LOOKING AHEAD FOR ASYLUM LAKE
Changes in the landscape: In the spring and summer of 2012, the Management Council of WMU contracted to have the path from the Winchell entrance past the end of the lake improved.
The path was resurfaced, erosion control terracing and drainage were put in place, native plants planted along the path, and the berm was repaired and widened to its original size.
What’s in the future? The Management Council plans to continue to remove invasive plants and to encourage native plants. A trail which will make the Preserve accessible to handicapped persons is being worked on and hopefully will become a reality in the near future.
Since the preserve has at times in its history been an oak-savanna, farmland, residences for the State Hospital and a natural area, “restoring the area to its natural state” is a complicated issue.
However the goal of the Management Council and ALPA is “to assure that the Preserve remains a natural space, to see that it is preserved as a habitat for wildlife, and for continued use by the whole community.” The many historical and ecological factors will be sorted out as we plan for the future care of the Preserve.
Each year the Management Council identifies, prioritizes and budgets for projects within the Preserve.
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