Marie Wilson volunteers for conservation
When Marie Wilson lived and worked in the Detroit area, she would periodically drive an hour to Ives Road Fen Preserve, managed by The Nature Conservancy, to take part in a volunteer effort to remove glossy buckthorn from the fen. The rewarding work made the journey worth it.
“When we went down there at first, the buckthorn was so thick, you couldn’t walk. And when you looked at that in 1999 or 2000, it felt hopeless, you know?” Marie said.
But with persistence and dedication, the impact of the efforts became apparent.
Marie Wilson
“We made huge progress on that property and freed it from the buckthorn,” she said. “That felt really good.”
Marie developed an appreciation for nature in her childhood, spending summers at her family’s cottage on a lake in the western Upper Peninsula. When her family sold that property, she sought something similar for herself and her husband. They ended up buying land in Bitely, in secluded, forested northern Newaygo County. They eventually built a house and a pole barn on the land, and the two now live there full time.
Now retired, Marie sought volunteer opportunities like the fen restoration she was involved in. She found the Land Conservancy of West Michigan around the time the organization acquired two nature preserves right in her neighborhood.
“I can walk to Upriver [Nature Preserve],” Marie said. “We love hiking there, and when people come to stay at our house, we are always taking them there.”
Further south on the Little South Branch of the Pere Marquette River and N. Walnut Avenue is McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve, where Marie has gotten involved in several volunteer initiatives. She has helped remove invasive species, clean up debris, and build boardwalks on the preserve. Marie’s interest in devoting time to caring for her local natural areas has only increased.
The Newaygo County Environmental Coalition has connected Marie with even more conservation volunteer opportunities in her neighborhood. In 2024, Marie participated in the Michigan State University Extension’s Conservation Stewards program, an educational program designed for those interested in science-based ecosystem management principles. The Newaygo County program taught over 30 participants about caring for the natural communities in their backyards.
“That was awesome. I highly recommend it,” Marie said.
The Conservation Stewards program asks participants to complete a capstone project on a public property. Marie will complete her project at McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve, where she is supporting the Land Conservancy’s efforts to eradicate invasive autumn olive and scotch pine.
Next, Marie plans to join the Michigan Vernal Pool Patrol Project. She is eager to map, identify, and monitor vernal pools in her area.
“It’s kind of always been my mission to do stuff for the environment,” she said. She’s appreciative of having opportunities near her home, and that the Land Conservancy offers public spaces for people to connect with nature.
“I think people have to build that culture around enjoying these places, otherwise no one is going to care,” Marie said.
This story was part of our Spring 2025 Newsletter. You can read the newsletter in its entirety here.
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