Inside this issue:

OTPRC Response to COVID-19 1

What’s New in the Parks Virtual Programming National Trails Day

2

Interactive Park Map 3

Archery Programs 4

Tai Chi 5

Yoga 5

Kayaking 5

Dinosaurs at Bear Creek 6-7

Cranberry Lake Farm Historic District

8

Stewardship 9

Parks Map 10

Registration Information 11

Commissioners, Staff 12

The Mission of Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Commission is to provide a sustainable system of parks, trails, programs, amenities, and services which create memorable experiences and a sense of place, contributes to the economic value of the Township and preserves the historical and natural heritage of the landscapes for existing and future generations.

Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Commission Newsletter

OTPR RESPONSE TO COVID-19 (May 22, 2020) Oakland Township Residents and Friends:

Due to mandates from the Michigan Governor and the Oakland County Executive, Oakland Township Parks and Recreation is making operational changes that are in the best interest of the health and safety of the public and our employees to limit the spread of COVID-19.

All Oakland Township parks and trails are open for use by the public in accordance with social distancing guidelines. All portable restrooms remain open.

All playgrounds, basketball courts, and fishing/kayak docks in Oakland Township Parks are closed.

All outdoor programs are cancelled through mid-June. We are offering lower-risk activities this summer starting in late June/early July. We are implementing best practices to safely reopen facilities and programs as permitted.

Please go to our website (www.oaklandtownship.org) and our Facebook page to see our virtual yoga and tai chi classes, our nature videos, and Oakland Township Park information.

The Parks and Recreation offices are currently closed to the public however we can be contacted at parks@oaklandtownship.org, or by phone at (248) 651-7810. Please watch website for office reopening.

Our team of staff and instructors are trained in safety protocol that follow CDC Guidelines and are equipped with Personal Protective equipment and gear. Our team is also actively communicating with each other, our partners and our patrons about the role each of us can play to help prevent the spread of infection.

We are sorry to announce the cancellation of our 2020 Music in the Meadows summer concert series and Goodison Good Tyme fall festival due to the uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. This difficult decision was not made lightly, or easily. Yet the current situation makes it impossible for us to safely plan and execute these events for all of the people who come together to make them the wonderful experiences you have come to expect. We are deeply saddened at having to make this decision, but the health of our community is our priority. THANK YOU for your patience and support.

Social Distancing on the Paint Creek Trail

2 Parks and Recreation Newsletter June 2020 www.oaklandtownship.org

Paint Creek Trail News By Melissa Ford, Trail Manager manager@paintcreektrail.org

National Trails Day Saturday, June 6

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Paint Creek Trail will not be celebrating

National Trails Day this year with a physical event. In lieu of our traditional

celebration, the Trailways Commission will host a virtual event focused on connecting

with our community of trail users. Further event details will be made available soon at

http://paintcreektrail.org/wordpress/2020-national-trails-day/.

facebook.com/PaintCreekTrail twitter.com/PaintCreekTrail PaintCreekTrail.org

Stay tuned to the Paint Creek Trail website and Facebook page for information on virtually celebrating National Trails Day on June 6th

What’s New in The Parks

Our new virtual programming provides fun, fitness, crafts, nature education, recreation and enrichment through these unprecedented times. We are committed to ensuring our community has the resources to help facilitate

health and well-being. Visit our website www.oaklandtownship.org

Categories to explore:

Fitness and Wellness: Check out our on-demand and live streaming opportunities to participate in programs to keep you feeling your best. Free live-streamed fitness programs for June:

All Levels Yoga Wednesdays June 10, 17, 24 12:30pm – 1:30pm (Video of each class will be available for viewing for one week after class date.)

Zoom link will be posted on our Facebook page one hour before class starts

Tai Chi Beginning Exercises Tuesdays June 2, 9 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Zoom link will be posted on our Facebook page one hour before class starts

Explore Nature at Home: Discover on-demand programs about the best of Michigan’s Great Outdoors including plants, animals, and habitats. Check out videos by our partner, Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve, as well as other fantastic organizations and resources that value nature as much as we do.

