Summer 2008 - Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy

Landscapes
www.SWMLC.org
Summer 2008
Vol. 16, No. 21
SWMLC Purchases Second Property
to Protect Endangered Butterfly
outhwest Michigan Land Conservancy
(SWMLC) celebrated Earth Day 2008 by purchasing a 15-acre property that is home to the
Mitchell’s satyr butterfly, a globally endangered species.
Can you think of a better way for a land conservancy
to spend Earth Day?!
To add to the excitement, this purchase project is
SWMLC’s first completed land transaction in Branch
County. SWMLC now owns 35 preserves and holds
37 easements, with at least a few in all of the other
eight counties in our nine-county service area. Even
though it has taken us a while to “get our feet wet” in
Branch County, this globally important purchase has
initiated our work with a BANG.
Purchasing Coldwater Fen was only made possible
through a collaborative effort with our partners.
Funding to purchase this property was granted from
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Endangered Species Section 6 Land Acquisition
national funding source. The Michigan Department of
Natural Resources (MDNR) helped funnel the money
from the federal level to the state level then to
SWMLC, which allowed us to purchase the property
from the landowner. Along with the USFWS and
MDNR, the Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality and the Michigan Natural Features Inventory
S
SWMLC volunteer and former board member, Lynn Steil, pictured
above right in a tamarack savanna, helped with the botanical survey at
Coldwater Fen. Photo by Geoffrey D. Cripe.
(continued on page 2)
J.A. Woollam Foundation $10,000 Challenge
There’s still time for you to be part of the 2008 J.A. Woollam Foundation Challenge! Dr. John A. Woollam has
generously offered a match of $10,000 to help us in our fundraising and membership growth this year. Your donation
dollars can go twice as far in 2008.
Here are some ways that you can meet the challenge:
• Become a member and ask a friend to become a member.
• Renew your membership if it is lapsed.
• Increase last year’s membership donation. The increase will be matched.
• Make a Leadership Donation of $500 or more.
Thank you for your generosity. We are confident that you can help us meet this new challenge!
were key partners in facilitating this
project to allow for the protection of
this property forever.
Todd Hogrefe, Endangered Species
Coordinator with the MDNR Wildlife
Division, said, “The DNR continues to
try to find new ways to work with conservation partners like SWMLC to
achieve our conservation goals. This is a
great example of partnering to protect
endangered species habitat, and we look
forward to working with SWMLC
again in the future.”
This is the second time SWMLC
has received grant funding through this
source; the first was used to purchase
the Dowagiac Fen in Cass County.
SWMLC will continue to keep protecting endangered species habitat on the
top of our priority list, and we hope to
purchase more properties with this
grant-funding source in the future.
Through continued efforts, SWMLC
and its partners are optimistic that the
Mitchell’s satyr population will return
to a point at which the species can be
removed from the Endangered Species
list.
This little brown butterfly is
arguably the most endangered animal in
These lush sedges at Coldwater Fen are indicative of high-quality fen habitat.
Photo by Geoffrey D. Cripe.
SWMLC Elects New President
C. Larry Edris took the reins of the SWMLC Board of Directors at the Annual
Conservation Celebration in April (see story on p. 5). Larry is a retired vicepresident of knowledge management, Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. He brings
a broad range of experience in strategic planning, finance, and project management to
SWMLC’s board. Larry also is currently serving on the Saugatuck Township
Planning Commission and is a past member of the Lake Michigan Shore Association
board. His land conservation interests include smart growth concepts and how those
can be applied to balance wetland and dune communities with inevitable growth.
Larry lives along the lakeshore with his wife, Sherry, and their dog, Taiko.
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southwest Michigan. At one time, the
Mitchell’s satyr could be found throughout the northeastern Midwest but is
now limited to fewer than 20 known
populations in southwest Michigan and
northeast Indiana. Seventy-five percent
of the last remaining populations are
located within SWMLC’s nine-county
service area.
Mitchell’s satyrs are found in prairie
fens, an unusual and increasingly rare
wetland habitat confined to isolated
pockets in the glaciated Midwest.
Scientists have discovered only about 85
prairie fens in southern Michigan, totaling less than 2,000 acres. Coldwater
Fen is more than just habitat for the
endangered butterfly; it is also home to
eight other state-listed, threatened, or
special concern species, including the
eastern box turtle, tamarack tree cricket, rosinweed, prairie coreopsis, prairie
Indian plantain, edible valerian, cutleaved water parsnip, and white lady’sslipper.
Said Nate Fuller about the fen,
“During a visit in May, we were greeted
with a variety of yellows, from the
bright buttercup-yellow of the fading
marsh marigolds and glowing gold of
the golden ragwort around our feet to
the sunshine plumage of Blue-winged
warbler declaring his territory from the
branches overhead. The yellows were
set off nicely by the rich background of
green from the skunk cabbage, sedges,
and early leaves of spicebush and
poison sumac.”
— Emily E. Wilke
Kim and Lula Palmer Protect Their Property
with a Conservation Easement
im and Lula Palmer have always
loved their land. Originally
from Georgia, the Palmers never
thought they’d stay in Michigan after
they retired. “We didn’t expect to be
here this long,” Lula said. “But we’ve
grown to love it, and we can’t make ourselves leave this property.” In February,
they donated a conservation easement
to SWMLC on their beloved 48 acres
to ensure their property would always
remain as it is now.
“We are extremely grateful to the
Palmers for protecting their land, which
is an important part of the Kalamazoo
River watershed,” said Peter Ter Louw,
SWMLC executive director. “The
property includes a significant amount
of natural, lush shoreline on Waubascon
Lake. Waubascon Creek flows out of
the west end of the lake into a marshy
floodplain area of the Kalamazoo River
just north of the botanically rich
Augusta Floodplain. It’s a beautiful
and diverse habitat.”
The Palmer Conservation
Easement protects a rolling mix of
upland oak savanna, hardwood forest,
and lowland forest dominated by red
maple and includes 1,272 feet of
frontage on Waubascon Lake. Wetland
areas are also protected, including a
prairie fen, an increasingly rare habitat
in Michigan. An abundance of trails
winds through the woods, and the
entire property supports a great diversity of wildlife, including many species of
birds. SWMLC volunteers found a yellow-billed cuckoo during one of their
initial property surveys.
“The yellow-billed cuckoo is special
because it is one of just a few species of
birds that will actually eat gypsy moth
caterpillars,” noted SWMLC volunteer
and former president, Becky Csia. “Its
numbers are declining significantly due
to habitat loss — just the kind of habi-
K
tat the Palmer property
provides.”
