MICHIGAN BOTANICAL SOCIETY
SOUTHWESTERN CHAPTER FIELD TRIP
Hardwood-Conifer Swamp
Mill Creek Swamp
Three Rivers State Game Area
Dr. Tyler Bassett
Conservation Associate - Botanist
Michigan Natural Features Inventory
Saturday August 2, 2025, 10 AM to noon
Hardwood-conifer swamps are groundwater-fed wetland forests that are often found on peaty soils near headwater streams. Primarily found in northern Michigan, they are rare in southwestern Michigan. Coniferous trees in southern Michigan are mostly restricted to swamps and other low-lying landscape positions. Mill Creek Swamp in Three Rivers State Game Area is a fine example of a relatively undisturbed, species-rich hardwood-conifer swamp. Dominant and common tree species include red maple (Acer rubrum), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), blue beech (Carpinus caroliniana), white pine (Pinus strobus), tamarack (Larix laricina). Black ash (Fraxinus nigra) was common in the canopy prior to the introduction of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis). The shrub and ground layers are diverse, and include spicebush (Lindera benzoin), smooth highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), swamp goldenrod (Solidago patula), cucumber-root (Medeola virginica), bishop’s-cap (Mitella diphylla), showy lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium reginae), and cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea).
Swamps are wet and muddy, so rubber boots are recommended. While on a trail the hiking will be moderate, but in the swamp, it will be slow and muddy. Insect repellent, sunscreen, water as well as suitable clothing are suggested. The trip difficulty level is rated moderate but may be difficult in places.
Tyler Bassett is a Botanist and Plant Ecologist with the Michigan Natural Features Inventory. He has 20 years of experience studying the plants and plant communities of the Upper Midwest. His work, in part, aims to document and conserve these species, and to restore, expand, and reconnect the diminishing fragments of habitat that they require for persistence. He holds a B.S. in Biology from Western Michigan University, and a Ph.D. in Plant Biology, and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior from Michigan State University.
Directions: Three Rivers State Game Area is in Cass & St. Joseph Counites. We will meet at the Shell Station in Jones MI and carpool to the site. The address is 10729 M-60, Jones MI 49061. From the Kalamazoo area, take US-131 south to the Three Rivers area. Turn right (west) on to M-60. In about 10 miles the Shell station is on your left (south). The coordinates are 41.90379731791837, -85.79371710914597.
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