ask if they had to start in nesting season. He said “the animals will be fine.” Most of the squirrels are still very scared as there is always noise from the various large machines so they don’t always come over to me. I did finally take the camera on a walk-around last Sunday when it was quiet and no construction. A few came over that day, but it is not the same experience. I just leave piles of peanuts along the path if they won’t come over to me. They won’t be planting trees, just native plants, which will not look nice and probably be sparse. Now it is very hot on that side – it had been shady from all the many trees. I am so angry at what they have done.
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I’m sad that they won’t be planting trees again…the walking trail will be so different from what you have right now. The lack of shade and not seeing the changing colors of the season will be a bummer for many park walkers and animals who call the trees their home. It’s disheartening that they’re doing this whole renovation right now when it’s nesting season too. Ugh…and this is your favorite and beloved nature nook. I would be angry and sad too.
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Last weekend after I found the Robin’s nest, I took the camera to the Park again and took some photos, but I just cannot get past my anger no matter how hard I try and seeing what they have done and their rather blasé attitude about it. I feel like the City had a little gem here with this park and just didn’t care. Now the geese have left, which happens every year this time as they molt, as do the ducks, so now it is even quieter and less critter action. You can feel my anger Esther from my years of writing and photographing my favorite nature nook and they just don’t care.
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