Ottawa County Parks Foundation – August Newsletter
Supporter Spotlight: Anita Yoder
Why I’m a member of the Park Sustainers Club?
We have such a unique and important environment here in Ottawa County. While outdoor space and recreation are necessary for our health and wellness as a community, these open spaces and greenways are also critical for the restoration and renewal of our natural environment. What makes me excited is that these past and future projects we have set as values for the Foundation, find a balance between recreation, restoration, preservation, and education.
The Parks Sustainers Club doesn’t require a one-time large investment. It is a monthly gift you can make for as little as $5, $10, or more. Your monthly gift will allow Ottawa County Parks to build trail connections, new recreational opportunities, add land, upgrade facilities, and support nature education.
Please consider giving a gift that will impact our community for years to come.
Featured Plant: Swamp Mallow
by Bobbi Jones Sabine
Swamp mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is a late summer perennial native you may be surprised to see in marshes and river bottoms in lower southwest and southeast Michigan. Also called rose mallow, the color may range from light pink to nearly white. And yes, it is a close relative of the common Rose-of-Sharon we see in gardens everywhere. And no, it is not related to marsh-mallows!
The Michigan Natural Features Inventory says “Populations in marshes near Lakes Erie and Michigan are certainly native; some inland records in drier habitats, in weedy sites along roads, and also more northern colonies, are doubtless escapes from cultivation. Escapes from cultivated plants may have a wide range of flower color, not simply pinkish as in wild plants, and tend to be more compact.”
It is a larval host for the common checkered skipper, the gray hairstreak, the Io moth, and the pearly wood nymph. In Canada, it is listed as a species of Special Concern.
Leaves and flowers are edible, but are reported to be rather mucilaginous and slightly bitter. Like many other plants in this family, they are demulcent and emollient and are used in the treatment of dysentery, lung ailments, and urinary ailments. An infusion of dried stalks is said to treat inflammation of the bladder.
Photo credit: Anita Yoder
The Park Sustainers Club is a unique group of donors whose monthly investment allows us to complete special projects that can’t be accomplished within the County Parks’ budget, like building trail connections, adding land and upgrading facilities.
Featured Park: Rosy Mound
13925 Lakeshore Drive
Grand Haven, MI
Rosy Mound is a classic Great Lakes dune system including high wooded dunes, foredunes, beach and a dune blowout. A 0.7 mile hiking trail from the parking area to the Lake Michigan shoreline includes 1,000 feet of stairs up and down the dunes and scenic views. A unique shade canopy, dune boardwalk trail and rustic toilets are located near the beach.
may be surprised to see in marshes and river bottoms in lower southwest and southeast Michigan. Also called rose mallow, the color may range from light pink to nearly white. And yes, it is a close relative of the common Rose-of-Sharon we see in gardens everywhere. And no, it is not related to marsh-mallows!