MANISTIQUE — An extremely well-maintained trail system in Schoolcraft County was designed to offer recreational and educational opportunities for people of all ages. A few miles northeast of Manistique, the Environmental Education Lab has pathways accessible to wheelchairs and hosts events year-round.

Located within Hiawatha National Forest, the Environmental Education Lab was established in the 1990s on land donated for the purpose by Manistique Township. According to a Daily Press article from ’94, the project was the fruit of collaborations between many parties: plans were made with the Forest Service, Soil Conservation District, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Michigan State University Extension; grants, other funds and materials were provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Manistique Papers, Mead Corporation, First Northern Bank and Trust, and Specialty Minerals; work was done by a platoon of the 107th Engineer Battalion, correctional program crews from Camp Cusino, teachers and students.

Paths weave through the woods, wetlands, and cedar swamp on the 80-acre area. Near the parking lot is a boardwalk to an overlook of Jamestown Slough. Signs dotted along the trails provide information on forest health and relevant topics.

Schoolcraft Conservation District Communications Coordinator Sara Solberg said that all efforts have been to make the trails “welcoming for the public in general and to get people out for educational opportunities in particular.”

Thirty years since the lab’s founding, maintenance remains a joint effort. Scout Troops have done service projects at the outdoor lab, building and installing benches and signs and taking care of wildflower planter boxes near the entrance. The SCD and volunteers from the community work to groom the trails, trim back vegetation and replace boards, and the Schoolcraft County Community Foundation has provided grants for materials.In 2015, a forest management plan was developed, largely in response to beech bark disease. Timber sales both improve safety of the trails and help provide funding for continual betterment of the pathway system.

A few years ago, a Michigan Recreation Passport Grant allowed the Environmental Education Lab’s trails to be made more accessible. Gravel pathways were upgraded in 2023 and are wheelchair-friendly.

The site hosts field trips, including for Mrs. Birr’s environmental science class at Manistique High School.

“The topic of the day’s field trip was biodiversity,” reads a section of the SCD’s annual report for 2023 to 2024 regarding a recent outing. “Following a crash course by District Manager Ashley Reitter on how to identify some of the most common Michigan trees that can be found at the lab, the class broke off into groups to put their lessons into practice. Students identified the species of flagges trees along the trail system and calculated the area’s biodiversity index.”

Group hikes and snowshoe walks are arranged periodically and are open to the public. Recently, a Halloween hike organized by the SCD brought trick-or-treat stations to points on the trail so that children could collect candy while walking in nature.

Since the trails are accessible year-round, the district has also held winter solstice hikes. This year, it will be on Dec. 19 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Environmental Education Lab, which is off of Krummich Road.

Further information may be found at schoolcraftcd.org and facebook.com/EELabManistique.