About the Conference Center
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Russell Bengel created the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy in 1982 to restore the wildlife legacy of our state for future generations. He recruited others to help the fledgling organization and donated over one million dollars to sustain its work. The Bengel Wildlife Center is the most recent vehicle in fulfilling Russ Bengel’s vision of a Michigan rich in wildlife.
Russ Bengel was a successful businessman, a dedicated outdoorsman and active public servant. He worked his way up in the General Products Corporation in Jackson to become sole owner. He also served as mayor and city commissioner in Jackson and on the State Conservation Commission.
Property Description
The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy manages 259-acres of land at the Bengel Wildlife Center to promote wildlife and to create demonstration projects. Following are descriptions of the types of habitat found at the Bengel Wildlife Center and the management techniques that are used in each area. The management areas are divided into two types: wetland and upland. If you're interested in receiving a map of the grounds and trails please email us.
Priggooris Lake
Priggooris Lake is part of the vast Chandler Marsh, which once stretched from southern Clinton County to the Michigan State University campus. The water level in the lake was originally seven feet higher than when the Conservancy bought the property in 1994. The lake and surrounding wetlands were drained for mosquito and malaria control in the 1800s. So what was once an 88-acre lake containing a six-acre island now only measures about 40-acres in the spring.
In 1997, the name of the lake was changed from Grass to Priggooris to honor Angel Priggooris, the man who had the vision to protect the land by donating it to the City of Lansing in 1958.
The restoration of current lake levels was completed in 2008. Priggooris Lake is home to breeding sandhill cranes, geese, and many bog and wet prairie species.
Prairie
Prairies are now America’s rarest and most fragmented ecosystems, in danger of vanishing altogether. Not even one patch of the western prairie contains the original community of birds and mammals. Michigan has only a few small remnants of its original grasslands, and many associated wildlife species are in trouble.
Prairie restorations can’t reproduce the original prairie and are limited to reestablishing only a few components of the original ecosystem. Seed purchased to reestablish a prairie contains only a fraction of the grass and wildflower species found in native prairies.
Prairie work being completed at the Bengel Wildlife Center includes:
Located close to the Laughlin Building at the Bengel Wildlife Center, the backyard wildlife plots are a resource for people who wish to attract wildlife to urban, suburban, and rural backyards. These plots will continue to be gradually improved over the years, just as one might gradually change a home landscape.
Backyard and schoolyard habitats not only provide pleasure to the resident or visitor, they can be important in nurturing a love for and understanding of wildlife in children and adults. Future plans include development of a sensory garden with plantings that encourage smelling, tasting, and touching on approximately one acre adjacent to the backyard wildlife demonstration areas.
Pond Management
Six ponds are located at the southern end of the Bengel Wildlife Center property. Four of these ponds were originally excavated by the Michigan Department of Transportation during construction of I-69 to mitigate destruction of other wetlands. Two of the ponds are deep-water areas and the others contain at least some shallow marsh habitat.
The ponds will be used to teach methods of managing fish populations and controlling unwanted vegetation. The shallower areas will be used to demonstrate revegetation of wetlands with plant species desirable for wildlife and erosion control.
Forested Wetland
Forested wetlands are desirable for many wildlife species, like wood ducks, owls, and deer. One of the forested wetlands at the Bengel Wildlife Center may be used to demonstrate environmentally friendly methods of constructing logging roads through wetlands. Typical forested wetlands contain elm, ash, silver maple, and tamarack. Most of the elm trees have been killed, however, by Dutch elm disease. And most Ash trees are in the process of dying due to the spread of the invasive emerald ash borer.
Upland Forest
Upland forest at the Bengel Wildlife Center is found in a small area on the east side, on the island in Priggooris Lake, and on the west side of Priggooris Lake. Plans for these areas include demonstrating methods of forest management such as timber stand improvement, tree pruning, and thinning. Upland forest areas at the Bengel Wildlife Center are home to deer, turkey, squirrels, and song birds. The upland forests at the Center contain various oak, cherry, red maple, sassafras, spruce, and pine trees.
Bog
Bogs are a special type of wetland in which plants form a mat that extends over the water like a floating shelf. As the plants die, the shelf thickens. The dead plants pushed below the water decay very slowly, due to lack of oxygen and high acidity. The mat eventually extends down to the lake bottom, and the mat closes the open water on the lake. It is the floating mat which gives the sensation of a “quaking” bog. But please don’t try walking on it! The plants which make up the floating mat are fragile. You can break through, which is dangerous to you and the bog! There are numerous tales of heavy equipment, cars, horses, and people sinking out of sight in bogs. Many of them are true. Bog plants include the carnivorous pitcher plant, sundew, poison sumac, and dwarf birch.