Explore our Parks: Here you’ll discover what our parks are all about with links to interactive maps, volunteer opportunities you can join, and informational nuggets that showcase our parks.

Special Interest and Online Resources: Find unique and fun activities in this section, such as challenges, contests, and more!

Share Your Ideas! If you have an idea for a vir tual program or resource that you’d like us to offer, please let us know!

Contact us at parks@oaklandtownship.org, or call (248) 651-7810.

Scan here and be directed to our

website for more information!

Outdoor Programs on pages 4 & 5

3 Parks and Recreation Newsletter June 2020 www.oaklandtownship.org

This map does not include parks managed by other agencies, including Bald

Mountain State Recreation Area (Michigan DNR), Stony Creek Metropark (HCMA),

and private parks within subdivisions.

Oakland Township Parks & Recreation

4393 Collins Road, Rochester, MI 48306

Phone: 248-651-7810

www.oaklandtownship.org

Enjoy our new interactive map of Oakland Township’s parks!

With this web app, located at https://bit.ly/3g0GaRs, use the ready-to-go bookmarks to locate all of the parks and natural areas in the Oakland Township park system. Click on the name of each park to see a brief description. You can also change the base map, show your location, and measure distances or area.

New Online

Park Map!

Scan with

your phone

to view

the map!

https://bit.ly/3g0GaRs

4 Parks and Recreation Newsletter June 2020 www.oaklandtownship.org

Beginning Archery - All Ages (Ages 8 - Adult)

Saturdays June 27 - July 25, 2020 10:00 - 11:00am Register by June 21

Marsh View Park, 3100 East Clarkston Road, Oakland, MI 48363

Looking for something new and fun to try on a beautiful summer Saturday morning? This fun class is for you and your family! Our instructors will cover safety, equipment and basic fundamentals of shooting. All equipment provided. 4 weeks.

Residents: $45 Non-Residents: $60 Maximum 10 registrants.

Open Range Shoot - Ages 8 - Adult “FREE” to the Public 5 Sessions every Saturday!

Saturdays 6/27/2020 – 11/7/2020 11:00am – 4:00pm

Practice archery skills! Prior archery experience necessary. No crossbows or broadheads. Children between 8 and 17 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Must bring your own equipment. Range supervised by certified USA Archery Instructors. Not sure how to shoot? Range Masters can assist you with our 1st Shot Demo Program - 5 minute teaching time/demo during Open Shooting Hours, or sign up for one of our Beginner Classes.

Must pre-register online. 5 Sessions every Saturday to choose from:

11-11:45am or 12-12:45pm or 1-1:45pm or 2-2:45 or 3-3:45pm Maximum 10 registrants per session.

As part of Oakland Township’s Parks and Recreation commitment to help

protect our patrons we wanted to share with you the precautions we are

taking in response to the coronavirus. We are implementing additional

health and safety measures recommended by the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Oakland County Health Department.

These measures include requiring self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms,

wearing PPE, limiting programs to small groups, implementing social

distancing practices, and increased cleaning of parks and program facilities

and equipment.

Oakland Township resident registration starts NOW! Non-resident

registration begins one week prior to the program registration deadline date.

Register online at: oaklandtownship.recdesk.com

5 Parks and Recreation Newsletter June 2020 www.oaklandtownship.org

Tai Chi Beginners - Adults 18+

Tuesdays 6/16/2020 – 8/4/2020 6:00pm – 7:00pm Register by June 9

Cranberry Lake Farm, 388 W. Predmore, Oakland, MI 48363

Find peace and serenity from a busy, stressful day through Tai Chi. Tai Chi exercises the mind and body by increasing wellbeing and improving balance, coordination and strength. Students will learn the basic forms and elegant movements of the Yang Style Short Form Tai Chi. Students should be able to support their weight while standing or bring a chair if unable to stand. Students should wear loose and comfortable clothing and shoes. No flip flops or sandals. Traditional Tai Chi shoes are optional. Bring water bottle. Led by Marci Jenkins.* 8 weeks. *Marci has over 20 years of Tai Chi training and practice.

