Recent planting of 1,000 native trees part of Manitou Passage Golf Club's “wild renewal” initiative on the Leelanau Peninsula

As a designated wilderness area, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is hardly lacking when it comes to deep forest scenery. So what’s behind the recent planting of 1,000 semi-mature trees at the Manitou Passage Golf Club—the only 18-hole course located within a long iron or two of the Most Beautiful Place in America?

“You could say not all trees are created equal,” says Jamie Jewell, Marketing & Public Relations for Manitou Passage Golf Club. According to Jewell, invasive plant species had basically taken over the course purchased by a group of Leelanau County investors and reopened as Manitou Passage Golf Club in 2009. “Trying to return a native edge to the landscape has been the club’s mission ever since.”

Big Trees, Big Goal
The semi-mature trees — purchased from Komrska Tree Farm, in Interlochen— represent a diverse cross-section of northern hardwoods: cedar, maple, Norway spruce, birch, white pine and more. Ranging in size anywhere from 11- to 16-feet (depending on the species), the new trees will provide immediate shade, nesting habitat and cover for songbirds and wildlife as well as adding to the scenic enjoyment of clubhouse guests and golfers playing the exclusive Arnold Palmer course.

Komrska Tree Farm also provided a four-man labor team and the heavy machinery necessary for the planting, which owner Ben Komrska says will take about two weeks.

“This is a big job that requires a lot of specialized equipment. The smallest tree we’ve planted weights 400 pounds; the largest weighs in upwards of 2,500 pounds.”

Natural By Design
The coastal views, sprawling forests and farmland of the Sleeping Bear Dunes make it the scenic jewel of Leelanau County. But balancing modern development and creating a more enjoyable experience for golfers all while trying to preserve the integrity of the surrounding landscape is a job that requires a tremendous amount of foresight and planning.

The scope of the current project taking place along the fairway of the 18th hole required the expertise of Jerry Pearson of the California-based Peridian International, a landscape architecture and design firm. A Midwest native who has worked on various projects for The Homestead for over 30 years, Pearson understands that guests of the club come not only come for the challenging level of play at MPGC but also for the beautifully wild experience that makes this region one of the most scenic places in America.

“Protecting the relationship of the course to the natural environment was the first priority,” says Pearson. “But we managed to go beyond that by using native trees that have wonderful bark and leaf textures along with contrasting color—especially in the fall.”

Once the tree planting along the 18th hole is complete, Manitou Passage Golf Club is already eyeing plans for the next phase of its wild renewal plans, says Jamie Jewell.

“Our next goal is to improve the landscape surrounding holes 4 and 5 over the coming months and years,” she says. “We are hopeful that those areas can be further restored to a more natural landscape over the coming months. The club invites anyone interested in seeing the photos and progress updates of this and other projects to check MPGC’s Facebook page.”

Michigan tourism leaders headed to NYC for Coney Island & Jamaica Bay clean up (May 29-31)

The beginning of the summer travel season has emerged; travelers have begun to imagine the warm sunny beaches, interactive attractions, bonding memories with family and friends, and festive activities delivered by high quality service professionals. A group of Michigan tourism professionals will spend their first week of the summer season helping create those magical travel experiences for Michigan visitors by helping restore two historic New York City area attractions May 29-31.

Instead of simply helping 600 professionals restore Coney Island and Jamaica Bay, following Hurricane Sandy, eight Michigan tourism professionals will be learning the event model from the event host, Tourism Cares (tourismcares.org), to bring it back to Michigan and restore local treasures for Michigan Cares for Tourism (michigancaresfortourism.org). As Michigan too has treasured sites all over the Upper and Lower Peninsula that need time, attention, resources, and support that Michigan tourism organizations cannot do alone.

These eight Michigan professionals are part of Michigan Cares for Tourism, a joint volunteer initiative in partnership with Grand Valley State University/Hospitality and Tourism Management (GVSU), Tourism Cares, Travel Michigan, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources/Parks and Recreation Division. Michigan Cares for Tourism will coordinate an annual clean-up event at Michigan tourism treasures throughout the state that are in disrepair.

Tourism industry professionals will volunteer their time, talent, and resources to help restore and protect the travel experience for Michigan visitors and residents. The monies generated by sponsorship, and event participation will be utilized to build a grant fund to support future tourism organization revitalization efforts, and tourism student and industry professional development scholarships.

The Department of Natural Resources/Parks and Recreation Division (DNR) has over 350 million dollars in unmet repair and maintenance projects. Home to 101 state parks with lighthouses, beaches, over 240 historic buildings, boating, trails, camping and nature centers, the DNR are the first statewide organization to need help.
Michigan's first project will feature the restoration of the 80 year old Mill Lake camp in the 20,000 acre Waterloo Recreation Area in Chelsea, Michigan October 6 and 7, 2013.