American Indians used to burn bogs periodically to spur growth of cranberries and blueberries. Today, few Michigan bogs are managed in any way. Unmanaged bogs are invaded by exotic species such as purple loosestrife and giant reed grass (phragmites), and by natural succession to woody plants such as leather leaf and tamarack.
Upland Brush
Upland brush areas, which can be thought of as a successional stage, are often found in disturbed areas which were once farmed but then were abandoned. These areas are often heavily colonized by non-native species of plants, which get a strong foothold. These areas serve as a base for the exotic species invasion of other types of habitat. The Conservancy has an on-going program to reduce or eliminate autumn olive, multiflora rose, buckthorn and other invasive exotic woody vegetation at the Bengel Wildlife Center.
Who can use the Bengel Wildlife Center?
Everyone is invited to walk the trails of the Bengel Wildlife Center. We hope visitors will enjoy the natural setting and learn a bit about managing land for wildlife. Horses, bicycles, and motorized vehicles are prohibited in order to protect trails and habitat. We ask your help in enforcing that restriction.
Visitors are invited to view the exhibits and browse the Dancing Crane Gift Shop in the Laughlin Building during normal business hours. The Laughlin Building is also home to excellent classroom and meeting facilities. Call 517-641-7677 to find out how you can reserve space for your next meeting or event.
The Laughlin Building is named for Jean and Sheldon Laughlin, who generously supported MWC's capital campaign and who have been long-time supporters of the Conservancy. Jean Laughlin is a daughter of Russ & Ruth Bengel, after whom the Center is named.
With the support and encouragement of the Laughlins, the Conservancy purchased 183 acres from the City of Lansing in 1994. The land, formerly a city park, was originally protected by Angel Priggooris, who donated the land to Lansing in 1958. An additional 76-acres was purchased later and added to the Bengel Wildlife Center. Thanks to his vision, and the support of the Bengel extended family, the public is able to enjoy the same wild setting that Angel Priggooris did. Find out more about the many benefactors of the Bengel Wildlife Center by visiting the Laughlin Building.
Russell Bengel created the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy in 1982 to restore the wildlife legacy of our state for future generations. He recruited others to help the fledgling organization and donated over one million dollars to sustain its work. The Bengel Wildlife Center is the most recent vehicle in fulfilling Russ Bengel’s vision of a Michigan rich in wildlife.
Russ Bengel was a successful businessman, a dedicated outdoorsman and active public servant. He worked his way up in the General Products Corporation in Jackson to become sole owner. He also served as mayor and city commissioner in Jackson and on the State Conservation Commission.
Property Description
The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy manages 259-acres of land at the Bengel Wildlife Center to promote wildlife and to create demonstration projects. Following are descriptions of the types of habitat found at the Bengel Wildlife Center and the management techniques that are used in each area. The management areas are divided into two types: wetland and upland. If you're interested in receiving a map of the grounds and trails please email us.
Priggooris Lake
Priggooris Lake is part of the vast Chandler Marsh, which once stretched from southern Clinton County to the Michigan State University campus. The water level in the lake was originally seven feet higher than when the Conservancy bought the property in 1994. The lake and surrounding wetlands were drained for mosquito and malaria control in the 1800s. So what was once an 88-acre lake containing a six-acre island now only measures about 40-acres in the spring.
In 1997, the name of the lake was changed from Grass to Priggooris to honor Angel Priggooris, the man who had the vision to protect the land by donating it to the City of Lansing in 1958.
The restoration of current lake levels was completed in 2008. Priggooris Lake is home to breeding sandhill cranes, geese, and many bog and wet prairie species.
Prairie
Prairies are now America’s rarest and most fragmented ecosystems, in danger of vanishing altogether. Not even one patch of the western prairie contains the original community of birds and mammals. Michigan has only a few small remnants of its original grasslands, and many associated wildlife species are in trouble.
Prairie restorations can’t reproduce the original prairie and are limited to reestablishing only a few components of the original ecosystem. Seed purchased to reestablish a prairie contains only a fraction of the grass and wildflower species found in native prairies.
Prairie work being completed at the Bengel Wildlife Center includes:
- Site preparation including tree and brush removal, herbicide treatments, and disking with seed and planting, often at a cost of more than $200 per acre.
- The BWC currently has prairie-type habitat in four areas. Remnant patches of big bluestem, a native prairie grass, are being stimulated by spring burnings.
- The five-acre prairie located at the southern end of the Bengel Wildlife Center has been established as a Prescribed Burning and Prairie Seeding Demonstration Area. There will be firebreaks, research areas, and interpretive signage.