Residents: FREE Non-residents: FREE Maximum 10 registrants.

All Levels Yoga - Adults 12+

Sundays, June 14 - July 19, 2020 10:00 - 11:00am Register by June 8

Cranberry Lake Farm, 388 W Predmore Road, Oakland, MI 48363

Free Yoga Class! Yoga instructor Pavel Bednarski, RYT-200, and Oakland Township Parks and Recreation are teaming up to bring you FREE in-person yoga classes on the lawn at Cranberry Lake Farm. Bring your yoga mat, towel, or blanket. Led by Pavel Bednarski, RYT-200. All Levels. 6 week session. All in-person classes will take place on the lawn.

Residents: FREE Non-residents: FREE Maximum 10 registrants.

Tai Chi Continuing Beginners - Adults 18+

Wednesdays 6/17/2020 – 8/5/2020 6:00pm – 7:00pm Register by June 9

Cranberry Lake Farm, 388 W. Predmore, Oakland, MI 48363

For those students who have taken Tai Chi classes with Marci Jenkins. Residents: FREE Non-residents: FREE Maximum 10 registrants.

Fun Basics of Kayaking - Ages 10 and up

Draper Twin Lake Park, 1015 Inwood Rd., Rochester, MI 48306*

Sunday, June 28, 2020 12:00pm - 2:00pm Register by June 22

This clinic is taught both on land and in the water and will focus on safety and introductory stroke techniques. Learn basic kayaking safety skills such as fitting your life jacket, what clothing to wear and getting into and out of your kayak from a dock. Basic paddling skills include forward, reverse, and turning strokes. Designed for new paddlers and anyone who would like formal instruction. Draper Twin Lake is an open calm flat water with-out jet skis and motor boats.

Residents: $20 Non-residents: $35 Maximum 10 registrants.

*Draper Twin Lake is a calm water lake. The distance from the parking lot to the dock, which has lake access, is approximately one-half mile via accessible path.

Items to bring: water bottle, water shoes or light weight sneakers, sunglasses, bug repellent, and wear synthetic clothing. At the time of registration we will ask you for your approximate height and weight so that we may size you with the proper gear. We paddle in light rain (it is a water sport). However, if there is a 60% or greater chance of thunderstorms 2 hours prior to the clinic we will contact you to cancel with a full refund issued or reschedule the clinic.

6 Parks and Recreation Newsletter June 2020 www.oaklandtownship.org

As many of us have been doing during the state-wide shutdown, I have spent time visiting several Oakland

Township parks. I am very lucky in that I can walk to Bear Creek Nature Park from my home. One of my

favorite things to do is to sit on the dock and watch the many birds, insects and other fascinating critters that

find their home in the ponds at our local parks here in the township. While I was sitting on the dock and

enjoying an unusually warm spring day at Bear Creek I had the privilege of watching what I like to think of as a

living dinosaur…a big, old snapping turtle. This snapper was huge and he had a large amount of moss growing

on his shell which billowed around him like some sort of crazy green wig. Did you know that snapping turtles

have existed for over 90 million essentially unchanged! While they lived

during the time of the dinosaurs, snappers are not actually dinosaurs…the last

of the non-avian dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago...but

snapping turtles live on!

Observing snapping turtles at the parks in Oakland Township is pretty easy to

do. I find that sunglasses which are polarized and perhaps a pair of binoculars

are all you really need. Polarized sunglasses help to block the light that is

reflected off the surface of the water and make viewing turtles much, much

easier. Settle in on one of the docks and sit quietly until you start to notice

ripples or movement at the surface of the water. Alternatively you can use your

binoculars to scan for a turtle head protruding above the water. If you stay still

you may even discover a turtle that has pulled himself out of the water to bask

on a rock or a log on a warm sunny day.