Nestled in the beautiful Big 400 (www.big400.org), Mill Lake, the first Outdoor Center to be built, was completed in 1936. The original occupants of Mill Lake were a group of boys from the Detroit Public School System engaged in their first travel and outdoor recreation experience. Mill Lake Outdoor Center remains the most intact example of a WPA Outdoor Center in the Michigan State Park System, with 15 of the 16 original buildings remaining. Since the operation of the camp was discontinued by Michigan United Conservation Club (MUCC) significant degradation has taken place. The efforts taken by Michigan Cares for Tourism will allow the site to be reopened as a destination for urban youth, corporate retreats, family reunions, and individual travel.

GVSU faculty member, Patty Janes has completed two other clean up events with Tourism Cares taking 50 students and professionals to Mississippi’s Gulf Coast in 2006 to help repair nine tourism sites following the devastation following Hurricane Katrina. She felt that Michigan's tourism industry needed the same support and as a result in participating, indicated that there were few opportunities to give back to the tourism industry directly.

“The opportunity to give back to the tourism industry in such a positive and beneficial way has been unmet by other volunteer experiences for me and those that have engaged with me," says Janes. "Participating in these events made a positive impact on the local economy, created better experiences for travelers, built a stronger sense of team, and personally was rewarding knowing that we were helping others. The groups that participated in these clean-up projects received so many benefits from participating. We were educated about a tourism area, sites, and the challenges faced by these areas. Andrea Pecoraro, a Tourism Cares alumni from Michigan stated "I have a new appreciation for the impact of tourism, have traveled back to, and regularly check to see how the area is doing, in particular, how the site I helped restore. This was one of the best experiences of my life and I can’t wait to be engaged with the Michigan initiative."

For additional information, or to contribute to Michigan Cares for Tourism, visit www.michigancaresfortourism.org.


About Tourism Cares
Tourism Cares, Inc. is a 501c(3) non-profit public charity that benefits society by preserving the travel experience for future generations by awarding grants to natural, cultural and historic sites worldwide; by focusing on workforce development through our student programs which provide support from classroom to career; and by organizing volunteer efforts to restore tourism related sites in need of care and rejuvenation. During the Coney Island event, thousands of local, regional, and global travel industry volunteers will paint benches, light posts, and trash cans, as well as participate in beach cleanup and dune preservation projects along Fort Tilden Beach. Grants will also be awarded to selected tourism related sites that have suffered losses attributed to Hurricane Sandy. For additional information, or to contribute to Tourism Cares, visit www.tourismcares.org.

Governor Snyder Declares July “Michigan Camping & Recreational Vehicle Month”

For generations, Michigan has welcomed campers and RVers to its natural woodlands, freshwater shorelines and beaches, in two distinct peninsulas–nestled in the middle of the Great Lakes Region.

For the second year in a row, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has declared a “Michigan Camping & Recreation Vehicle Month,” to be held in July—following last year’s success in the month of August. Camping is a key contributor to the state’s $17 billion tourism industry. The declaration supports the economic and recreational contributions that the camping industry provides to Michigan’s overall tourism, as well as promoting camping as an inexpensive and family-friendly recreation option year-round in our state.

Both Michiganders and visitors alike take advantage of the state’s array of sun, freshwater coastline, 19 million acres of woodlands, soft breezes and fresh air, where the temperate climate allows for great camping and outdoor recreation–making it the ultimate Pure Michigan experience!

Michigan has more than 950 licensed, private, recreation vehicle parks and campgrounds, with more than 111,000 licensed campsites. The state has more than 160 county or government operated campgrounds with over 14,700 sites–from rustic to full-service. Michigan also boasts over 307,000 licensed recreational vehicles, including motorhomes and travel trailers. In Michigan, first quarter 2012 RV sales are up 18 percent from the first quarter of 2011, and sales are projected to increase throughout 2012.

Camping and RVing encourages visitors and locals alike to partake in activities such as boating, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, paddling, pedaling, golfing, geocaching, nature watching, photography, and other outdoor activities, which also highlight Michigan’s great outdoor parks and recreation areas.

Michigan is home to 102 state parks and recreation areas–as well as 134 state forest campgrounds–under the auspices of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and seven forests/parks/lakeshores in Michigan under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service. Collectively, Michigan offers 15,000 sites on state and federal lands designated for camping.

Michigan’s two non-profit camping organizations: MARVAC–the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles & Campgrounds and ARVC Michigan–the Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds of Michigan, equally promote and support private campgrounds and RV parks throughout the state.

All state lands are managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, while the national parks and lakeshores are managed by the National Park Service and/or the U.S. Forest Service. All campgrounds–including the companion recreational activities–are among the tourism destinations promoted by Travel Michigan and its award-winning Pure Michigan campaign.

www.MichiganCampingAndRVMonth.com