Detroit International Wildlife Refuge expands 114 acres in recent property acquisition

The region's biggest wildlife refuge is getting even bigger.

The Detroit International Wildlife Refuge in Trenton is expanding with the acquisition of 114 acres of land, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday. The land will be maintained to exterminate invasive phragmites and foster the growth of native marsh birds like marsh wrens, red-winged blackbirds, great blue herons and egrets.

The refuge acquired the land, which is adjacent to its property from residents James and Holly Sisung on Oct. 12, 2023. Since the acquisition, refuge staff has planted native species like milkweed, bluestem and golden alexander to bolster the local ecosystem. The new purchase raises the refuge's expanse to over 2,570 acres of riverfront and lake plain prairie.

Invasive species on the riverfront:Phragmites 'quickly invading' Belle Isle

“We are so excited about the potential this large tract has for our native wildlife," Jessie Fletcher, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a statement.

She said the land has been developed carefully and specifically to create an environment for "vital, but imperiled species like monarch butteries and native bees.”

Reporter Liam Rappleye can be reached at Lrappleye@freepress.com.

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