PRESERVED! Artist Interview Series Michael Pfleghaar’s landscape painting process begins in the field, but it is rarely finished there. Instead, Pfleghaar captures what first strikes him—features with abstract or asymmetrical qualities—and then he takes what he’s started back to his studio, where his approach to the...
PRESERVED! Artist Interview Series Yolanda Gonzalez frequents natural areas seeking inspiration close to the earth. Rather than landscapes, she prefers to study individual plants and insects for their unique intricacies. “I love to get really up close and personal to whatever plants, flowers, seedlings and things like...
PRESERVED! Artist Interview Series During a tour of a Scotland nature preserve in 2018, photographer Thomas Hegewald witnessed first hand the healing effect restoration projects can have on a landscape. The land he was touring had been used for commercial forestry and planted with nonnative trees....
PRESERVED! Artist Interview Series On a warm, sunny morning in late May, Jean Allemeier Boot sat on a bench in Roselle Park. She faced a wetland alive with birdsong and glowing with the vibrant greens of spring. Before her stood an easel and the beginnings of...
Shilin Hora grew up in a home surrounded by a peach farm, a pumpkin patch and a vineyard. The granddaughter of a farmer, she spent much of her childhood interacting with nature. “When you’re working with produce, picking at berries, you’re always looking at the minute—looking...
West Michigan’s diverse terrain means explorers have an exciting variety of environments to discover. Climb dunes, trek through forests or find peace in the prairie. Hiking the trails at these three nature preserves will give you a taste of just how biodiverse our home is. Flower...
With support from the community, The Highlands property acquisition and initial restoration projects have been funded. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (May 15, 2019) -- The Land Conservancy of West Michigan has successfully completed the Phase One campaign for The Highlands. The future of the former golf course...
Preserved! is back! We are excited to announce the launch of the third edition of this collaboration with local artists to capture the beauty of the West Michigan natural areas we protect. This year, we are working with 16 artists with ties to our West Michigan...
Oak savannas (sometimes called oak barrens or oak openings) are transitional habitats between tallgrass prairies and oak forests. They tend to be very diverse because they contain both forest and prairie species. Oak savannas are maintained by periodic fire, which encourages oak regeneration but keeps...