Mackenzie Scott was hooked on volunteering with the Land Conservancy of West Michigan from the first time she tried it. Her coworker and friend, a member of Grand Rapids Young Professionals, invited her along to a special event the organization hosted with the Land Conservancy....
Happy Halloween! It’s that special time of year when we spend unusual amounts of time thinking about ghosts, goblins, skeletons, spiders, and creepy things in general. We here at the Land Conservancy are no exception: Lately I’ve been thinking about parasites. What’s a parasite, exactly? In short, it’s a creature that lives on or in another organism, on which it feeds. Lampreys, leeches,...
LCWM Executive Director Joe Engel will retire in February 2021....
Peggy Falk is a Land Conservancy of West Michigan volunteer and supporter and a member of the Michigan Bluebird Society. She spearheaded a project to install bluebird boxes at The Highlands last fall and monitored them throughout the year....
Norm Ferguson has been a volunteer with the Land Conservancy of West Michigan since 2015. He first heard about the organization on NPR and got hooked on the regular Second Saturday Workdays. “Justin usually gives a rundown of what Michigan used to be like. It’s fun learning about that stuff, but I also...
Enchanted with a rare Lake Michigan lakeshore forest community, Douglas and Gretchen Paprocki devoted themselves to ensuring its permanent preservation. In 1986, Douglas Paprocki and his late wife Gretchen purchased a cottage on the Lake Michigan lakeshore. Much like today, it was at a time when water levels had reached historic...
By Alexandra Sixt It’s summer, which means pool days, backyard barbecues, and . . . bugs! Yes, right around this time of the year, millions of bugs can be seen flying about, typically near flowers, and enjoying the warm summer sun. You may cringe at the...
Volunteer Preserve Stewards Jill Henemyer and Dotti Clune share their experience caring for Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve and why they value this rich landscape. It doesn’t take much time at Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve to realize that it’s a very special place. Dotti Clune and Jill Henemyer, who have volunteered...
In 2015, the Land Conservancy of West Michigan worked successfully with the local community to protect Anderson Woods Nature Preserve—73 acres of beautiful, contiguous forest in Muskegon County. The quiet, serene preserve provides important habitat for migratory birds and wildlife. Because of the preserve’s gentle terrain, it presented a perfect opportunity to...
LCWM Board Member and dune geoecologist Suzanne DeVries-Zimmerman shares her thoughts on one of West Michigan’s most iconic landscapes. Lake Michigan’s scenic sand dunes were a part of Suzanne DeVries-Zimmerman's life well before she was born. Her parents met at a beach party, and when Suzanne's mother was pregnant with her, she...