<p>
	<img alt="" src="{filedir_5}Bayside-Park-Report.jpg" style="float: right; width: 200px; height: 270px; " />Au Sable students, faculty, and staff teamed up this past summer on an Integrative Session Day to perform a <a href="{filedir_5}Bayside_Park_Suvery_2011_op6.pdf">biological inventory and report</a> on 5.75 acres of park land for Acme Township Supervisor, Wayne Kladder. &nbsp;The land, known as Bayside Park, lies along the Grand Traverse Bay lakeshore to the east of Traverse City. &nbsp;The township recently purchased a new property adjacent to the site, and &nbsp;Kladder and other Township decision-makers will be deciding how these two properties will be used as part of Acme Township&#39;s redevelopment efforts. &nbsp;Au Sable Associate Director, <a href="/about/staff/">David Mahan</a>, approached Kladder about performing an inventory of plants, birds, animals, natural features, large trees, invasive species, and important, non-natural features to integrate critical ecological data into the Township&#39;s decision-making process. &nbsp;</p>
<p>
	The inventory and report gave the&nbsp;<a href="http://ausable.org/courses/course_information/summer_session_i/">Summer Session I</a>&nbsp;students the opportunity to apply their new knowledge from their various courses in&nbsp;<a href="http://ausable.org/courses/course_information/summer_session_i/#Animal%20Ecology">Animal Ecology</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://ausable.org/courses/course_information/summer_session_i/#Field%20Botany">Field Botany</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://ausable.org/courses/course_information/summer_session_i/#Aquatic%20Biology">Aquatic Biology</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://ausable.org/courses/course_information/summer_session_i/#Land%20Resources">Land Resources</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://ausable.org/courses/course_information/summer_session_i/#Conservation%20Biology">Conservation Biology</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="http://ausable.org/courses/course_information/summer_session_i/#Molecular%20Tools">Molecular Tools</a>&nbsp;to real-world context and public decision-making processes. &nbsp;Land Resources professor, Jason Van Horn, provided GIS expertise to map critical areas for natural features protection and restoration, and research student <a href="/news_and_resources/blog/student_researcher_featured_by_grand_traverse_regional_invasive_species_net">Alex de Sosa</a>&#39;s wetland inventory highlighted the quality of the interdunal wetlands along the lakeshore.&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	The <a href="{filedir_5}Bayside_Park_Suvery_2011_op6.pdf">Bayside Park Report</a>&nbsp;illuminates how the park&#39;s lakeshore property makes it an important site for local landscapes and biodiversity. &nbsp;The site features beach, associated wetlands, and low, forested dunes, which comprise almost half of the park&#39;s area. &nbsp;The report notes that the natural shoreline is relatively rare around Grand Traverse Bay, and the presence of Acme creek makes it an important site for local natural features. &nbsp;The group concludes that with some restoration work that pays particular attention to invasive species, the park could play a role in protecting local habitats.</p>