Said Lula,
“Waubascon is a little
fishing lake. It’s very
clean and good for ice
fishing. We used to see
all the way to the lake,
but the woods have filled
in over the years.”
Something that gives
her special joy is the
diversity of wildflowers
on the property. Lula has
kept a wildflower inventory of the property and
has found many beautiful
Kim and Lula Palmer relax at home.
native plants, including
Photo provided by the Palmers.
bloodroot and mayapple.
SWMLC volunteers also
their property and adjoining property.
noted species such as cinnamon, brackThe historic house they live in was built
en, and sensitive fern as well as field
in 1850 and renovated just before they
pussytoes, ironweed, boneset, and Joebought it. Over the years, they have
pye weed.
carefully maintained the integrity of the
“We found false foxgloves in one
original structures and recently had the
area,” Becky Csia added. “These are
original barn to the property restored.
increasingly rare and unique plants.
When asked what she loves most
Because false foxgloves have the highest
about their land, Lula is hard-pressed
conservation value possible and are a
to mention just one attribute. “It’s so
species of interest, their presence on the
soothing at the end of the day. I love
Palmer property indicates a relatively
the quiet, even though it’s not really
undisturbed habitat.”
‘quiet.’ Early mornings are the best,
When the Palmers bought the
when the birds are twirping. It just feels
land in 1980, it was their dream to own
fresh.” Kim agreed and said he also
some property and have some horses.
enjoys getting out to gather wood. He
Although they no longer have horses,
added that he most appreciates the
the Palmers are more than just “properpeacefulness found there.
ty owners.” They have always been
Continued Lula, “I absolutely
active in the health and management of
would recommend a conservation easetheir land and had a survey done around
ment to anyone thinking about it. The
1985. Together, they learned about the
process was very easy, and Emily Wilke
variety of trees on the property — hickat the Southwest Michigan Land
ory, tulip tree, and sycamore are plentiConservancy was wonderful to work
ful — and how to manage the timber.
with.”
From the previous owner, they learned
— Pamela W. Larson
that the nearby Adventist church had
been built with lumber harvested from
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Critical Conservation Target: Prothonotary Warbler,
Forested Floodplain Specialist
f I wanted to create a stir in the birding world as was done a couple of
years back, I would just have to
claim that I had located two birds that
are most likely extinct from the world
and United States — the Bachman’s
warbler and Ivory-billed woodpecker.
Both of these birds are most likely gone
forever because they, like the Prothonotary warbler, were “habitat specialists.”
They, like the Prothonotary, needed a
specific type of wetland in which to
breed and live. When this land was
removed, the species declined and eventually became extinct. Both of these
species required timbered bottom lands,
and when those forests were cut down
and eventually drained, they no longer
could survive. The Prothonotary warbler requires this type of habitat, and
we are lucky to have this habitat here in
southwest Michigan. To keep these
pretty little birds, we must be vigilant
and make sure these wetlands remain
safe. Because of its low numbers in the
state and loss of habitat, it has been
designated as a species of special
concern.
I experienced my first
Prothonotary at Sarett Nature Center
on the Paw Paw River. It nested at
the end of River Trail in a large stump
that was at the edge of the river hanging
over the water at an angle. The nest
cavity was on the underside of the
stump in an old woodpecker excavation.
From the bank, you could see the birds
going in and out of the cavity. When
the river was high, after a rain, the
stump would be surrounded by flowing
Paw Paw River. The large tree had been
dead for a number of years, and the
upper part had floated downstream.
The stump stood about six feet above
the water line. Not only was this tree
exciting because it had the Prothonotary
nest, but on top in the rotted wood, a
Photo by Henry Domke
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female Mallard had her nest. Typically,
Sarett has a number of pairs nesting on
its many miles of Paw Paw River
frontage.
The Prothonotary begins nest
building as soon as it returns in early
May. The male may make dummy nests
to entice the mate much the way that
wrens do. The female is the one that
actually builds the nest to be used for
incubating. The nest, as we have indicated, is in a cavity. The cavity is filled
nearly to the entrance with moss, leaves,
twigs, and bark. The inner nest is then
lined with rootlets and fine bark strips.
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Typically, four to six creamy or pink
eggs with brown spots are laid, but larger numbers are not uncommon.
Incubation is accomplished by the
female in about 12-14 days. Both parents attend the young, and they are able
to fledge in 10 or 11 days.
Some say that the newly fledged
birds can swim, which is a good thing
because most often the nest is over
water. In fact these birds prefer that the
nest tree be standing in water, either
flowing or flooded. A second nesting is
attempted with some success, but is
more successful in the southern part of
its United States range.
The call is a repeated sweet sweet
sweet sweet sweet, given by the male on
territory and when foraging. It is loud
and clear, and once you have heard it, it
will be easily recognized, especially in
the correct habitat. When disturbed, it
will give a distinctive chip note, similar
to that of the Hooded warbler. It is
very distinctive and one of the ones you
will be able to pick out, unlike most bird
chips that are not very discernible.
These birds feed mainly on insects,
gleaned from leaves of trees and bushes.
It will also probe around trees and rotten wood, looking for invertebrates,
sometimes taking small crustaceans.
Although we see them feeding low
along the banks of streams and rivers,
they will also feed high up in trees, with
males typically feeding higher than
females.
Much like the Eastern bluebird, we
can help this species by providing nest
boxes that they readily accept. With
our loss of wooded wetlands, this can be
very important. In some areas of
Michigan where nest boxes were
attempted, nearly as many nested in the
provided homes as did in natural cavities. As these natural cavities disappear,
our help in saving these wetlands will be
that much more important. The
Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
property on the Galien River — the
Kesling Preserve — is a good example of
what we can do.
— Richard E. Schinkel
Dick Schinkel is a retired naturalist and
educator. He originated the Wild Birds
Unlimited retail store franchise and
owned their second store. Dick’s knowledge of birds is unparalleled, and he spent
17 years at Sarett Nature Center. He is
an author of seven books and still lives on
the 70-acre farm where he was born.
16th Annual Conservation Celebration
Pays Tribute to Betty Lee Ongley and Stan Rajnak
ur 16th Annual Meeting and
Conservation Celebration was
held on April 23, 2008, at the
People’s Church in Kalamazoo. After an
opening reception, outgoing president
Betty Lee Ongley made introductions to
a crowd of more than 60.
