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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Land Conservancy of West Michigan
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260418
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260419
DTSTAMP:20260530T140244
CREATED:20260105T211823Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T184805Z
UID:20830-1776470400-1776556799@naturenearby.org
SUMMARY:SOLD OUT | Explorathon: Guided Hike
DESCRIPTION:REGISTRATION IS CLOSED! IF YOU ARE STILL INTERESTED IN ATTENDING\, WE HAVE VERY LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE FOR ON-SITE REGISTRATIONS FOR OUR EASTERN BOX TURTLE AND WHITE LADY SLIPPER GROUPS. \n PLEASE NOTE THAT THE EASTERN MASSASAUGA RATTLESNAKE\, KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY\, AND PIPING PLOVER GROUPS ARE FULLY SOLD OUT\, AND ON-SITE REGISTRATION WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE.  \nABOUT THE EVENT\n\n\nAcross 50 years\, the Land Conservancy of West Michigan has protected spaces where curiosity grows\, and where caring for the earth means caring for each other. In West Michigan’s forests\, prairies\, and shorelines\, protecting habitats also means we’re nurturing the relationships that make conservation possible.  \nAs part of our 50th anniversary celebrations\, we are hosting the Explorathon: a three-event series highlighting connected\, protected natural lands and the impact of collaboration in conservation in West Michigan. The Explorathon invites participants to hike along the Lake Michigan Shoreline\, bike the varied topography of the Eastern Glacial Corridor\, paddle the waters of our Big Forests & Wild Rivers—while learning about\, enjoying\, and celebrating the ongoing protection of these beautiful natural places. Together\, we will explore the land that has been protected over the past 50 years\, and we will dream of the impact that can be had in the coming 50.   \nJoin us for the first stop of the Explorathon: a guided hike along the coast of Lake Michigan\, featuring a collaboratively protected stretch of lakeshore!   \nThis contiguous parcel of natural land has been protected by the hard work and dedication of the Land Conservancy of West Michigan\, the Michigan DNR\, the Ottawa County Parks Department\, and the communities of Ferrysburg\, Grand Haven\, Norton Shores\, Spring Lake.  \nHike participants will travel along the forested dunes of the iconic shoreline\, enjoying views of Lake Michigan to the west and the Grand River valley to the east\, while learning more about the importance of landscape-level conservation work\, hearing stories about how these lands came to be protected\, and enjoying the fruits of decades of hard work to protect and restore natural land on the Lake Michigan shoreline.  \nTickets are required to attend. If the event is not sold out\, on-site registration will be available\, but space is limited. We recommend registering early to secure your spot!   \nRegister to Attend \n\n\nIf you’re interested in sponsoring this event\, please reach out directly to han@naturenearby.org.  \nIf you’re interested in volunteering for this event\, please reach out directly to kendra@naturenearby.org.  \n\n\nEVENT INFORMATION: \n7 Miles \nJoin us for a 7-mile hike along the coast of Lake Michigan. This route will take participants through the following properties: PJ Hoffmaster State Park\, North Ottawa Dunes\, Ottawa Sands County Park\, KLH Dunes Preserve\, and North Shore Fisherman’s Pier. This route is primarily natural surface trails\, including some sections of steep hills and sand. When selecting your ticket for this event\, you will be able to choose a pace group. This pace group will determine your starting time and hiking speed. Each pace group will have a naturalist guide who will hike with you along the route and share about the history of the property and the natural features along the hike. \n2 Miles \nJoin us for a 2-mile hike around Ottawa Sands County Park. This route takes place on an entirely paved trail and is a great option for those who prefer a shorter route\, or those hiking with kids. This is a “no-drop” hike: we will walk at the speed of the slowest participant. \n\nPACE GROUPS: \nEastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Group | 7 mile route\, 20-25 min/mile pace\, 8:30am departure from Gillette Visitor Center \nKarner Blue Butterfly Group | 7 mile route\, 26-30 minute per mile pace\, 8:45am departure from Gillette Visitor Center \nPiping Plover Group | 7 mile route\, 31-35 minute per