Today, school children, elected officials, corporate leaders, grassroots organizations, and citizens came together to celebrate the protection of Humbug Marsh and to realize a “dream come true” by cutting the ribbon on a brand-new environmental education shelter, trails, and a stream crossing in Humbug Marsh.  In the late 1990s, Humbug Marsh was slated for residential development.  Thousands of citizens spoke out in opposition to the proposed development of the last mile of natural shoreline of the Detroit River on the U.S. mainland.  This grassroots opposition, in turn, led to the acquisition of Humbug Marsh as the cornerstone of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. 

During 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and many partners created an “educational triangle” to promote environmental education and sustainability, featuring:

·        An environmental education shelter (32’ x 20’), equipped with skylights and an enclosed storage space;

·        Barrier-free trails constructed out of recycled crushed concrete excavated from Old North Gibraltar Road;

·        Rustic trails built with wood chips by volunteers;

·        A wetland boardwalk made out of recycled plastic decking; and

·        A stream crossing made with recycled utility poles, hand rails made out of dead ash trees, and mechanically stabilized earth for wing walls.

These features are located adjacent and south of Wayne County’s Refuge Gateway that will be the future home of the visitor center for North America’s only International Wildlife Refuge.