GM FYI Blog

By Daphne Adams
GM Plant Communications, Ypsilanti Powertrain

Spring finally sprung on Saturday here in southeastern Michigan. It was right on time for me and my fellow GM Powertrain Ypsilanti co-workers who had plans to join the Washtenaw Land Trust staff at Sharon Hills Nature Preserve, a 67-acre area (about 35 minutes from) last Saturday afternoon.

It was a great day to be at the preserve. However, we weren’t hiking or picknicking; we were weeding! In celebration of Earth Day, we went to the preserve to remove Garlic Mustard weeds. Garlic Mustard is not native to Michigan, so it grows out of control, pushing out native Michigan flowers and grasses; that’s part of the reason why we were there. It is native, however, to Europe and Asia, where it lives in balance with local ecosystems.

I love garlic and I love mustard greens. To my surprise, we were told that we could actually cook and eat the weeds. I was seriously tempted after smelling the aroma coming out of the bags of pulled weeds. I ended up helping pull 200 pounds of Garlic Mustard weeds. We were told that was a good afternoon’s work that will greatly benefit the preserve.

We chose to work at the preserve because it is owned by Washtenaw Land Trust, a private, non-profit organization that has directly protected 50 properties totaling 2,616 acres throughout Washtenaw, Jackson and Ingham counties through voluntary land conservation. GM Powertrain Ypsilanti is a member of the Land Trust.

Next time you’re looking for something to do outside, consider going to the Sharon Hills Nature Preserve or similar preserve in your community. This area happens to be open to the public for quiet recreational use. There are hiking trails, open fields, oak-hickory woodland and kettle wetlands. By going to stet preserve or a similar area in your hometown, you can help your own local non-profit organization and environment.