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Park Director's Blog

29

Ladies and Gentlemen START YOUR ENGINES!!!
By Amy McMillan

 

The third and final phase of the Mounds Off Road Vehicle Area is OPEN and ORV folks tell us they love it! It’s big. It’s rocky. Sometimes it’s wonderfully muddy. And it’s a challenge. A really big challenge!
 
One of the cool things about this place is that it’s a quick drive from anywhere in Genesee County. Lucky you, Genesee County residents. You have one of the Midwest’s best ORV areas practically in your backyard.
 
You probably don’t need a reason to go to the Mounds, beyond wanting to experience the pure thrill of it, but in case anybody asks why you like climbing rocks and tilting your vehicle at hair-raising angles (I have a friend whose car had an inclinometer, which she referred to as a tip-o-meter) consider quoting to them from the latest research:
 
Studies show that “…taking a stroll through a natural setting can boost performance on tasks calling for sustained focus. Taking in the sights and sounds of nature appears to be especially beneficial for our minds. In fact, Dr. Marc Berman and fellow researchers at the University of Michigan found that performance on memory and attention tests improved by 20 percent after study subjects paused for a walk through an arboretum.”
 
Well….ok, going to the Mounds isn’t exactly like taking a walk through an arboretum, but if a simple nature walk is going to help your level of focus, imagine how focused you’ll be after an hour of ear-splitting, bone-jarring off road fun!
 
Here’s another cool thing about the Mounds. All three phases of its development were paid for by grants from Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources. Thank you DNR.
 
The Mounds is, in fact, so cool, it has its own Facebook page, and you can link to it from the Genesee County Parks website.
 
The Mounds is located at 6145 E. Mt. Morris Road, one and a half miles east of Genesee Road in Mt. Morris. It’s open year round, Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. until sunset and Sundays from noon until sunset.
 
Residents pay just $8 a day or $35 for a seasonal pass per vehicle. You’ll also need a State of Michigan ORV sticker.
 
Leave the alcohol at home. This place offers an unbeatable high all by itself.
 
 
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27

Transitions
By Amy McMillan

 
Much as I love a busy summer, it’s a welcome change to ease into the more relaxed pace of autumn and to enjoy the parks in a different way. Fall is such a special time of year, and I hope you will join us at For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum on October 8 to celebrate the season at our annual Fall Harvest Festival.

We’re describing this as the “greenest harvest festival ever!” Besides all the traditional events such as cider making, hay rides and lawn games plus popcorn and donuts to munch, we’ve added several activities and displays that demonstrate “green” technology and stewardship of the environment.

It all happens between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. It’s free, and there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy.  Here’s a taste of what you’ll find:
  • Explore a Chevy Volt, the most talked-about electric car, courtesy of Hank Graff Chevrolet in Davison
  • Take part in gardening and environmental projects
  • Do a make-it-and-take-it craft project using recycled materials
  • Participate in a recycle event. Bring something you don’t need and see if someone else brings something you do need!
  • Enjoy live music
  • Join in reuse, recycle and repurpose games and activities for the whole family
Those who ordered trees from the Conservation District can pick them up at For-Mar that day.

Admission to For-Mar and all the activities are free, so come out, learn how you can make your life greener, and enjoy this bountiful harvest season!
 
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25

In case you were wondering about hunting in the Parks
By Amy McMillan

With few predators and few areas in the county where deer can be hunted, Genesee County deer populations increase quickly, and the results can be pretty sad. Many starve or become sick from overcrowding. Car-deer crashes increase. Farmers sustain heavy crop losses.
 
To help address the problem, the Parks Commission is permitting a controlled bow hunting of deer at the Cummings Center again this year. For eight days in October, 80 hunters, selected by lottery this past week, will have the opportunity to hunt in the park. Each hunter had to demonstrate proficiency to be entered into the lottery.

Those eight days of hunting keep the number of deer in check in that region and preserve the delicate balance of flora and fauna. And it’s a bonus for hunters to be able to bow hunt locally, given that there is no state land available to hunt on in Genesee County.

We often juggle multiple uses of our County Parks, and that will be the case at the Cummings Center in October. The park is usually open seven days a week, but on four Mondays, October 3, 10, 17 and 24; and four Tuesdays, October 4, 11, 18 and 25, it will be open only to the lottery-selected hunters. All state hunting regulations apply.

Hunting for waterfowl is also permitted in specific areas in the County Parks. The season parallels that set by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and there is no lottery, but there are rules for each area regarding things such as the use of blinds and permanent structures.

The best way to know what you need to know is to request our handout on Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commissions 2011-12 Waterfowl Hunting Location Rules and Regulations. It will keep you honest.
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