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Bringing Conservation to Cities

John Hartig
University of Windsor Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research
Water Matters - Detroit students participate in Sturgeon Day on the Detroit Riverwalk

Putting Detroit and Windsor --- the automobile capitals of the United States and Canada --- in the same sentence as conservation may seem a paradox, but it really isn’t.

In the 1960s, the Detroit River was one of the most polluted waterways in North America.  Today, the cleanup and recovery of the Detroit River tell one of the most remarkable ecological recovery stories in North America, with the return of bald eagles, peregrine falcons, osprey, lake sturgeon, lake whitefish, walleye, mayflies, wild celery, and more. Out of this recovery has come the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge – the only international one in North America.

In 2000, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Herb Gray and U.S. Rep. John Dingell, along with Detroit businessman and Greater Detroit American Heritage River Initiative Chairman Peter Stroh challenged a group of 25 U.S. and 25 Canadian scientists and resource managers to define a desired future state for the Detroit River ecosystem. 

This group drafted a “Conservation Vision for the Lower Detroit River Ecosystem” that called for the establishment of an international wildlife refuge. In 2001, the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge was created in the U.S. by a federal law. Canada later followed with the creation of the Western Lake Erie Watersheds Priority Natural Area to complement U.S. efforts. Gray served as Canadian chair of the IJC from 2002-2010.

A peregrine falcon overlooking the Detroit skyline. Credit: DTE Energy
A peregrine falcon overlooking the Detroit skyline. Credit: DTE Energy

The Refuge represents a new model for conservation – one that focuses on making nature part of everyday urban life, and conserving, protecting, and restoring habitats for 30 species of waterfowl, 113 kinds of fish, and more than 300 species of birds.

Today, on a U.S. registry are 5,834 acres of unique islands, coastal wetlands, marshes, wet prairies, shoals, and riverfront lands owned or cooperatively managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 7,897 acres of unique habitats owned by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. On a Canadian registry are 3,797 acres of Essex Region Conservation Authority lands and 981 acres of City of Windsor lands. When totaled between Canada and U.S., 18,509 acres of land in southwest Ontario and southeast Michigan are now being collaboratively managed and protected for the benefit of wildlife and outdoor recreation.

This compelling story has been captured in a new book by Refuge Manager John Hartig, “Bringing Conservation to Cities: Lessons from Building the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.”

It presents unique insights into innovative partnerships that are making nature part of everyday urban life in an effort to cultivate a connected conservation constituency that cares about wildlife. According to the United Nations, the percentage of people in the world living in urban areas has increased from 30 percent in 1950 to 54 percent in 2014 and is projected to increase to 66 percent by 2050. Today, 80 percent of all Americans and Canadians live in urban areas.

Detroit students participate in Sturgeon Day on the Detroit RiverWalk. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Detroit students participate in Sturgeon Day on the Detroit RiverWalk. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Most urban residents are disconnected from the natural world. Compounding this problem is the fact that most conservationists avoid cities and want to work in pristine or wilderness areas. Furthermore, when scientific assessments are made, most urban areas are found to be too degraded to rank high enough on conservation priority lists. Therefore, there is growing interest in re-connecting urban residents with nature.

To help make sure that this growing urban population values natural resources and that a priority is placed on developing the next generation of conservationists in urban areas, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has created a new Urban Wildlife Conservation Program. Under this program, the Service has designated 14 priority urban refuges, 14 urban wildlife refuge partnerships, and many other urban bird treaty cities and other suburban refuges. Urban bird treaty cities are urban and suburban areas where municipalities and partners are working to conserve migratory birds through education, hazard reductions, citizen science, and conservation actions and strategies.

The goal is to provide a reason and opportunities for urban residents to find, appreciate, and care for nature in their cities and beyond. The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge has been designated as one of the 14 priority urban refuges working to achieve this goal.

“Bringing Conservation to Cities is a timely and informative story of what it takes to foster a conservation ethic in a major urban area, complete with critical lessons learned, and to simultaneously inspire the next generation of conservationists in urban areas --- where most people on our planet live. 

John Hartig
University of Windsor Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research

John Hartig is a visiting scholar at the University of Windsor’s Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, where he studies the cleanup and restoration of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Hartig has been involved in SOS conferences since their inception in 1998 and served as co-chair of the 2022 conference.

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