Newton Woods is a 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) parcel of oak-hickory

Oak-hickory forest

The oak-hickory forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem with a range extending from southern New England and New York, west to Iowa, and south to Northern Georgia. Smaller, isolated Oak-Hickory communities can also be found as far west as North Dakota, south to Florida and...

 forest located in Cass County

Cass County, Michigan

Cass County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 51,104. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area which has a total population of 316,663 and is sometimes considered part of Greater Michiana...

 within the U.S. state of Michigan. The Newton tract was listed, in 1976 by the United States Department of the Interior, as a National Natural Landmark

National Natural Landmark

The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...

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The woods are located within the 580 acres (2.3 km²) Fred Russ Forest Experiment Station, a Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

 (MSU) research forest and Cass County park. The Russ Forest and Park lie where the east-west Marcellus Highway crosses Dowagiac Creek, 8 miles (12.9 km) east of Dowagiac

Dowagiac, Michigan

Dowagiac is a city in Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,147 at the 2000 census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area....

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Ecology

Newton Woods is classified by MSU as a "virtually undisturbed, mature oak-hickory forest."

In addition, the larger Fred Russ Forest and Park are noted for their black walnuts and tulip trees

Liriodendron tulipifera

Liriodendron tulipifera, commonly known as the tulip tree, American tulip tree, tuliptree, tulip poplar or yellow poplar, is the Western Hemisphere representative of the two-species genus Liriodendron, and the tallest eastern hardwood...

. One of the tulip trees has been identified as the largest tree of this type in Michigan, and is claimed to be 180 feet (54.9 m) tall.

History

Adjacent to the Fred Russ Forest and Park on the east is the site of the now-vanished hamlet of Volinia or Volina, which existed from 1834 until 1902. The hamlet was located where the Marcellus Highway crosses Gards Prairie Road.

The Newton Woods are named after George Newton, who represented Volinia and neighboring communities in the Michigan General Assembly. Newton's Victorian mansion survives on the Marcellus Highway near the woods, and was named as a registered Michigan historic site in 1974 as Registered Site LO367. A historic marker was erected.