Nate Fuller, SWMLC’s conservation
and stewardship director, spoke next
about our stewardship program. He
started with a brief history of SWMLC,
noting the name of the first committee
— the “inventory committee.” In 1997
the joint land protection and stewardship committee was formed and the first
workdays soon followed. Eventually,
land protection and stewardship became
separate “teams.” Nate gave the audience
some important milestones — in 2002
SWMLC’s Mitchell’s satyr work began,
and Stan Rajnak started the Wednesday
Workday Warriors volunteer group in
2003. By 2008, the Warriors and the
Saturday volunteers had over 40 workdays during the year! 2008 also saw the
protection of SWMLC’s first Branch
County property (see cover story).
Nate discussed the importance of
everything from the stewardship team
and volunteers to management plans —
from prescribed burns to Mitchell’s
satyr butterfly counts. Managing
O
SWMLC’s properties in the most ecologically sound manner possible takes a
lot of work, and we are lucky to have
such dedicated volunteers.
Nate concluded his talk with information about stewardship networks:
regional, state, and national. These networks are fast becoming a critical component of the land conservation movement, and SWMLC is fast becoming a
leader in our regional network group.
Executive director Peter Ter Louw
thanked Nate for all of his hard work
during the past year. He then introduced staff members and recognized
Pete DeBoer, who left in October 2007
to move to Grand Haven. He thanked
John Fraser for his meticulous GIS mapping work. Pete told the group about
the generous financial gift from Mary
Meader which will be used as a catalyst
for a purchase project and to upgrade
organizational infrastructure. He spoke
about SWMLC’s many projects and
closed by stating that SWMLC’s challenge for the future is to protect land
forever.
Alfred J. Gemrich then presented
the Board Development Committee’s
recommended nominations for board
members. George E. Burgoyne, Jr. and
Richard H. Shaw were elected to three-
year terms. Existing board members
elected to a second term were C. Larry
Edris and Mary L. Houser.
Al then recognized the contributions of retiring board members Betty
Lee Ongley and Stan Rajnak. He
quipped that Stan was SWMLC’s “most
dedicated board member ever,” and
Betty Lee has spent six years on the
board, three as president. During their
tenure, we increased our acres protected,
increased our land values, and increased
our staff — great accomplishments!
Al concluded by citing a University of
Illinois study, which showed that people
are spending less and less time outdoors.
Preserving land is essential to providing
opportunities for the public to enjoy
nature and all it has to offer.
Peter Ter Louw then thanked Betty
Lee and Stan for their commitment to
furthering SWMLC’s mission by giving
them each a beautiful painting by local
artist Amelia Hansen. Pete accepted a
present from Betty Lee for the SWMLC
office.
Refreshments were catered, thanks
to generous support by Greenspire
Apartments.
— Julie Lewandowski
Neighbors Enjoy Mirror Valley Trip
n early May, SWMLC enticed a
lively handful of Mirror Valley
neighbors to walk the Cass County
property which has been protected by
the Minter and Bozymowski families
since 1996. We shared stories, celebrated
their conservation success, and discussed
conservation options available to the
landowners for permanent protection
and sustainable management. A wonderful time was had by all, new interest was
I
generated, and new friendships
were made!
— Geoffrey D. Cripe
Forester Bill Minter, second from
right, explains the history of the
land to Tom Robbins, neighbor of
the Mirror Valley Conservation
Easement property. Alex
Bozymowski is in the far back
center of the photo.
Photo by Geoffrey D. Cripe.
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Wednesday Workday Warriors Plunge Into
Sixth Year of Managed Mayhem
t seems like only yesterday when Stan Rajnak came up
with the idea of a volunteer stewardship group on a weekday. The first week, we cleaned out the storage shed —
and we still came back! I’m having a great time, to see how a
loosely — very loosely — organized bunch of miscreants can
pull off an amazing amount of restoration, trail work, signposting, and other random acts of conservation just by showing up on one of our preserves on a Wednesday morning. I’ve
learned to spot garlic mustard from a moving car, mix Roundup to annihilate aliens, recharge a cordless screwdriver, drive a
really big truck, and generally keep out of the way of a chain
saw.
The past seasons saw three generations of a family clearing a trail in driving snow, guest workers from far-off places
like Kenya and Los Angeles, lupines blooming where we
sowed a new patch, yellowjackets chasing a pack of Cub
I
Scouts, and an abandoned attempt to eat lunch at a casino.
I’ve gotten muddy, bloody, sweaty, sooty, soggy, and
ticked (is that a word?). But not all on the same day. I’ve
seen a blue snake, a field of fringed gentian, a romance
between two Warriors. I’ve laughed ‘til my sides hurt, marveled at the spring flowers of Pritschet-Davis, waded a river,
and learned a lot about our native habitats. Under Nate’s
terrific leadership, we are proud to do our part for the
Conservancy.
The Wednesday Warriors meet through the spring, summer, and fall. Volunteers are invited to join this band of rapscallions with no obligation to participate every week.
But I have to warn you, you just might like it!
— Kristi Chapman
Call the SWMLC office at (269) 324-1600 to be added to the
Wednesday Workday Warrior e-mail list.
Looking for Hickories:
The Forgotten Wildness of the Rural Midwest
om Springer, former SWMLC board member and frequent contributor to this newsletter, has just had a
book of essays published. Released by The University
of Michigan Press, the book captures Tom’s unique sense of
humor and perspective as he muses about southwest
Michigan and its way of life, its people, and its landscapes.
Twenty essays range in length from 3 to 26 pages with
intriguing titles such as, “Osage Orange: The Tree That Won
the Midwest” and “Looking for Hickories,” from which the
book takes its title. Local artist Ladislav Hanka’s drawings
beautifully capture the essence of each essay.
Tom’s appreciation for the unique landscapes of southwest Michigan is evident in every page, as is his love of rivers.
The University of Michigan Press places Tom’s affinity for the
natural world alongside such writers as Robert Frost and
Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The back cover of the book states:
“Looking for Hickories is Tom
Springer’s ode to the people, natural
beauty, and lore of the Midwest, a
place where bustling communities
neighbor a fragile mosaic of quiet
woods, fertile meadows, and miles of
farmland. Touching and humorous
by turns, Looking for Hickories captures the essence of the upper
T
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Midwest’s character with subjects particular to the region yet
often universal in theme, from barn building to land preservation to the neglected importance of various trees in the
landscape. Like Frost’s best
poems, Springer’s essays often
begin with delight and end in
wisdom.”
Tom is currently senior
editor with the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation. He holds a master’s degree in environmental
journalism from Michigan
State University and makes his
home near the Portage River
in St. Joseph County with his
wife Nancy and their two daughters.
