Robert T. Brown Nature Sanctuary is a 19 acres (7.7 ha) sanctuary located in Houghton County, Michigan

Houghton County, Michigan

-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,016 people, 13,793 households, and 8,137 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 17,748 housing...

. It is maintained and preserved by the Michigan Nature Association

Michigan Nature Association

The Michigan Nature Association is an association in the U.S. state of Michigan which was established in 1952. It is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting Michigan's exceptional natural habitats and extraordinary and endangered plants and animals...

, which is a non-profit organization

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 dedicated to protecting Michigan's exceptional natural habitats and extraordinary plants and animals.

History

The late Dr. Robert Thorson Brown (1923–2002), for whom the sanctuary is named, was Professor of Biological Sciences at Michigan Technological University until his retirement in 1983. He loved plants and the natural world that supports them. He was an expert in the identification of plants, mushrooms and lichens, which his research involved. He enjoyed teaching the complex interactions between organisms and often took his students on many field trips. Shortly before he died, Dr. Brown assisted in the selection of the site which is now the Robert T. Brown Nature Sanctuary.

About the Sanctuary

The Brown Sanctuary is a northern wetland surrounded by a small pond and bordered by a black spruce

Spruce

A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...

, tamarack, and white cedar

White Cedar

White Cedar may refer to several different trees:* Cupressaceae:** Chamaecyparis thyoides – Atlantic White Cypress** Cupressus lusitanica – Mexican White Cedar** Thuja occidentalis – Eastern Arborvitae* Meliaceae:...

 swamp. Several shrubs can be found in the sanctuary, including leather leaf, bog-rosemary

Bog-rosemary

Andromeda polifolia, commonly known as Bog-rosemary, is a heath found across northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only member of its genus. Bog rosemary is only found in bogs in cold peat-accumulating areas....

, Labrador tea, and both small and large cranberry

Cranberry

Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...

. Several species of orchids are also found here.

Many carnivorous plants can be found in this fen, such as pitcher plant

Pitcher plant

Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. It has been widely assumed that the various sorts of pitfall trap evolved from rolled leaves, with selection pressure favouring more deeply cupped leaves over...

, round leaved sundew

Sundew

Drosera, commonly known as the sundews, comprise one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous glands covering their leaf surface. The insects are used to supplement...

, and hidden fruited bladderwort

Bladderwort

Utricularia, commonly and collectively called the bladderworts, is a genus of carnivorous plants consisting of approximately 233 species . They occur in fresh water and wet soil as terrestrial or aquatic species across every continent except Antarctica...

. These unique plants capture and digest insects and other food to obtain the necessary nutrients.