Under Construction....
Veit's-Dow Woodland
Under Construction....
Description of Site
Veit’s-Dow Woodland is a Central Michigan University (CMU) property located on the southwestern side of Mount Pleasant. The property is bounded on the east by Watson Street and bordered on the north by High Street. Subdivision development is adjacent to the east, south, and southwest portions and Chippewa Park borders on the west. Veit’s-Dow Woodland is approximately 28 acres and was purchased in 1971 using CMU funds and a monetary gift from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation.
Local plant communities in Veit’s-Dow Woodland include hardwood forest, old field, and lowland deciduous forest, the Chippewa River, a small wetland, and a series of vernal ponds. Portions of the property are fenced on the south and west boundaries with chain-link fencing. A series of trails are located on the property, however trails are not marked with signs and no trail guide exists. There are several access points in the neighborhood along the eastern boundary.
Veit’s-Dow Woodland is currently governed within the College of Science and Technology under the direction of the Department of Biology. No formal director or administrator is appointed to oversee use of the property.
Veit’s-Dow Woodland is used for courses offered in the Department of Biology and Department of Geology typically as an outdoor lab facility. The close proximity of the property (within walking distance of campus) provides easy access during lab times. Approximately 3-6 biology and 4 geology courses use the property during the academic year and summer semesters. These courses use Veit’s-Dow Woodland as an important learning environment for various lab exercises that cannot be completed in an indoor facility.
Due in part to the close proximity of Veit’s-Dow Woodland to the CMU campus, this property offers excellent opportunities for additional academic and research use. Veit’s-Dow Woodland will continue to be an integral part of the curriculum within the Department of Biology. Additional use of the property is anticipated for courses such as Mammalogy, Wildlife Ecology, Wildlife Biology and Management, and Dendrology. The Department of Geology will continue to use the property for courses and research. The addition of a new hydrogeologist to the Department of Geology may provide additional opportunities for use of the property including additional monitoring wells.
The CMU-TWS will continue to conduct research on wildlife populations in Veit’s-Dow Woodland. It is anticipated that the current deer project will be expanded into a long-term study conducted by students in the CMU-TWS. Additional research opportunities exist for students in biology, geology, and parks and recreation. For example, there could be an opportunity for a student to examine control methods for managing Amur honeysuckle and autumn olive shrubs on the property.
Two non-native, exotic shrubs, autumn olive and Amur honeysuckle are found on the property with Amur honeysuckle being the more prominent species. Both of these species are very invasive plants and can expand into open and wooded habitats especially after a local disturbance (e.g., windthrown tree, fire, etc...). Please check the following links for more information on these plants, including images to help you identify them.
Autumn olive web site -- http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/elgum.htm
Amur honeysuckle web site -- http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/forestry/Education/ohiotrees/honeysuckle.htm
College of Science & Technology
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Last Revised: 2 January 2003
