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...
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...
[caption id="attachment_6834" align="alignright" width="421"] A Karner blue butterfly spotted during this summer's butterfly survey[/caption] Post Update: This week, a crew will be working at Maas Family Nature Preserve to remove trees from six acres of forest that is encroaching on rare oak barrens. Some may wonder, "why...
"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...
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...
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...
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...
If you’re lucky enough, you’ve seen Virginia snakeroot in bloom. If you’re like me, you almost passed it by. You may have bent down to part the goldenrod and geranium to find the little nondescript plant there on the ground, its curvy tubular flower hidden beneath...
The following post is from guest blogger Jill Henemyer. Jill is an avid birder and long time member and volunteer for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. *** Here in West Michigan we are privileged to live next to the Lake Michigan shoreline, an important link along...
My father owned 80 acres of cedar swamp in Newaygo County, bisected by a small, cold-water creek with an elusive population of brook trout. Opening day of trout season, typically the last Saturday in April, was a day of great anticipation. Fishing gear, lunch, and...