The Land Conservancy of West Michigan invites you to volunteer at one of our local nature preserves this spring. All LCWM nature preserves are open to the public. Workdays happen rain or shine unless the weather is dangerous. To sign up for a workday, or for more information about nature preserve stewardship, contact LCWM’s Science and Stewardship Director, Doug Powless, at (616) 451-9476 or e-mail: doug@naturenearby.org.
New Preserve Cleanup (Algoma Twp., Rockford)
Date: Saturday, April 1 at 10 a.m.
Wear outdoor clothes and work gloves for a spring cleanup at the Land Conservancy of West Michigan’s newest nature preserve—a 17-acre property along the White Pine Trail.
Directions: contact LCWM at (616) 451-9476.
Lamberton Lake Fen—Buckthorn removal (north side of Grand Rapids)
Date: Saturday, April 8, at 10:00 a.m.
Wear outdoor clothes and work gloves to help haul buckthorn or cut and treat buckthorn.
Directions: From Plainfield Avenue north of I-96, turn east on Lamberton Lake Drive, then turn right onto Plaza Drive. Follow Plaza Drive until it ends—park there along the right side of Plaza Drive—the trailhead is straight ahead.
Castle Park Reserve & the new Dune Pines Preserve (Holland/Saugatuck)
Date: Wednesday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m.
Garlic mustard removal—volunteer Bob Gamble will lead a garlic mustard pull.
Wear outdoor clothes and work gloves and be prepared to walk on steep, sandy dunes in the forest. Directions: contact LCWM at (616) 451-9476.
Wege Natural Area (Lowell)
Date: Thursday, April 20, at 6:30 p.m.
Non-native, invasive plant removal—volunteer Melanie Good will lead a team of volunteers to pull garlic mustard and cut down invasive Autumn-olive.
Directions: This preserve is located north of Lowell High School. Park at the Wege/Wittenbach Agri-Science Center north of the High School off of Vergennes Street.
Brower Lake Nature Preserve (east of Rockford)
Date: Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, at 10:00 a.m.
Garlic mustard removal—volunteer Dwight Baker will lead a garlic mustard pull.
Wear outdoor clothes and work gloves.
Directions: This preserve is located east of Rockford in Courtland Township in northeastern Kent County. From 10 Mile Road, take Je-Ne-Be Drive north around the east side of Big Brower Lake. Meet at the trailhead on Je-Ne-Be Drive.
Tree Planting at Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve (Grattan Township, Kent Co.)
Date: Saturday, April 29, at 1:00 in the afternoon.
Tree Planting—come help plant trees in honor of Arbor Day Week. The Land Conservancy of West Michigan has successfully received a $200 “Arbor Day Mini-Grant” from the Michigan DNR and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service to plant trees at the edge of the field to help protect the bog as part of the Saul Lake Preserve Stewardship Plan.
Directions: This preserve is located in Grattan Township in northeastern Kent County. The preserve access drive is located at 10469 Six Mile Road, east of Tiffany Ave. and west of Gavin Lake Ave. Follow the access drive north from Six Mile Road past two houses all the way back to the Saul Lake Preserve parking lot.
Lamberton Lake Fen Nature Preserve (north side of Grand Rapids)
Date: Thursday, May 4, at 6:30 p.m.
Garlic mustard removal—volunteer Melanie Good will lead a garlic mustard pull.
Wear outdoor clothes and work gloves. Directions: From Plainfield Avenue north of I-96, turn east on Lamberton Lake Drive, then turn right onto Plaza Drive. Follow Plaza Drive until it ends—park there along the right side of Plaza Drive—the trailhead is straight ahead.
*More volunteer workdays will be scheduled for preserves near Pentwater, Holland, Spring Lake, Grand Haven, Saugatuck, and Lowell this summer and fall—keep an eye out for future volunteer workday announcements at www.naturenearby.org. To sign up for a workday, or for more information about nature preserve stewardship, contact LCWM’s Science and Stewardship Director, Doug Powless, at (616) 451-9476 or e-mail: doug@naturenearby.org.
