The Detroit News today reported the donation of eight (8) acres of wetland along the Logan Lakes Natural Preserve in Oceola Township. Located south of M-59 and near Hughes Road, this represents the second land donation to the Livingston Land Conservancy this year - a first.

There is a variety of native plants on this parcel and the habitat is judged to be good for the presence of massasauga rattlesnakes, a shy native species, although none have been seen on this piece of land.

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), the massasauga rattlesnake has historically been found in a variety of wetlands and adjacent uplands throughout the Lower Peninsula, with a majority of the sightings being reported from Oakland, Livingston, Washtenaw and Jackson Counties. The species is listed as a species of special concern by the MDNR and as a candidate species for the Federal Endangered Species Act.

Donated by sisters Dianne Winfrey and Jo Anne Normile from Westland and Saline, respectively, Winfrey was quoted in the Detroit News article as saying, "We like the animals and nature. We thought the best thing to do was to donate it to a land conservancy. I'm all for keeping as much open space for the next generation."

The Livingston Land Conservancy was created in 1991 as in a private, non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, and has preserved a total of over 500 acres of land in various Livingston County and north Washtenaw County locations.

You can read the entire article by Candice Williams at http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071219/METRO04/712190352/1015/rss04