News & Blog

Brighter Days Ahead

Today is the winter solstice. The sun is at its lowest point in our Northern sky. Today will be the shortest day of the year and the night will be long and cold. But tomorrow begins the slow lengthening of days. And though we are

Planting a Prairie

Restoring Land, Restoring Hope. On Black Friday, 23 people came out to Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve and planted a prairie. While the rest of America was out fighting crowds, standing in line, and getting into altercations over parking spots, 23 people were outside, breathing fresh

The Surprising Legacy of Suzie

As a young boy I lived in central Illinois, a region better known for its endless seas of windswept corn than any magnificent natural wonders. So I was lucky, perhaps, that my parents’ house backed up to one of the largest oak forests in the

The Power of Nature

Flooding in Louisiana, earthquakes in Italy, tornadoes in the Midwest. We constantly hear about the destructive forces of nature and the toll they take. But what else can nature do? On a recent walk, I was reminded of the other side of nature. It’s ability

One Week as a Stewardship Intern

"Ugh… day one" says everyone else on Monday mornings. Not a Stewardship Intern at the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. Our week is action packed, full of adventure and beautiful sights! Monday Herbiciding at Wege Foundation Natural Area Dorthea and I spent the day at The Wege

A Wetland Come to Life

When it comes to restoring natural areas, instant gratification is hard to come by. Most ecological stewardship projects take a long time to unfold. Progress is marked in increments of years, decades, or even longer. If you plant a forest, for example, don’t plan on

Help us Photograph Change

Creating Images of Changing Landscapes with your Photos Fifteen years ago, Lamberton Lake Fen was at the brink of becoming permanently overrun by the invasive glossy buckthorn. The buckthorn threatened to destroy the endangered plants and animals living there and rid the City of Grand Rapids

Meet Joe Engel

The Land Conservancy of West Michigan is excited to introduce Joe Engel, who will be starting as the new Executive Director in July. A native of Muskegon, Joe spent much of his youth exploring the dunes and shoreline just over the hill from his back

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