Celebrating Old-Growth Forests Under the Friday Night Lights
By Great Lakes Regional Manager, Leona Addie & Secretary of Friends of DeWitt Nature Center, Phil Harner
It’s a perfect fall evening in Michigan, the crisp fall air, leaves of every color of the rainbow snap beneath my feet as I walk towards the 50-yard line. High-school football players are running drills in the background as city officials, school officials, students and staff celebrate the community forest induction, the audience cheers from the bleachers in front of us. How did we get here?
Owned by DeWitt Public Schools, the DeWitt Nature Center (DNC) is 15.5 acres of climax oak-hickory forest that has stood the tests of time and nature. This forest has survived political and economic pressures of a community whose leaders were tasked with balancing multiple competing priorities, including addressing school funding needs while preserving educational and environmental resources. The history of DNC Woods is a story of Earth Day, community action, supportive leadership, and national recognition into the Old-Growth Forest Network.
A self-described “nature lover nerd and good science student”, Harmon Everett, a sophomore from DeWitt High School, attended a regional event to celebrate the first Earth Day on April 22nd, 1970. Inspired by the organizers’ goals to develop nature trails on school properties around the country, Harmon reached out to the county extension agents and the school administration to add a trail to the school woodlot. While initially there were some concerns about proper channels for approval, the school administration soon recognized the value of the proposal and embraced the plan to develop the trail. Harmon worked with the county and the school to develop the trail, acquire mulch, and clear the path. Members of the 7th grade science club worked tirelessly to spread the mulch along the 400-meter trail, and in the summer of 1970, DeWitt Nature Center celebrated its grand opening.
Situated between the DeWitt High School, DeWitt Elementary School, and the Superintendent building, the forest acts as a living classroom and a peaceful retreat for students and staff. Yet, In spring 2012, faced with challenging budget decisions that many school districts encounter, the DeWitt School Board considered a forest management proposal that included harvesting trees from three forest stands, including some older trees within the DNC. When this plan came to wider community attention through a school board member's outreach, it sparked an important dialogue about balancing fiscal responsibility with environmental preservation. Word then spread quickly, and community movement began, and the Friends of DeWitt Nature Center (FDNC) was created.
FDNC spearheaded the campaign to have the school board reconsider and renegotiate the timber harvest. Further, they proposed the school district make a management plan based on the advice of qualified foresters. The plan would preserve and protect the DNC forest while allowing for harvest in the schools’ other two forests to maintain healthy trees. They attended school board meetings, knocked on doors, circulated petitions, put out emails and news articles, and spread the word to all stakeholders of the need to revisit the boards’ decision.
FDNC worked alongside the school board to explore alternatives, bringing in forestry experts to assess the land and develop a comprehensive stewardship plan that would serve both environmental and educational interests. Using the stewardship plan as a guide, the schools and FDNC have made great strides together to envision this old – growth forest for children’s enjoyment, enrichment of the larger community, and advancement of educational and scientific endeavors for future generations.
With the creation of both the FDNC and the Forest Stewardship Plan, the nature center had goals and manpower to meet them, but they still lacked resources. The community came to action again. The City of DeWitt donated wood chips for trails, Consumers Power donated logs to create stairs for one of the entrances, citizens donated wheelbarrows, a native gardening company donated plants, juvenile court teens completed 1050 hours of community service building the trails, and the countless students and staff that gave their time and energy to the forest. The DNC now has over half a mile of trails connecting the DeWitt High School, DeWitt Elementary School, and the Superintendent building, a living classroom with thirty log seats in a peaceful forest setting, student made bluebird boxes, and a Monarch Waystation.
Students from Environmental Science and Outdoor Science courses hold classes in the forest to learn how to find salamanders, discover different patterns woodpeckers make, how to use a dichotomous key, how to make maple syrup, the importance of pollinator gardens, inspiration for nature poems and photography, a trail for their color runs, camping trips, and so much more.
Phil Harner first heard about the Old-Growth Forest Network while hiking in a recently dedicated forest; seeing similar characteristics, he nominated the nature center. By summer 2024, we were planning this forest dedication, and immediately knew we wanted it to be community and student centric. School staff set up a pavilion to showcase students’ science and nature projects, local politicians, Department of Natural Resources staff, city officials, and school staff hiked the old-growth forest, and joined us for a special pre-game football dedication ceremony.
We are thrilled to have the DeWitt Nature Center as our 46th Community Forest! We want to thank everyone for making this forest what it is today:
Hamond Everett for the value he instilled in the forest nearly 55 years ago
Lawrence Arbanas and Phil Harner at Friends of DeWitt Nature Center for their commitment to DNC
DeWitt Public Schools for listening to their community, their hard work in making this event a success, and their dedication to their students
The DeWitt Community for rallying behind the forest, and providing time and resources
And most importantly, to the students for their curiosity, sense of adventure, and why we do what we do.