- Trees and shrubs will be cleared from additional land that has prairie grass stands. These were seeded with prairie grass many years ago by the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Located close to the Laughlin Building at the Bengel Wildlife Center, the backyard wildlife plots are a resource for people who wish to attract wildlife to urban, suburban, and rural backyards. These plots will continue to be gradually improved over the years, just as one might gradually change a home landscape.
Backyard and schoolyard habitats not only provide pleasure to the resident or visitor, they can be important in nurturing a love for and understanding of wildlife in children and adults. Future plans include development of a sensory garden with plantings that encourage smelling, tasting, and touching on approximately one acre adjacent to the backyard wildlife demonstration areas.
Pond Management
Six ponds are located at the southern end of the Bengel Wildlife Center property. Four of these ponds were originally excavated by the Michigan Department of Transportation during construction of I-69 to mitigate destruction of other wetlands. Two of the ponds are deep-water areas and the others contain at least some shallow marsh habitat.
The ponds will be used to teach methods of managing fish populations and controlling unwanted vegetation. The shallower areas will be used to demonstrate revegetation of wetlands with plant species desirable for wildlife and erosion control.
Forested Wetland
Forested wetlands are desirable for many wildlife species, like wood ducks, owls, and deer. One of the forested wetlands at the Bengel Wildlife Center may be used to demonstrate environmentally friendly methods of constructing logging roads through wetlands. Typical forested wetlands contain elm, ash, silver maple, and tamarack. Most of the elm trees have been killed, however, by Dutch elm disease. And most Ash trees are in the process of dying due to the spread of the invasive emerald ash borer.
Upland Forest
Upland forest at the Bengel Wildlife Center is found in a small area on the east side, on the island in Priggooris Lake, and on the west side of Priggooris Lake. Plans for these areas include demonstrating methods of forest management such as timber stand improvement, tree pruning, and thinning. Upland forest areas at the Bengel Wildlife Center are home to deer, turkey, squirrels, and song birds. The upland forests at the Center contain various oak, cherry, red maple, sassafras, spruce, and pine trees.
Bog
Bogs are a special type of wetland in which plants form a mat that extends over the water like a floating shelf. As the plants die, the shelf thickens. The dead plants pushed below the water decay very slowly, due to lack of oxygen and high acidity. The mat eventually extends down to the lake bottom, and the mat closes the open water on the lake. It is the floating mat which gives the sensation of a “quaking” bog. But please don’t try walking on it! The plants which make up the floating mat are fragile. You can break through, which is dangerous to you and the bog! There are numerous tales of heavy equipment, cars, horses, and people sinking out of sight in bogs. Many of them are true. Bog plants include the carnivorous pitcher plant, sundew, poison sumac, and dwarf birch.
American Indians used to burn bogs periodically to spur growth of cranberries and blueberries. Today, few Michigan bogs are managed in any way. Unmanaged bogs are invaded by exotic species such as purple loosestrife and giant reed grass (phragmites), and by natural succession to woody plants such as leather leaf and tamarack.
Upland Brush
Upland brush areas, which can be thought of as a successional stage, are often found in disturbed areas which were once farmed but then were abandoned. These areas are often heavily colonized by non-native species of plants, which get a strong foothold. These areas serve as a base for the exotic species invasion of other types of habitat. The Conservancy has an on-going program to reduce or eliminate autumn olive, multiflora rose, buckthorn and other invasive exotic woody vegetation at the Bengel Wildlife Center.
Who can use the Bengel Wildlife Center?
Everyone is invited to walk the trails of the Bengel Wildlife Center. We hope visitors will enjoy the natural setting and learn a bit about managing land for wildlife. Horses, bicycles, and motorized vehicles are prohibited in order to protect trails and habitat. We ask your help in enforcing that restriction.
Visitors are invited to view the exhibits and browse the Dancing Crane Gift Shop in the Laughlin Building during normal business hours. The Laughlin Building is also home to excellent classroom and meeting facilities. Call 517-641-7677 to find out how you can reserve space for your next meeting or event.
The Laughlin Building is named for Jean and Sheldon Laughlin, who generously supported MWC's capital campaign and who have been long-time supporters of the Conservancy. Jean Laughlin is a daughter of Russ & Ruth Bengel, after whom the Center is named.
With the support and encouragement of the Laughlins, the Conservancy purchased 183 acres from the City of Lansing in 1994. The land, formerly a city park, was originally protected by Angel Priggooris, who donated the land to Lansing in 1958. An additional 76-acres was purchased later and added to the Bengel Wildlife Center. Thanks to his vision, and the support of the Bengel extended family, the public is able to enjoy the same wild setting that Angel Priggooris did. Find out more about the many benefactors of the Bengel Wildlife Center by visiting the Laughlin Building.