Tom has provided SWMLC with limited, signed copies
of Looking for Hickories, which are being sold for $20 each.
He will donate $8 from the sale of each book to SWMLC.
To purchase a copy, please contact the SWMLC office at
(269) 324-1600 to pick up your book. If you would like your
book mailed to you, send us your check for $25 (to cover
shipping costs) and make it payable to SWMLC.
— Pamela W. Larson
Stewardship: “Who Knows What?”
hat was item #1 under New
Business - Stewardship Resources
of the very first Stewardship
Committee agenda back on February 4,
1997. I imagine that at the time, the
people at the meeting were trying to get a
sense of what experiences each of them
had to contribute to a new committee.
But in hindsight it seems like a prescient
question.
Who knew what SWMLC’s
Stewardship Program would grow into?
Actually you could ask many of those
people at the first meeting that very question because they are still active volunteers for the Conservancy.
Ilse Gebhard: “I do remember that
meeting but it only formalized a program
that was already ongoing, as I’m sure several people on the attendance list of that
meeting will agree. I went on my first
trip to record natural features on preserves. That trip to frozen-over
Wanondoger Creek was followed by
Consumers Power Prairie and Hultmark
preserves that same spring. I really had
no vision for the stewardship program at
the time but was just trying to find something that I would enjoy and at the same
time be of use to SWMLC.”
Nancy and Tom Small: “Tom
and I were interested in the Stewardship
Committee at least partly because we
thought we’d learn a lot about the natural world from being on it (and being
around people who did) —and that’s
what happened. We also made some
friends and had fun. We (and, I think,
other people) soon came to think of the
Stewardship Committee as a
community.”
Emma Bickham Pitcher: “My first
recollection is of just two of us at the
Consumers Power Prairie preserve right
along US-131. An older man and I
cleaned out spotted knapweed and
obtrusive small trees near the highway.
We weren’t even sure where the boundaries were and were the only responders
T
to the call for help. I think I was the
nominal chairman at that time.”
Chuck Benner: “I started volunteering prior to the first stewardship
meeting to help out Renee Kivikko. As
you know, it was pretty much a onewoman show at the time, and I wanted
to help her with some of the more mundane but necessary tasks, some of which
involved stewardship activities. It’s
incredible how the Conservancy has
grown since then!”
As SWMLC grew in the early
1990s, a committee formed to document
the natural features of land protection
projects. Emma Pitcher was the informal
chair for this group that would later grow
into the Stewardship Committee. Stan
Rajnak was the first formal chair of the
committee that developed the first management plans and organized regular
weekend workdays to take care of
SWMLC’s preserves.
“It’s the relationships between
people, the land, and
each other that create a
community of stewardship.”
— Nate Fuller
By the beginning of the new millennium, SWMLC owned nearly 20 preserves and was closing in on 1,000 acres.
The SWMLC board decided it was time
for the organization to grow along with
its holdings. Grant support from the
state to monitor and develop management plans for Mitchell’s satyrs made it
possible to add a new staff position at
SWMLC that focused on stewardship.
I was hired by SWMLC in 2001 and
joined a Stewardship Program that was
already one of the most active in the
state. Katy Takahashi took over the reins
from Stan and was incredibly generous
with her time helping me get up to speed
with the program. I found out how
lucky I was to have such a great existing
program when I would meet other conservation organizations, and they were
astonished at the level of participation
and expertise of our Stewardship
Program.
By 2003, the Stewardship
Committee, now with Ralph Babcock as
chair, realized the program was stretched
thin. Workdays on the weekends weren’t
accomplishing the day-to-day tasks of
looking after the preserves, so Stan had
an idea to try getting people out on
Wednesdays. The idea had legs, took off
running, and is now SWMLC’s greatest
source of volunteer support.
Currently SWMLC owns 35 preserves and about 1,875 acres. The commitment towards promoting biodiversity
and ecosystem health on the land hasn’t
changed. Jason Cherry followed Ralph
as chair, bringing great experience in natural areas restoration. Currently, Stan is
back as chair of the committee again, but
the Stewardship Program has evolved.
Preserves such as the Chipman Preserve
just east of Kalamazoo have pushed us to
incorporate public use into our management plans much more so than ever
before. We are using our program’s 10+
years of experience to take on the challenges of planning and implementing
restoration and public use on the 365acre Wau-Ke-Na preserve on the
lakeshore.
As much as SWMLC’s Stewardship
Program has grown, there is still plenty
of room for more growth. More land is
being acquired annually, and our commitment to steward it will not diminish.
Long-range planning involving SWMLC
board members, staff, committee
members, and volunteers identified a
need for the Stewardship Program to
expand in order to to create regional
stewardship groups throughout
SWMLC’s nine-county service area. In
some cases, these groups might look after
stewardship projects at several different
(continued next page)
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SWMLC’s Traditio
Prescribed
burn at
Sand Creek
Preserve
Nate Fuller is geared up to burn
buckthorn at Marc’s March
Hardy volunteers clear shrubs from Jeptha Lake
Fen on a wintry Saturday
natural areas and, in other cases, they
might look after a single preserve.
SWMLC has made a commitment to
build a sense of “stewardship community”
throughout southwest Michigan.
It is a bold goal, but we are not going
at it alone. SWMLC has heard from its
membership survey that one of the great8
est priorities we could have is to change
“stewardship of natural areas from being
the exception to the norm.” Other
conservation organizations like the
Stewardship Network and Natural Areas
Association are eager to help spread the
goals of SWMLC’s Stewardship Program
throughout not only southwest Michigan,
Stan Rajnak and Larry Lyons
with gobs of garlic mustard at
Chipman Preserve
but throughout the state and even across
the country.
While “stewardship” means many
different things to people, it has a connotation of some sort of relationship
between the steward and “stewardee.” It
is the relationships between people, the
land, and each other that create a commu-
on of Stewardship
The magnificent shoreline view
of Wau-Ke-Na
Stan Rajnak and
Richard Brewer
rescue plants on a
Wednesday workday
Former SWMLC president Paul Olexia (middle) is
joined by John and Patti Chipman at the Chipman
Preserve dedication
nity of stewardship. This is how the
Stewardship Program will grow and sustain itself, by building communities of
people who believe in working together
towards a common goal of supporting
our environment.
Nancy Small: “It is extremely gratifying to know that as SWMLC works to
preserve and restore wild communities on
the land in its care, it is also creating and
fostering community among its members,
especially among its active volunteers.