mile pace\, 9:00am departure from Gillette Visitor Center \nEastern Box Turtle Group | 7 mile route\, 36-40 minute per mile pace\, 9:15am departure from Gillette Visitor Center \nWhite Lady Slipper Group | 2 mile route\, “no-drop” pace\, 10:00am departure from Gillette Visitor Center \n\nWHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR TICKET: \nOn-Route Support \nThe 7-mile route includes three aid stations\, and the 2-mile route includes one aid station. Each aid station will have snacks and drinks to keep hikers energized throughout the day! \nEducation \nIn addition to your pace group’s personal naturalist guide\, each aid station will be staffed by our community partners\, ready to share about their unique work and the land they protect! You can plan on hearing from the Michigan DNR\, Ottawa County Parks\, and KLH Dunes Preserve staff and volunteers about their specific work and areas of expertise. \nActivities \nOptional games and activities to keep you on your toes will be available during the hike. \nPrizes \nEach participant will receive an LCWM water bottle and a unique\, limited-edition Explorathon hike-themed sticker to decorate. *NOTE: Each Explorathon event includes a custom sticker! Participate in all three activities and receive all three stickers to fully customize your water bottle! \nAfterparty \nJoin us immediately following the hike for an afterparty\, hosted at the Gillette Visitor Center at PJ Hoffmaster! There will be food\, drink\, and more! Celebrate your accomplishment of finishing the big hike with us! \n\nPARKING & ARRIVAL:\nParking is available at PJ Hoffmaster State Park\, located at 6585 Lake Harbor Rd\, Norton Shores\, MI 49441. \nWhen you arrive at the state park\, please park in the day-use beach parking lot. You can find this lot by following the temporary signage or by taking the first right immediately after the contact (entrance) station\, just after the first speed bump. There are two parking lots at the day-use beach. Please park in the lot farthest from the beach. Once you’ve parked\, go to the “shuttle pickup” sign – a shuttle will arrive shortly to bring you to the check-in location. \nYou must have a recreation passport to park at PJ Hoffmaster State Park. \nA recreation passport can be purchased with the renewal of your license plates. If you do not have a recreation passport\, you can purchase one from the Secretary of State for $15 or on-site when you arrive for $20. If you are planning to purchase a recreation passport on site\, you must have cash or a check made out to the “State of Michigan”. If you have any questions about this\, please reach out directly to P.J. Hoffmaster at 231-798-3711. *NOTE: If you are unable to purchase a recreation passport for any reason\, reach out to your local library! Your library card may give you access to a “Michigan Activity Pass”\, which provides card holders with a free state park visit! \nWe will provide a shuttle from the parking lot to the Visitor Center.  \nBecause a shuttle will take you to the start of the hike\, we recommend arriving a minimum of 20 minutes before your pace group takes off. This will allow you time to take the shuttle to the starting location\, get checked in at registration\, and use the restroom before your group begins. If you are purchasing a ticket on-site\, we recommend arriving with a few additional minutes of cushion time. \n\nFAQ’s:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCan I purchase a recreation passport on site?  \nYes\, a recreation passport can be purchased on site! On site purchases cost $20 and are cash or check (made out to “State of Michigan”) only. \nCan I register for the hike day-of on site?  \nYes\, you can purchase a ticket in person day-of! We will accept cash or card for day-of registration. This event has limited space\, so we recommend securing your ticket early\, but we will be accepting morning-of registrations. If the event sells out before April 18\, we will update the event page to reflect this. If registering day-of\, be sure to arrive at registration a minimum of 25 minutes prior to your selected pace group. \nIs there anything I should bring with me on the hike?  \nThis is a long hike\, so bring what you need to be comfortable. We recommend good walking shoes\, sunscreen\, layers\, and water. Trekking poles and other accommodations to make the journey easier are welcome! \nWhat if I begin the hike but cannot finish the full 7 miles?  \nWe are offering two routes day-of (7 miles and 2 miles)\, so please choose a distance you are comfortable with! That said\, if you are unable to complete whichever route you have signed up for\, just alert one of the volunteers with your group. Each group will have a minimum of two volunteers or staff members\, and they will ensure your safe and timely return to the Gillette Visitor Center. \nAfter the hike ends\, how do we get back to our vehicles?  \nWe will be providing a shuttle from the finish back to P.J. Hoffmaster State Park! \nCan I bring my dog?  \nWhile we love your furry companions\, unfortunately the shuttle service does not allow dogs unless they are a registered service dog. \nWhat if it rains?  \nThe Explorathon: Hike will happen rain or shine. That said\, in the case of severe weather\, we may make the decision to postpone\, cancel\, or delay group start times to ensure the safety of all participants. Any changes will be communicated to registered attendees via email\, and on all LCWM social media pages. \nWhat if I need to cancel?  \nCancellation requests received at least 7 days before the scheduled program are eligible for a 50% refund of the total registration cost\, not including any credit card processing fees. Due to administration costs\, full refunds are not available. Cancellation requests received within 7 days of the event are not eligible for a refund. \n\nRegister to Attend \n\n\nTHIS EVENT IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY\n \n\n\nWITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM\nAldea Coffee \nVivant Brewery & Spirits \n\nTHANKS TO OUR PARTNERS\n     .    \n 
URL:https://naturenearby.org/events/50th-explorathon-hike-041826/
LOCATION:P.J. Hoffmaster\, 6585 Lake Harbor Road\, Norton Shores\, MI\, 49441\, United States
CATEGORIES:50th Anniversary
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260101T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260101T123000
DTSTAMP:20260530T140244
CREATED:20251205T220049Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251229T204141Z
UID:20518-1767263400-1767270600@naturenearby.org
SUMMARY:New Year's Day Hike
DESCRIPTION:About the Event\n\n\nKick off 2026 with the Land Conservancy of West Michigan and help us celebrate the beginning of our 50th year! \nOn January 1st\, join the Land Conservancy team and former Land Protection Director April Scholtz at 10:30am for a New Year’s Day Hike at Tallmadge Woods. \nTallmadge Woods is owned and managed by Ox-Bow School of Art and protected in perpetuity by the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. The permanent protection and ongoing care of the land are a testament to the relationships that make conservation possible. \nJoin us to embark on an exciting new year as we explore and appreciate the natural areas that make West Michigan unlike anywhere else. We’ll hike the Tallmadge Woods trail\, enjoy views of the Kalamazoo River and Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area\, and reflect on fifty years of working together to keep nature nearby. \nPlease come dressed for the weather and activity – spikes (Yaktrax\, etc.)\, trekking poles\, or other accommodations to make the hike easier are encouraged! We will be hiking on natural surface trails\, which may be slick with snow or ice. \nWe have updated our meeting location! We are now gathering in the Tallmadge Woods parking lot at 10:30am. This will require you to drive down the single track road (past the Mount Baldhead parking lot) to the very end of Park Street. The approximate street address is 1045 Park St\, Saugatuck\, MI 49453. There will be hand-painted signs once you reach Ox-Bow campus that will direct you toward the parking area.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister to Attend \nAbout Tallmadge Woods\n\n\nTallmadge Woods is a 102-acre natural area in Saugatuck owned by Ox-Bow School of Art. It is protected by a conservation easement held by the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. The easement\, together with Ox-Bow’s enduring commitment to care for the land\, permanently protects forested dunes\, emergent marsh\, and the Kalamazoo River shoreline. The land connects to and overlooks Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area — another example of community conservation in action. Together\, they comprise 275 acres of permanently protected Lake Michigan Shoreline habitat.
URL:https://naturenearby.org/events/50th-new-years-day-hike-010126/
LOCATION:Tallmadge Woods\, 1045 Park St.\, Saugatuck\, 49453\, United States
CATEGORIES:50th Anniversary
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