This summer, ground broke on one of the final pieces of the restoration work at The Highlands, a natural area protected in collaboration by the Land Conservancy and Blandford Nature Center. Construction began on the stream daylighting project in early July. The project will bring
This post is excerpted from an article originally published in the Grand Valley State University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences e-newsletter, CLAS Acts, and is republished here with permission. Anyone fighting a battle in a Michigan backyard with volunteer maple trees could be forgiven for
Work has begun to “daylight” an underground stream at The Highlands, a natural area protected by Blandford Nature Center and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. Several partners met to break ground on the project on July 11, 2022. As part of the ongoing restoration of
An anonymous donor has given their family property to the Land Conservancy to create a public nature preserve in Newaygo County.
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Valerino Castro, a man who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Land Conservancy’s first nature preserve. Valerino and his wife Maria owned the land that is now Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve. Under their care, the land
If you have recently hiked through Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve, you may have noticed that some of the trees bear blue or red markings. If you guessed that those markings denote trees that will be removed, you are right. Unfortunately, oak wilt has been discovered on the preserve and has already killed dozens of oaks. The disease will continue to spread without action, and that
Thanks to the community’s generous support, the 43 acres adjacent to the preserve are protected forever and open to the public. The Land Conservancy of West Michigan announced it has finalized its purchase of 43 acres of forested backdune habitat adjacent to Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve. The addition, named the Huston-Rausch-Paprocki Reserve,
After the winter chill sets in, and the dormant plants’ myriad hues of brown are covered by a crisp white blanket, fieldwork still beckons for the staff of the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. Although the bulk of our work requires plants to be green and actively growing, there is still plenty to do after the leaves fall. So,
Spring is coming! Now is a great time to start thinking about which native plants and trees you will grow in your yard this year. Why native plants? There are many reasons to landscape your yard with native plants. Plants that are native to our region provide
Kim Karn, the organization’s development director, will lead the organization effective February 8, 2021.