Snapping turtles can grow to be very large and can live for a very long time. I have lived in Oakland Township

on the same pond for 45 years and there may be snappers in my pond that lived there twice as long as I have!

While there is some debate over this issue, it is believed that snappers may live to

be 100 years old and it is estimated that their maximum age is somewhere around

170 years. In part, they can make it to this ripe old age because they have no

natural predators, other than humans. Particularly in June, keep an eye out for

turtles crossing the roads when you are driving near ponds and wetlands in the

Township. Every year many turtles, even very old ones, are killed by cars. This is

particularly common during the egg-laying season when the turtles venture out of

their ponds to lay eggs. The little ones will make a return trip to the water after

they have hatched and are very vulnerable. While a turtles shell can heal, many that

get hit by cars are too severely injured to recover,

even with the aid of a wildlife rehabilitator.

So how big do these guys get? First it is important to know that snapping

turtles exhibit sexual dimorphism. This is just a fancy way of saying that boy

turtles have obvious physical differences from girl turtles. In snappers, this

mainly is a function of size. It can also be exhibited in shell shape as most

male turtles have a slightly concave shape to their plastron (the under part of

the shell). Bottom line is that, on average, male snappers will be larger than

females of a similar age. Why is age important? Snapping turtles continue to

grow over the course of their entire lives though they grow more slowly as

they get older. This also means that turtles lay down new shell with each year

so that their age can be determined by counting the rings in each scute (scute (Continued on page 7)

Snapping turtle laying eggs. Cam Mannino

Basking snapping turtle. Cam Mannino

Dinosaurs at Bear Creek By: Sue M. Neal, Executive Director, Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve

Snapping turtles hatching at Bear Creek Nature Park , 2018 GGT.

7 Parks and Recreation Newsletter June 2020 www.oaklandtownship.org

is the super cool word for the individual parts that make up the carapace…another fancy word that means the

upper half of the shell). This is not a foolproof way to age a turtle though. These rings, called Annuli, can also

indicate periods of food shortage or abundance. So…to finally answer our original question, the average male

snapping turtle is about 13 inches in carapace length and females are around 11 inches though old individuals

can reach sizes near 30 inches. These animals are very solid too and can easily

weigh from 45-75 pounds!‼

Snapping turtles kept in captivity often have shorter lifespans than their wild

counterparts. In part, this is because keeping reptiles in captivity is very difficult

to do. They need exposure to sunshine in order to metabolize vitamins to keep

themselves healthy. They are often denied this critical need. Turtles in captivity

also often suffer from inappropriate diets and inadequate care. They can be very

messy when they eat and so maintaining a clean and healthy environment for

them can be a huge challenge. Another problem is that some people want to keep

a turtle when it is little and then release it into the wild. This can be extremely harmful to the turtle AND to the

turtles in the body of water where it is

released. Turtles can pick up bacteria and

viruses in captivity which can spread to

wild populations if released. Every zoo,

animal shelter and wildlife rehabilitator is

overwhelmed with calls from people who

can no longer care for their turtles. Please,

please, please do not try to keep a turtle as

a pet. Instead take some time to observe

them in their natural habitat and appreciate

them there. Many species also reach a size

that is simply not practical for someone to

manage.

Snapping turtles are not mean (they would

just prefer to be left alone) and they are an

important part of the ecosystem. They are

fascinating to watch and can be easily

observed at several wetlands/ponds in the

Township. Consider spending a lazy hour

on the dock at one of the township parks

where you can observe these ancient giants

first hand. I hope you will develop a

respect and appreciation for snapping

turtles as well as the many painted turtles

that you are likely to see while visiting the

docks. Don’t be tempted to take a tiny

turtle indoors, instead leave them be so they

can live a long healthy life in the wild.

Visit Natural Areas Notebook for more of

Cam’s great photos of nature up-close!

