Turtle Woods Nature Discovery Park
Turtle Woods Nature Discovery Park is a 70-acre property in Troy, Michigan, and has long been a priority for conservation in Oakland County. Six Rivers Land Conservancy is assisting Oakland County Parks (OCP) through a purchase agreement with the Troy School District.
In 2024 Oakland County Parks and Recreation received a $2.175M grant to purchase Turtle Woods, as well as a 1.67-acre residential parcel on Square Lake Road that will serve as parking and access to the park.
Oakland County Parks will operate Turtle Woods as a Nature Discovery Park, with very limited development. Planned improvements include a small parking lot, restrooms, trails, boardwalks and wildlife viewing areas. The goal is to keep Turtle Woods as natural as possible while creating access to allow people to enjoy and learn from the land.
The property contains several important natural areas, including a rate Wet Mesic Prairie Remnant and Southern Hardwood Swamp. The site is also home to rare species such as the Blanding’s Turtle and native plants like Wahoo and Seedbox. Preserving Turtle Woods will have significant ecological benefits including stormwater capture, water quality, climate resilience and continued cooling and shade.
Phases
Public Engagement
Two in-person public engagement opportunities were held to support this project:
A public open house was held at Evanswood Church in Troy on February 14th, 2023, and the responses gathered from that forum were used to supplement the first application to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) grant.
In order to supplement a planned second application to the MNRTF grant, a second public open house was held at Evanswood Church in Troy on February 21st, 2024. Participants had a variety of ways in which to engage and provide input on Turtle Woods, including verbal feedback, written feedback, written letters of support, a signed petition, and a prioritization activity.
OCP staff engaged with approximately 60 community members at the open house, including families and children. Attendees of all ages were invited to participate in the engagement, including a prioritization exercise.
A board presented participants with opportunities to vote for amenities and features that they felt were the highest priority or best fit. The prioritization board reflected the importance the community puts on nature and wildlife.
The prioritization exercise was popular, as attendees were given a certain number of dots with which to cast their votes directly on the boards. In total, over 122 votes were cast. A letter of support writing station was also provided so that attendees could sign a petition and express why they support OCP’s grant application.
The top priorities for participants were:
- Nature trails
- Wildlife habitat
- Forest health/biodiversity
- Stormwater management
- Wildlife viewing
Based on the response from Troy residents and Turtle Woods users from a wider area, there was support and appreciation for the Oakland County Parks grant application to acquire Turtle Woods. OCP is grateful to attendees and respondents for their generous participation and understands the importance of keeping the priorities they expressed at the forefront:
- Protecting and viewing wildlife (turtles, birds, etc.)
- Formalizing nature trails
- Maintaining healthy natural resources
- Preserving greenspace in a rapidly developing city
- Conservation for future generations
Upcoming and ongoing events
Past events
Event date: March 11th, 2026 from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
2601 E Square Lake Rd
9 registrants