Tom Springer: “After all, when
SWMLC tells someone that we plan to
protect their land ‘in perpetuity,’ that’s a
pretty bold statement — because forever
Kristi Chapman sorts seeds
for a restoration project
is a long, long time! In large part, it’s our
ongoing commitment to stewardship that
will allow us to deliver on that promise.”
SWMLC’s Stewardship Program has
grown over many years, and I am excited
to see where it grows from here. “Who
knows what?”
— Nate Fuller
9
The Most Invasive Species
t’s us. Relentless, acquisitive, cunning us. We are Mother Nature’s
most accomplished and aggressive
adversaries. Where she plants, nurtures,
and encourages forests, we scout, value,
and harvest timber. Where she loosens
lightning to burn off prairies, we build
houses and defy her.
Where clear rivers run, we deflect
into them human refuse and animal
waste and self-accusingly call it “pollution.” As our numbers relentlessly
increase, our demands outpace them.
Two-lane roads become six-land super
highways. There are no true “limits” to
cities, as suburbs bely the term.
“The natural world” gives way to
“the civilized world” with acres of
asphalt, seas of smog, endless armies of
automobiles. Us, the most invasive of
earth’s animals, have the saving grace
denied prolific autumn olive trees,
impenetrable masses of multiflora rose,
deceptively decorative purple loosestrife,
pungent garlic mustard. We can observe
I
in return for uncontrolled exploitation
of all natural resources.
Fortunately for the United States,
there have been political leaders who
recognized the need for conservation
measures. We have national and state
parks and forests where natural conditions and native species are protected
and preserved. Prominent individuals
like Robert Redford encourage stewardship by word and deed. Groups of
knowledgeable landowners coalesce into
organizations concerned with a proper
balance between utilization and protection of that irreplaceable resource . . .
LAND.
Here in a rich, diverse, and unique
region, concerned conservationists have
found structure for concerted action
through the Southwest Michigan Land
Conservancy (SWMLC). My wife,
Alice, and I heard about this newly
formed organization in 1994. Some 20
years earlier, we had deserted metropolitan apartments for a one-of-a-kind rural
Ken and Alice Jones donated SWMLC’s first conservation easement
in 1995. They provided this photo.
and evaluate the results of our lifestyles,
examine the potential effects on our
progeny and theirs, and correct courses
that promise long-term doom and ruin
10
retreat built to overlook a 20-acre lake
and the hills beyond. We furthered the
experience by developing a herd of black
Angus cattle, supporting pasture and
hay fields, and by a carefully conceived
forestry plan and timber harvest.
In the meantime, civilization crept
closer, farms were subdivided, homes
were built, and rural landscapes
disappeared.
One evening, I stood at the
entrance to our place and looked out
across the vista and thought that soon it
could all disappear if we succumbed to
the blandishments of developers in
search of rural home sites. Providentially and practically simultaneously, we
heard about SWMLC, attended a meeting and met Renee Kivikko and Bob
Pleznac, two passionate proponents for
preservation. With their guidance and
help, we put together a promise to this
land we occupied.
That pledge is stated clearly on the
attractive sign designed by SWMLC
and presented to us by Peter Ter Louw:
“Aurohn Lake Conservation Easement
created by Kensinger and Alice Jones,
preserved in perpetuity through the
Southwest Michigan Land
Conservancy.”
Look beyond the hay field to rolling
hills of native grass and towering forest.
The shining promise is that, although
invasive, we can also be intelligently protective. Thank Heaven for like-minded
folk, professional and amateur, who can
still glimpse and help preserve the
Paradise that once was, and still can be.
— Kensinger and Alice M. Jones
Ken and Alice Jones have been writers all
their lives and from many corners of the
world. Ken’s successful career in advertising took them to Australia, Singapore,
and Chicago. Yet they ended up here, in
Barry County, on their beloved Aurohn
(“our own”) Lake. They co-authored the
book, “A Call From the Country,” which
tells in an engaging, conversational format how their paths brought them finally
to southwest Michigan. SWMLC is
grateful to Ken and Alice for their support
in so many ways over the past 17 years.
Dollarwise
The Oak Legacy Sprouts
e were pleased to be able to
recognize the first members
of SWMLC’s new heritage
society, The Oak Legacy, at our Annual
Conservation Celebration. They
include: Paula Allred, two Anonymous
donors, Kristi and Stephen Chapman,
Susan Gray, Joel and Barbara Huber,
George H. Lauff, Judy Mayo and Sid
Aaron, Joan Orman and Eric Bekker,
Stan Rajnak, Larry Sehy, Thomas Seiler,
Patty Smetana and Tom Krol, and
Roger and Nancy Taylor.
We also want to mention six more
estate commitments: Jason Cherry, Ken
and Alice Jones, two more anonymous
members and two members who have
W
made provisions for the Southwest
Michigan Land Conservancy in their
estates, but haven’t yet decided about
public recognition. These gifts will
build SWMLC’s endowment and will
help to sustain land protection for
future generations. SWMLC thanks
each and every one of them for their
foresight and generosity in leaving this
conservation legacy.
Please contact me at (269) 3241600 to share your estate plans that are
relevant to SWMLC. I would also be
happy to mail you a copy of the
brochure pictured at right.
— George U. Wise
Once It’s Gone,
It’s Gone
Forever
Southwest Michigan
Land Conservancy
Life Insurance as a Planned Gift
ave you ever said, “I wish I
could give a major gift to my
favorite nonprofit organization?” You can make a sizeable contribution, even if you must seek out other
gifting vehicles besides your checkbook.
For example, life insurance provides two
simple ways for you to give a significant
gift to charity. You can transfer ownership and enjoy tax benefits during your
lifetime, or you can maintain control
over your policy by simply naming the
Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
as a beneficiary.
H
Transferring Ownership
• You make SWMLC the owner and
beneficiary of your life insurance policy
— you can either give a paid-up policy
or continue to pay premiums.
• You receive a tax deduction for the
present value (total premiums paid) or
cash surrender value, whichever is less.
If the policy is paid up, you may receive
an immediate tax deduction. If it is not,
you can claim continuing tax deductions on premium payments you make
through SWMLC.
• Upon your death, your gift can be
placed in the Program Fund, Stewardship Fund, Land Protection Fund, or
the Endowment Fund.
Naming Beneficiaries
Perhaps you would like to contribute the proceeds of a life insurance
policy to help protect and steward land,
but you are not ready to give up ownership of the policy. By naming the
Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
as one of the beneficiaries or as the only
beneficiary, you retain ownership of the
policy and have access to the cash value,
as well as the right to change the beneficiary. There is no charitable deduction
for the value of the policy or for subsequent premiums when you designate a
charity as the beneficiary. Some policy-
holders designate specific dollar
amounts to beneficiaries; others choose
a percentage.
