Community » Oakland County Parks » Nature

Nature and Environment

Font Size: + -
Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option
Print
natural resources
""
natural resources
""
natural resources
""

OCP is committed to restoring and managing our natural environment to preserve biodiversity, protect water and air quality, support robust populations of wildlife and connect people with high-quality experiences in nature by:

  • Expanding and managing diverse, high-quality natural communities, habitats and wildlife corridors including creating refuges and passage for plants and animals
  • Managing native tree canopy to sustain healthy forests in our parks, improve shade for wildlife and people and support climate resilience of our communities
  • Protecting water quality for aquatic organisms, surrounding wildlife, recreational users and downstream communities
  • Helping communities and residents expand the use of natural landscapes to support regional biodiversity and stormwater mitigation
  • Educating and communicating with the public about nature and encouraging environmentally sustainable practices

Recreating in our Natural Spaces and Nature Preserves

While out enjoying our Oakland County Parks and Nature Preserves, please help us steward these beautiful and important spaces. Oakland County is a proud Leave No Trace Community Member and encourages the public to practice these Leave No Trace Principles:

  1. Plan Ahead and Prepare: Learn our park rules and read park maps before leaving the trailhead, prepare for weather and environmental conditions (mosquitoes, muddy trails, etc.)
  2. Travel on Durable Surfaces: Please stay on designated park trails at all times for your safety and the integrity of our natural spaces
  3. Dispose of Waste Properly: Always use pet waste bags, trash and recycling cans and bathroom facilities provided in convenient locations across our park system
  4. Leave what you find: Please take pictures and memories of our natural spaces but don’t leave with flowers, seeds, mushrooms or other pieces of nature
  5. Minimize Campfire Impacts: OCP only allows campfires within our existing campgrounds in designated areas. Campfires are not allowed anywhere else within the park system
  6. Respect Wildlife: Don’t approach or feed wild animals and encourage pets to do the same
  7. Be Considerate of Others: Keep our parks beautiful and serene for all visitors

Learn More

Questions or Concerns?

Please contact Jim Dunleavy, Manager - Operations at 248-858-0906 or DunleavyJ@oakgov.com.

Getting into the Weeds webinar series

  • Date: 02/27/2025 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM  

As part of the new Natural Resources and Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area Webinar Series Getting into the Weeds, Mike Schuster, Ph.D, an ecologist in the Department of Forest Resources at the University of Minnesota, will present "Using Plants to Control Buckthorn." 

Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is one of the most widespread invaders of temperate forest understories in North America and suppression of buckthorn following removal is a common management goal. However, this goal is rarely realized since remaining buckthorn propagules exploit the periods of high resource availability directly following management and rapidly re-establish dominance. Since 2017, the Cover It Up! project has evaluated methods of revegetating native plant species to compete with buckthorn and reduce its capacity to re-establish following initial management. Now in its eighth year, findings from the project paint a cohesive picture of effective revegetation strategies to buckthorn and other understory invaders.

Schuster is an expert on invasive plants and is currently one of the lead scientists on a project focusing on buckthorn management. He and his team have shown how planting native species can help protect forests from invasion by buckthorn and other exotic shrubs, leading to healthier and more valuable forests that require less intense management over time.  

Register online and a virtual invite will be sent with registration confirmation. For more information, please click here.

Return to full list >>