The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is an invasive species that has devastated the hemlock forests in the southeast United States. It was first detected in West Michigan in 2016 and now threatens the hemlocks of our own lakeshore and northern forests. The known extent of HWA...
Recently I have been reading stories of polar explorers. I have long been fascinated by the men and women who strike out into the most desolate places on earth. I love the pictures of their hardened, stoic faces poking out through furry hoods, covered in...
A little extra celebration was had this holiday season as a flurry of land protection happened in the last days of 2017. Two conservation agreements were completed as the year wrapped up, bringing the 2017 total to six new conservation agreements and the total acreage...
On a bright clear morning in early December, I watched a bulldozer tear up the land. Back and forth it worked, methodically stripping vegetation from the ground and skimming off the soil. Behind it, an excavator ripped into a hillside and piled the dirt a few...
The Consumers Energy Foundation recently announced a grant award of $100,000 to support The Highlands project, a Land Conservancy partnership with Blandford Nature Center to acquire the former Highlands Golf Club property and restore it to a public green space and natural area. Grant funds...
It has been just under a year since The Highlands, a partnership project with Blandford Nature Center, was turned toward a new future as a natural area. Already the landscape has experienced some significant changes. The manicured greens, fairways, and tee boxes that could be...
The following post is from Preserved! artist Randi Ford. The post was originally posted at randifordart.com where you can see more of her work. Learn more about the Preserved! art program here. I visited the Flower Creek Dunes for the first time recently, to become inspired for the Land...
The following post is from Preserved! artist Kathy Mohl. The post was originally posted at kathymohl.fineartstudioonline.com where you can see more of her work. Learn more about the Preserved! art program and purchase tickets to the Grand Rapids gallery opening here. Einstein said; “The most important decision we make...
The following post is from Preserved! artist Justin Kellner. You can see more of his work at justinkellner.com. Learn more about the Preserved! art program here. My intention going into Preserved! this year was to focus exclusively on the Prairie Warbler, a species with niche habitat requirements...