Nature center debuts new opossum habitat

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — The Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center recently opened a new habitat for its opossum named “Lily.”

The design and construction of the habitat was a joint effort between Dbaker Designs and an Eagle Scout candidate, Drew Belisle. They wanted to give Lily an environment similar to what her habitat would be in the wild.

The indoor enclosure contains a tree with two dens for Lily, plus plants, wood and rocks. A set of stairs winds up the side of the tree to a den a few feet above the ground.

“The new habitat display has been a huge hit, and I encourage anyone who hasn’t seen it to come on out,” Joe Youngblood, the township’s parks, recreation, maintenance, nature center and senior center director, said in an email.

Elizabeth “Lizzy” Schultz, the Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center coordinator, said the new enclosure has been popular with guests.

“Both children and adults love watching Lily climb her stairs and sleep in her treehouse. We are excited for this opportunity to connect people to the wonderful wildlife in their backyards,” she said via email.

Belisle, who is with Troop 156, led the effort for his Eagle Scout service project. He raised $1,643 for the project with homemade pastries and bottle drives.

Dbaker Designs donated $2,000 toward the project, and the township invested $8,000. The Shelby Township Board of Trustees approved the contract with Dbaker Designs and the $8,000 for the project back in March.

“I commend Drew Belisle for spearheading this endeavor and Dbaker Designs’ generous contribution to making this vision a reality. The support from the Board of Trustees highlights our shared commitment to enhancing our natural spaces and fostering a deeper understanding of our environment,” Youngblood said in a press release.

Belisle explained what he learned from the experience.

“My biggest takeaways from the project are the importance of time management and communication while working with others,” Belisle said in the press release. “My biggest struggle while completing the project was balancing it with school and my extracurricular activities, so good communication with my beneficiary and time management techniques were necessary to ensure that I was continuing to show progress during the planning process.

“Once I began to obtain materials and start construction, I sought help from others to help me complete the project. It became clear to me while working with them that communicating well with others is necessary to sustain productivity and produce quality work that I am proud of,” Belisle said.

Schultz sees the enclosure as an opportunity for Lily, the center’s opossum ambassador, to challenge preconceived notions about opossums.

“Many of our visitors only see opossums in their backyard, which can be a startling or scary experience. By seeing Lily in her natural habitat, snacking on fruit or snoozing in her tree house, we hope she will help people see this misunderstood species in a new light,” Schultz said in the release.

The Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center, 4101 River Bends Drive, is free to visit from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The center is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. For more information, call (586) 323-2478, email naturecenter@shelbytwp.org or visit shelbytwp.org/nature.