Other Policies and Measures
You may have small paid-up
policies in the back of the bureau drawer or policies taken out when the children were young. Often these are forgotten, or the purpose for which they
were written no longer applies.
Another approach is to assign the
dividends of your policy to a not-forprofit organization. Please let SWMLC
know that you’ve taken this initiative so
that we may show our appreciation
(either privately or publicly) to you.
We encourage you to work with
your lawyer or financial advisor as you
consider these options.
— George U. Wise
Thanks to the Kalamazoo Community Foundation
for sharing information on utilizing insurance for
charitable giving.
11
Thank you
Welcome and Thank You to Our New
Members and Supporters
February 2008 - May 2008
Please note: Beginning with the first
newsletter of 2009, we will publish an
annual report listing all donors by
specific giving ranges. Please call
George Wise at our office if you have
questions or if you wish your name to
be omitted from this report.
Elaine F. Adams
Dr. Thomas R. Bausman
John Bowman
Conklin Real Estate
Kathrene E. Dutrow
Victor Kordish
Kim & Lula Palmer
William & Janet Paarlberg
Karen & Tim Pederson
Gigi Pintore
Justin Sink
Kyle Smith
Paul R. Solomon
Gordon and Carol Terry
All those who donated to support the North
Point Conservation Area Monitoring Fund
received a complimentary membership (see
below).
Thanks also to all who renewed their membership, supported us through their United
Way program, or contributed to our annual
campaign and our Birdathon in May.
Our sincere apologies for any omissions.
Dunes Parkway Conservation Fund
William & Janet Paarlberg
Prairieville Creek
Martha G. Parfet
North Point Conservation Area
(Donors who contributed $1,000 or more
are listed in bold type.)
Approved Fire Protection Company
Scott Assink
Audubon Society of Kalamazoo
Don & Carol Beveridge
Don & Georgia Boerma
12
Pete Boerma
Susan Damon
Nancy Daugherty
DeGrandchamp Farms
Paul W. DeYoung
Helen Elkiss
Marcus Clark & Lorrie Elliott
Thomas P. Erdmann
Elaine Fishman
P.M. Freeman
Nate & Erin Fuller
Patricia D. Gaston
Paul Gilbert
Bob & Rosemary Insidioso
Eugenie & Richard Insidioso
Cher M. Jones
Jean M. Ketchum
Jacqueline P. Kirley
Phyllis E. Kurzrock
Maureen Lewandowski
David & Margaret Millard
George Miller
John Mitchell
Paul & Karen Nickels
Jordan Nightingale
Laura Strehlow & Walt Oberheu
Steve & Jan Petersen
Julie & Michael Pioch
Belle Polmanteer
Preserve the Dunes, Inc.
Christopher Randall
Heather & Jim Ratliff
Michael & Sherry Saenz
Joseph & Jennie Stezowski
Richard & Olga Stieve
Thomas Stieve
System Components, Inc.
Peter D. Ter Louw
Leadership Contributions
The people and organizations listed below
made significant contributions to support
SWMLC’s program, land acquisition, stewardship, monitoring, and endowment funds.
We thank them for their generosity and
support.
Thomas & Jill Berglund
Carole S. Birch
Brian Bosgraaf/Cottage Home
Carol Lyn Boudeman
Alex & Kathy Bozymowski
Nancy Malcomson Connable Fund
Becky & Kalman Csia
Folio Salon, Boutique, Esthetique
Alfred J. & Jean Gemrich
Florence Goodyear
Blake Hawk
Larry & Noel Hayward
Alice & Kensinger Jones
Ladies’ Library Association
George H. Lauff
Martha G. Parfet
Preston S. & Barbara J. Parish
Jeff & Emily Pearson
Karen & Tim Pederson
Melanie J. Perry
Samuel J. Qualls
Dick & Marty Shaw
Erin & Stefan Tilbury
Mrs. Virginia M. Van Dalson
Mrs. Vera M. Wallach
Matching Gifts
The organizations listed below made matching gifts on behalf of SWMLC members.
ExxonMobil Foundation
IBM International Foundation
Kellogg’s Corporate Citizenship Fund
Pfizer Foundation
Grants
Defenders of Wildlife
Land Trust Alliance
Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality for Black River Watershed,
Paw Paw River Watershed, Prairieville Creek, and Rocky River Watershed
The Weisblat Foundation
Business Supporters
We thank Greenspire Apartments for
underwriting the costs of our 2008
Annual Meeting/Conservation Celebration.
Gifts
Donations were made in honor of:
Chris & Lynwood Bartley on their
50th wedding anniversary in January
by Christine Hann
Bob & Mary Cary
by Mark & Kathy Lund Johnson
Les & Kelly Dowd
on their 25th wedding anniversary
by David G. Dvorak, M.D.
Marilyn Gosling on her birthday May 30
by Bruce Gosling
Larry Saunders donated his tractor and lots
of time out at Sand Creek Preserve.
Caroline & Keith Martin
Mrs. Madalene Martin
Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Rhodes
Mrs. Dorothy Adams
Thank you for sharing the land!
by Joan Orman & Eric Bekker
Justin Sink is donating the proceeds from
sales of his bird and butterfly silhouettes.
Howard Vindedahl donated a property
appraisal for Hultmark Preserve.
Honorariums
Emma Bickham Pitcher
by the Sewardship Team of SWMLC
Stan Rajnak
by Nancy & Tom Small
Jennifer Wendling & Todd Holm
in honor of their wedding
by Joan Orman & Eric Bekker
Gift memberships were given to:
Patricia Geisler
from James C. Woodruff
In-Kind Contributions
Amelia Hansen donated two prints to be
used as gifts to departing board members,
Betty Lee Ongley and Stan Rajnak.
Vincent Iannelli donated a desk and
credenza.
Ken Kirton donated binders and hanging file
folders, toolbox with tools, wrenches,
lopper, and saw.
Christopher Nagy donated his time and
expertise to lead a field trip on the Cary
Conservation Easement property.
In appreciation for programs given by
Nate Fuller and Pamela and Lee Larson,
honorariums were donated by:
Brigham Audubon Society
Preserve the Dunes, Inc.