(Continued from page 6)

Muddy snapper at Draper Twin Lake Park. Cam Mannino

Dinosaurs at Bear Creek By: Sue M. Neal, Executive Director, Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve

8 Parks and Recreation Newsletter June 2020 www.oaklandtownship.org

Cranberry Lake Farm Historic District

A community historical center - work in progress for you. Come out to the farm!

For more information contact the Historic District Commission office 248-608-6807

Check the website www.oaklandtownship.org or Facebook: Cranberry Lake Farm Historic District

Cranberry Lake Farm is open for your enjoyment, relaxation, and exercise. Walk the grounds and see the treasures on display with old implements, stone barbeques, picnic areas, and historic surroundings. Located at 388 West Predmore Road in northern Oakland Township. The sixteen acre historic district is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and represents a rural farmstead’s evolution into a recreational retreat.

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Join the Plein Aire Painters workshop on Thursday, June 18, 2020 from 10AM to 2PM. This workshop will have a class limit of 8 for a fee of $25. Bring your own supplies, your own lunch, and please have a mask with you. This is an outdoor workshop with 6’ distancing required. RSVP by June 15 to join the fun!

Please call the HDC Office 248-608-6807 or email bbarber@oaklandtownship.org. Cancelled if raining.

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The Bee programs are on a temporary hold. There are bee swarms set up to attract the bees and when they are ready to capture, we will email anyone interested. Leave contact info bbarber@oaklandtownship.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Calling all gardeners Friday June 26, 2020 11am to 12:30pm for a fun-filled program / tour learning about volunteer recruitment ideas for the farmstead. Our Farm is Your Farm, and your ideas will help us manage the community historical center to cherish for future generations. Cancelled if raining. Please RSVP to above contact information. Cranberry Lake Farm—A historic park, at your fingertips—sanitized please!

Photo Credit of the Flumerfelt Barn by

Jennifer Hawley Photography on Facebook.

9 Parks and Recreation Newsletter June 2020 www.oaklandtownship.org

Natural Areas Information at your Fingertips!

Have you checked out our blog recently? The Natural Areas Notebook has the latest about what’s happening in the parks, news about the latest stewardship work, and up-to-date information about stewardship events. Find this and much more at oaklandnaturalareas.com.

Natural Areas Stewardship Events Please come out and join us for one of these events! Updated information and any last minute

changes to these events can be found on our Natural Areas Notebook website at oaklandnaturalareas.com.

Weekly Bird Walks

Join us every Wednesday from June 17 to the end of August for our weekly bird walks. We want to document the bird species using our parks so that we can work to improve their habitat. Walks will start at 8:00 am. Bring your own binoculars. This summer, walks will be limited to 10 participants per walk, and pre-registration is required. Please pre-register at https://

oaklandtownship.recdesk.com/. All participants will need to follow social distancing and other safety rules. Walks may be cancelled due to COVID-19.

1st Wednesday of month – Bear Creek Nature Park

2nd Wednesday of month – Cranberry Lake Park

3rd Wednesday of month – Charles Ilsley Park

4th Wednesday of month – Draper Twin Lake Park

5th Wednesday of July – Lost Lake Nature Park

Garlic mustard flowers; CC-BY-SA-3.0; Wikimedia Commons

Dame’s Rocket flowers; CC BY-SA 2.0; Wikimedia Commons

Garlic mustard leaves; CC BY-SA 3.0; Wikimedia Commons

Volunteers Needed!

Would you like to learn new skills, work with a great team, and get more involved in local conservation? Our natural areas stewardship volunteers help with bluebird nest box monitoring, native seed collecting, prescribed fire, invasive species control, photo monitoring, pollinator garden maintenance, outreach, and more! We fit opportunities to your availability and interests. No special skills required. We’ll provide all training and tools you’ll need. To learn more contact Natural Areas Stewardship Manager Ben VanderWeide (bvanderweide@oaklandtownship.org).

