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Wetland swale on the Shorewood Forrest Sanctuary. Photo by Bill Collins.

With generous grant funding from the Consumers Energy Foundation, the TLC was able to purchase another important addition to the Southern Lake Huron Coastal Park; the southeast 80-acre parcel on the west side of Shorewood Forrest subdivision in Fort Gratiot. The Shorewood Forrest Southeast Sanctuary is part of the broad swath of the coastal dune and swale forest along Lake Huron that the TLC has been working to protect since our formation in 2008. This unique complex of parallel sand ridges and mucky wetland swales once extended from the mouth of the Saint Clair River in Port Huron, north well into Sanilac County, and inland from Lake Huron at least 2 miles in some areas.

The Shorewood Forrest Southeast Sanctuary was important to acquire because it such a large part of the intact dune and swale forest, and because it was unlikely the Saint Clair County would be able to preserve more of it in the near future as mitigation for permitted impacts to State-regulated wetland. With this acquisition, the TLC has begun clearing a 1-mile section of an unpaved wilderness-like coastal trail from Carrigan Road, north through one of the largest forest tracts in the area. This alone will be a significant public asset. Once connected with the larger Southern Lake Huron Coastal Park, the trail and natural area should be an attraction of regional significance for hikers, birders, and others seeking a memorable outdoor recreation experience.