South Haven Garden Club
Memorial Contributions
The following gifts were made
in memory or remembrance of:
Larry Boven
by Patti & John Chipman and Family
Leanore J. Dunlap
by Jeff & Dotti Bogema and Families
Jerry & Sandy Bogema
Michael & Margie Coleman
Vicki & John Cross
Kenneth & Evelyn Dunlap
Richard & Carol Howard
Florence Snow Finkey & Paul Snow
Ray Garcia
by Patti & John Chipman and Family
Dolly Girten
by Julie Girten
Gordon and Sarah Hultmark
by Nancy & Tom Small
A special thank you to the staff and clients
of Folio Salon, Boutique, Esthetique in
Kalamazoo. During Earth Month, Folio annually
selects an organization for which they raise funds.
SWMLC was lucky enough to be selected this past April.
Clients of Folio donated a total of $900, and one generous client wrote a personal check for $100! Thank you
to Victoria at Folio, who saw our ad in a Miller
Auditorium program and contacted us for more information. We are grateful for your support.
Basil Johnson
by Donald & Judy Bever
Larry & Noel Hayward
Bill & Dori Lawrence
by Jim & Alice Fish
Robert Maust
husband of Gail Griffin
by George & Nancy Acker
Mary Upjohn Meader
by Monica Ann Evans
George M. Nielsen
Patrick Meersman
by Judith Anastasio
Marie & Jack Block
John Carton
Employees of Pine View Golf Club
Rick Sciba
Fred (Whitey) Tallman
Jay Petter
father of Jamie Michael, with gratitude
to Jamie for sharing her dad with us
by The Pottery Women:
Pam, Judy, Cary, Charna and Susan
Charlene Saunders
by Douglas & Donna Saunders
Ted Tilbury
by Bud & Judi Baldwin
Woody & Sharon Boudeman
Judy Ledbetter
Judi & Alan Silverman
Erin & Stefan Tilbury
Sam & Ned VanderSalm
Mac & Syd Waldorf
Birdathon Raises $4,000 for SWMLC
Every year, the team Hairy, Two Downies and a Red-Head
brave the wilds of Berrien County to seek out the greatest
number of bird species within a 19-hour period. This year
was no exception, but it was exceptional: the team reached
their all-time high of 137 species and generated $4,000 in
pledges to SWMLC! Special thanks to Jody Simoes, Katie
Kahl, Erin Fuller, and Nate Fuller, a/k/a Hairy, Two
Downies and a Red-Head. This was their seventh year of
birding on our behalf !
13
Upcoming Workdays
RSVPs are needed for all workdays.
For more detailed information, go to
www.SWMLC.org.
Marc’s Marsh Fen Revival,
Kalamazoo County
Saturday, July 12, 9 a.m. to Noon
A prescribed fire in the spring
knocked back much of the young buckthorn at Marc’s Marsh, but follow-up is
needed.
Bring: Footwear you don’t mind
getting wet, long pants, work gloves,
insect repellent. SWMLC will provide
beverages.
Register: See instructions below.
Carpool 8:30 a.m.*
Ten Years and Counting: Consumers
Power Prairie, Kalamazoo County
Saturday, August 2, 9 a.m. to Noon
Join in the fun as we look for blueberries and wildflowers . . . while cutting
down autumn olive and other aggressive
trees and shrubs that are shading out the
diverse flora of this preserve.
Bring: Sturdy footwear, long pants,
work gloves, insect repellent. SWMLC
will provide beverages.
Register: See instructions below.
Carpool 8:15 a.m.*
Blooms and Brush at Jeptha Lake Fen,
Van Buren County
Saturday, August 16, 9 a.m. to Noon
One of the greatest displays of
marsh blazing star in Michigan is at
Jeptha Lake Fen in August. We’ll cut
back lots of shrubs to keep the fen open
and sunny for these and other
wildflowers.
Bring: Footwear you don’t mind
getting wet, long pants, work gloves,
insect repellent. SWMLC will provide
beverages.
Carpool 8:00 a.m. from Oakland
Drive Park & Ride. Call the office to
register.
14
Restoring a Rare Remnant at
Wau-Ke-Na, Allegan County
Saturday, Sept. 6, 9 a.m. to Noon
An extremely rare remnant of Lake
Plain Prairie was recently discovered on
the south tract of Wau-Ke-Na. Come
help restore this rarity on the lakeshore.
Bring: Sturdy footwear, long
pants, work gloves, insect repellent.
SWMLC will provide beverages.
Carpool 7:30 a.m. from Oakland
Drive Park & Ride. Call the office to
register.
This exquisite foxglove beardtongue
Harvest and Sow at Sand Creek
(Penstemon digitalis) is found on our
Preserve, Kalamazoo County
Wau-Ke-Na preserve. Photo by Nate Fuller.
Saturday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m. to Noon
The prairie at Sand Creek Preserve
SWMLC will provide beverages.
is showing great progress since it was
Register: See instructions below.
planted in 2004. We’ll collect and sow
Carpool 8:15 a.m.*
seed and clear some brush to help grassland birds and other wildlife.
Bring: Sturdy footwear, long pants,
To register and for directions to meet
work gloves. SWMLC will provide
us at the preserve, call the office at (269)
beverages.
324-1600.
Register: See instructions below.
Carpool 8:15 a.m.*
* Carpool Option: Meet in the
SWMLC parking lot, 6851 S. Sprinkle
Carter Lake Trails and Savanna
Rd. at Bishop Rd./Romence Rd. in
Management, Barry County
Portage at the time indicated. Call Julie
Saturday, October 11, 9 a.m. to Noon
Lewandowski at the office at (269) 324The trail across the wetland at
1600 by the Thursday before the workday
Carter Lake Preserve needs some attenif you intend to carpool.
tion to help keep the preserve accessible
to visitors.
Due to a computer malfunction
Bring: Footwear you don’t mind
at the end of 2007, our list of e-mail
getting wet, long pants, work gloves.
addresses for notification for field
SWMLC will provide beverages.
trips and these workdays has been
Register: See instructions below.
obliterated. If you want to be put
Carpool 7:45 a.m.*
back on this list, please re-send your
e-mail address to Nate Fuller at
Invasive Shrubs ‘Fall’ing Down at
fuller@SWMLC.org. Thank you!
Chipman Preserve
Kalamazoo County
For a list of SWMLC’s publicly
Saturday, October 25, 9 a.m. to Noon
accessible preserves, go to our web
Fall is the best time of year to watch
site at www.SWMLC.org. Click
invasive shrubs succumb to the saws of
on “Preserve Profiles,” then click
restoration volunteers!
on the preserve you’d like to visit.
Bring: Sturdy footwear, long pants,
(Some preserves have PDF trail
hand saws, loppers, work gloves.
maps available for download.)