Garlic Mustard and Dame’s Rocket

The numerous seeds of Garlic mustard and Dame’s rocket are readily scattered by wildlife, hikers, wind and water. The resulting plants infest new areas quickly, overtaking and displacing native vegetation in natural areas of our prairies, savannas and woodlands, stream courses and wetland margins. Garlic mustard and Dame’s Rocket can change soil conditions to inhibit the growth of other plants.

A good social distancing exercise to engage your friends and family is the pulling and bagging of any of these plants you find on your property! Just remember to dispose of in the trash—do not compost.

10 Parks and Recreation Newsletter June 2020 www.oaklandtownship.org

Check out our new

interactive park map!

https://bit.ly/3g0GaRs

11 Parks and Recreation Newsletter June 2020 www.oaklandtownship.org

Oakland Township resident registration starts NOW! Non-resident registration begins one week prior to the program registration deadline date.

Registration Options:

1.Register online at https://oaklandtownship.recdesk.com with a credit card (MasterCard, Visa, or Discover). For Cash or Check see option 2.

2.Fill out the form below and both a program release of liability waiver and a COVID-19 waiver for each participant, and drop in the drop-box at Township Hall, (4393 Collins Rd.) at your convenience. (Two waivers are needed for each person and each program. Find liability waivers at www.oaklandtownship.org, go to Township Departments, click on Parks and Recreation, click on Programs and scroll to the waivers that you need in center of page.)

Make checks payable to “Charter Township of Oakland” and include with registration form and both signed waivers for each participant. Place in dropbox at Township Hall:

Charter Township of Oakland, 4393 Collins Rd., Rochester, MI 48306

Adult’s Name:

Address:

City/Zip: Emergency phone:

Home Phone: Cell Phone:

E-Mail Address:

Resident of (circle one): Oakland Twp. Rochester Rochester Hills Other

Enrollee’s Name: Age (if child):

Program Name: Date and Time:

Program Name: Date and Time:

Amount Due:

Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Online Registration Available!

Additional registration forms and waivers are available to print from the park pages

at www.oaklandtownship.org

Charter Township of Oakland 4393 Collins Rd., Rochester, MI 48306

Online Registration Now Available!

Colin Choi, Chairman

Hank Van Agen, Vice Chairperson

Craig Blust, Treasurer

Emily Barkham, Secretary

Dan Bukowski, Commissioner

Cathy Rooney, Commissioner

Dan Simon, Commissioner

The Parks & Recreation Commission meets at 7 pm on the second Wednesday of every month in the Township Hall Boardroom. Please see www.oaklandtownship.org for meeting agendas and packets.

Office Hours and Location

Park permits, maps and descriptions are available at the Parks and Recreation Department office, located on the second floor of the Paint Creek Cider Mill, 4480 Orion Road. Normal office hours are from 8am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday.

Commission Meetings

Parks and Recreation Commission

Charter Township of Oakland

4393 Collins Road

Rochester, MI 48306-1670

Phone: (248) 651-7810

Fax: (248) 601-0106

www.oaklandtownship.org

Seal designed by Richard Krupp

PRESORTED

STANDARD

US POSTAGE PAID

ROCHESTER, MI

PERMIT NO 73

Parks and Recreation Commissioners

Parks and Recreation Director Melinda Milos-Dale Administrative Assistant Carol Kasprzak Clerical Assistant Deb Gallo Recreation Manager Becky McLogan

Recreation Program Assistant Julie Schoenherr Maintenance Foreman Doug Caruso Maintenance Technician Jeff Johnson Natural Areas Stewardship Manager Dr. Ben VanderWeide Stewardship Specialist Grant VanderLaan Maintenance and Recreation Staff Max Parsons, Clif Selent, Matt Strubler, Robert Zbytowski

Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Staff

Oakland Township Park Rules are enforced by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

FOR EMERGENCIES CALL 911

If you have information or questions concerning a reported crime or accident, call the substation at 248-652-4617 Monday-Friday, 8 am-4 pm. All other calls please use dispatch at 248-858-4950.