DeWitt Recreation Area Restoration

DeWitt Recreation Area Restoration. . [caption] The site of DeWitt Recreation Area in 1995, The park you see today was used as a sand and gravel quarry prior to 1978. The land was donated to Genesee County by B.R. DeWitt Inc. in 1993 with the intent the site be used for family recreation (pictured on the left). With the creation of the park, projects were begun to restore natural habitats of the site and provide a place for the community to enjoy recreation and environmental education. The development and restoration of DeWitt Recreation Area is the result of cumulative efforts of over 25 different local volunteer organizations, community organizations and private companies. The perimeter of the lake was graded by the Naval Sea Bees and Hansen, and various planting projects have been completed with the help of AmeriCorps volunteers, ACORNS, and generous grants awarded by FLOWPA and the NRCS. , A wide variety of beneficial native trees, shrubs, warm season grasses and wildflowers were planted in an effort to restore the site to its pre-quarry days, reduce soil erosion, and provide food, shelter, and nesting sites for local wild animals. As the diversity of plants has grown over time, a wider variety of animals have found their home in the park. The clear and quiet water of the lake is a safe resting place for waterfowl on their migrations and has abundant fish for heron and turtles. Cattails, reeds, and willow saplings provide food and shelter for crustaceans, amphibians, waterfowl, muskrats, and beavers along the lakeshore. Shrubs and young trees offer snacks and hiding places for rabbits and other small mammals in the open meadows. The undulating terrain and mixed hardwood trees of the upland areas have become nesting site for songbirds and habitat for deer, foxes, squirrels, skunks, and other wild animals. During your visit today you may spot animal footprints in the mud, hear the calls of waterfowl, discover songbird nests, watch turtles sunning on logs, or find signs that wild animals have left on the trail to mark their territory! , Today the man-made landform of the park gives away its history as a quarry, however it has become a place of natural beauty and recreation due to the continued support of caring community members. You are a part of this growing success story every time you pick up litter, properly dispose of used fishing gear, or keep harmful waste and medications out of the sewer system. Keeping the land, water and air clean protects the health of wild animals and all of us. We invite you to enjoy the park and join us for Earth Day and other volunteer events throughout the year! , Pictured Above: 1. Red Oak; 2. White-tailed Deer; 3. Maple Tree; 4. Red Fox; 5. Cherry Tree; 6. Cottonwood Tree; 7. Willow Tree Sapling; 8. Red-winged Blackbird; 9. Northern Oriole; 10. Cottontail Rabbit; 11. Ted Twig Dogwood; 12. Green Frog; 13. Big Bluestem Grass; 14. Muskrat; 15. Cattails; 16. Largemouth Bass; 17. Mallard Duck; 18. Canada Goose; 19. Brown Trout; 20. Painted Turtle , Other Common Species Found at DeWitt Recreation Area: Fish – Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Sunfish, Carp, Perch. Mammals – Striped Skunk, Opossum, Meadow Vole, Grey Squirrel, Little Brown Bat. Songbirds - Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow, European Starling, Marsh Wren. Waterfowl - Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Wood Duck, Herring Gull. Reptiles – Garter Snake. Amphibians – Spring Peeper. Invertebrates – Monarch Butterfly, Cabbage Butterfly, Pond Snail.