Executive Director’s Message
he purchase of the Mitchell’s
satyr butterfly site in Branch
County continues SWMLC’s
work to protect the habitat and remaining populations of this federally endangered species. It also announces our first
conservation project in Branch County
(see cover story). This is exciting news
and hopefully will serve as the catalyst
for additional work in this part of our
nine-county service area.
Under the guidance of Nate Fuller,
our stewardship program has been
examining its growth and success during
the past ten years and has started planning for growth to meet the continuing
challenges of the next ten years. Starting
out as a commitment by a small group
of volunteers concerned with the management of our preserves, the work has
evolved to include an enormous volunteer contingent, such as the Wednesday
work group, equipment for prescribed
T
fire and maintenance, partnerships with
federal, state, and other conservation
organizations and donors, and ecological restoration of preserves such as Sand
Creek and Chipman.
During the next year, SWMLC
will begin to implement action steps
that the Board of Directors approved to
increase our resources to meet the everexpanding stewardship challenges and
partnerships to ensure that the places
we protect remain special.
But there is more exciting news.
Recently, congress passed a two-year
extension of the expanded federal tax
incentives as part of the Farm Bill. This
allows landowners who are considering
protecting their land with SWMLC to
act decisively and now, before December
2009. The changes allow for a 50% tax
deduction of adjusted gross income and
extend the time period to use the
deduction from six to 16 years.
And, at the end of 2008, we were
informed that Edwin and Mary Meader
had included us in their estate plans
with a substantial gift. Our Board of
Directors has chosen to earmark the gift
for use in moving SWMLC forward in
our goal of increasing our conservation
initiatives. The Meaders were extremely
generous to SWMLC during their lifetime and, with this gift, they will have
an impact on our future, leaving a conservation legacy that will benefit
generations to come.
Have you contemplated your conservation legacy? Are you willing to
invest in SWMLC for the future? I ask
you to consider what your impact is
going to be and whether conservation
and stewardship of the places you care
about in southwest Michigan are a part
of it.
— Peter D. Ter Louw
North Point Conservation Area
his past fall, a group of citizens
in Van Buren County gathered
for a series of meetings and
agreed on three approaches for the use
and improvement of the North Point
Conservation Area, a 17-acre tract of
land on Lake Michigan owned by Van
Buren County. The three approaches
vary in the amount of improvements
and development, but all include the
creation of a conservation easement on
the property to be held by the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy.
The citizens’ group, the Friends of
North Point, coordinated by Maureen
Lewandowski and Marcy Colclough,
was initiated when there was interest on
the part of the county to explore selling
the property, as it appeared to be an
underutilized and somewhat forgotten
resource.
However, the public understood
what a jewel this site is and was unwill-
T
ing to let go of Lake Michigan access
and forested dune habitat. With an
overwhelming response from the
public, the County Commissioners
asked the Friends of North Point to create a vision for what they would like to
see the property become and provide
recommendations.
In early February, the Friends of
North Point submitted a 58-page report
to the County Commissioners which
identified that the highest priority for
the property is to protect it and make it
available to the public forever.* The
second priority is that whatever
improvements are made should be sensitive to the fragile dune environment.
And finally the county is encouraged to
work with SWMLC to ensure that the
property is conserved in perpetuity.
“This has been a great conservation
effort,” said Maureen Lewandowski.
“The public involvement in protecting
the North Point Conservation Area has
been incredible. There is real support
for this property from all over Van
Buren County. And the County
Commissioners have reacted enthusiastically, with unanimous support, in protecting the fragile dune ecosystem while
enhancing its public use and access.
Working to permanently protect this
property has been an extremely
satisfying experience.”
Currently, SWMLC is working
with representatives of the citizens
group and County Commissioners to
develop a conservation easement for
North Point and facilitate the report’s
recommendations for use and
management.
— Peter D. Ter Louw
* To learn more about North Point and
to read the report, go to:
www.vbco.org/northpoint.asp
15
UPCOMING EVENTS
Board of Directors
ou won’t want to miss any of
these upcoming events, so mark
your calendars and call the office
to RSVP today!
Y
1st Annual Wau-Ke-Na Art Walk
Glenn (Allegan County)
Saturday, August 30
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Field trip to Wau-Ke-Na,
William Erby Smith Preserve
Glenn (Allegan County)
Thursday, July 24
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Adults and children of all ages will
enjoy this 1st Annual Wau-Ke-Na Art
Walk. Come and wander the beautiful
preserve and watch 12 juried artists at
work, plein-air (literally “open air,” or
out of doors in natural light). Galleries
being represented are Button Gallery,
Gallery 344, The Nines Gallery, and
Water Street Gallery. Shop the exhibits
in the Wau-Ke-Na pole barn and then
walk or ride to explore the property and
watch the artists painting on site. All
finished art will be available for sale.
Field trip to Bow in the Clouds
Preserve
Kalamazoo (Kalamazoo County)
Thursday, August 21
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sign dedication and field trip,
Palmer Conservation Easement
Battle Creek (Calhoun County)
Saturday, August 23
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Please call the SWMLC office at
(269) 324-1600 to RSVP for the field
trips and sign dedication.
C. Larry Edris, President
George E. Burgoyne, Jr.,
Vice-President
Mary L. Houser, Treasurer
Kappy Boudeman, Secretary
Betty Lee Ongley, Past President
Dave Coleman
Alfred J. Gemrich
Ben F. Lark
Philip Micklin
Cindy Mills
Lawrence Sehy
Richard H. Shaw
Bradley E. Weller
Staff
Peter D. Ter Louw
Executive Director
Geoffrey D. Cripe
Land Protection Specialist
Nate Fuller
Conservation and Stewardship Director
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Kalamazoo, MI
PERMIT NO. 50
Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
6851 S. Sprinkle Road
Portage, MI 49002-9708
Pamela Weaver Larson
Communications Director
and Landscapes
Julie Lewandowski
Administrative Assistant and Web Site
Emily E. Wilke
Land Protection Specialist
George U. Wise
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Development Director
Southwest Michigan Land
Conservancy, Inc., is a nonprofit
corporation (FEIN 38-3038708;
MICS 10463). For more information:
Write: SWMLC, 6851 S. Sprinkle
Rd., Portage, MI 49002-9708.
Call: (269) 324-1600.
Fax: (269) 324-9760.
E-mail: ConserveLand@SWMLC.org.
PROTECTING THE LOCAL WILD AND SCENIC PLACES YOU CARE MOST ABOUT
Printed with soy inks on paper containing 50% recycled content with 25% post-consumer waste
Web site: www.SWMLC.org.