Land Conservancy of West Michigan

Land Conservancy of West Michigan To keep nature nearby, the Land Conservancy of West Michigan conserves ecologically critical land.

This summer, join the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), John Ball Zoo, Querkus Creative...
06/18/2026

This summer, join the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), John Ball Zoo, Querkus Creative Consulting and Grand Rapids Bug Club as we shine a spotlight on some of our favorite nighttime pollinators: moths!

Using a practice called lightsheeting (or moth sheeting), which is a method used by entomologists and nature enthusiasts alike, we will observe and identify moths at night. This method involves hanging a white sheet and illuminating it with a bright light, which attracts moths and other night-flying bugs.

This year, we have a fun new addition to our moth sheeting program! Over the past few months, LCWM has been partnering with the GRAM on their exhibition The Matter of Awe: Landscapes in Art. As a part of this partnership, GRAM will be joining us at Saul Lake Bog and providing art materials and guidance for those interested in sketching as a way of practicing observation and attention as we watch and discover what critters join us at the moth sheets! 🦋

Learn more and register to attend on our website: https://naturenearby.org/events/moth-sheeting-071826/

For the last several years, Grand Valley State University Professor Priscilla Nyamai has been working with her students ...
06/17/2026

For the last several years, Grand Valley State University Professor Priscilla Nyamai has been working with her students to study two sites on Land Conservancy of West Michigan nature preserves. Their goal is to understand the ways ecosystems respond to restoration treatments—in this case, two degraded oak savanna systems we are actively working to restore. Recently, their team reached a milestone and published the first paper from their long-term study. You can read it here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112726004524?dgcid=coauthor

Oak savannas are open-canopy habitats. Because they have fewer trees and shrubs, sunlight can reach the ground, encouraging the growth of diverse communities of grasses and flowers. Over 100 years of fire suppression has led to the overgrowth of trees and shrubs where these communities once stood, shading out biodiversity. At the Bradford Dickinson White and Brower Lake nature preserves, we are employing prescribed fire and selective mechanical thinning to restore more open conditions.

What did we learn from the study? The results show there is more work to be done to open the canopy on these sites and encourage the regeneration of young oaks and savanna grasses and forbs. Other studies have shown it is best to do this gradually over time, so we will continue to use these methods in the years to come. Sites that have been fire-suppressed for a long time or otherwise degraded may need more than just these methods to bounce back. The next phase of the study will look at how seeding the sites with savanna plants might accelerate our efforts.

Such a collaboration between researchers and land managers is rare. The information Priscilla and her students have collected will actively inform our management strategy. We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in and learn from this research! 🌳📝

Thank you to the volunteers who joined us at Brower Lake Nature Preserve this weekend to remove invasive garlic mustard!...
06/17/2026

Thank you to the volunteers who joined us at Brower Lake Nature Preserve this weekend to remove invasive garlic mustard! Your efforts are an essential part of the long-term health of the habitats protected at this preserve. Thanks for spending your Saturday morning with us.

Join us for the next one! You can find our upcoming Second Saturday Workdays and all of our events on our website at naturenearby.org/events.

Artists are at work on our preserves capturing the beauty of the lands we've protected together over the last 50 years. ...
06/12/2026

Artists are at work on our preserves capturing the beauty of the lands we've protected together over the last 50 years. 🎨 Their completed pieces will be shown at a gallery exhibit at LaFontsee Galleries this October. Proceeds from the sales of each piece will benefit the continued work of keeping nature nearby!

Save the Date: Preserved! happens October 2-3, 2026. Learn more on our website: https://naturenearby.org/portfolio_page/projects/preserved-2026/

Artists pictured: Betsy O'Neill at Palomita Nature Reserve, Kathleen Kalinowski at Brower Lake Nature Preserve, and Lynn Anderson at Brower Lake Nature Preserve.

Volunteer with us this Saturday! 🌿 We'll be removing invasive garlic mustard from Brower Lake Nature Preserve in Rockfor...
06/12/2026

Volunteer with us this Saturday! 🌿 We'll be removing invasive garlic mustard from Brower Lake Nature Preserve in Rockford.

Brower Lake Nature Preserve permanently protects wetlands and forest in an area increasingly pressured by development. Along with a sphagnum bog and a mature oak-hickory forest, the preserve also contains remnants of an oak barrens natural community—one of Michigan’s rarest ecosystem types.

We need your help ensuring the continued health of these important habitats! Learn more and register to attend this Saturday's workday on our website: https://naturenearby.org/events/ssw-at-brower-lake-061326/

EDIT: Pre-registration for the Preserve Pedal has closed. On-site registration will be available tomorrow! Meet us tomor...
06/05/2026

EDIT: Pre-registration for the Preserve Pedal has closed. On-site registration will be available tomorrow! Meet us tomorrow at the Wittenbach Wege Center between 7:30-10 a.m. to sign up to join.
🚲 🌳 Three routes, five preserves and parks, miles of fun.

Thank you to Tim & Jane Stoepker, Grand Rapids Chair, and Loose Spokes Bicycle Shop for sponsoring this event and supporting 50 years of keeping nature nearby!

06/02/2026

The routes are ready. 🚴 Last week our team hit the road to ride the 7-mile Explorathon: Preserve Pedal route to make sure everything is dialed in for this Saturday. If you are registered, we will see you on June 6th at the Wittenbach Wege Center! If you are not, there is still time. Link in bio!

Update regarding access to Meinert Park and Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve! A culvert has been installed and crews a...
05/29/2026

Update regarding access to Meinert Park and Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve! A culvert has been installed and crews are currently working to fill the road in with gravel. Walking access to the beach and preserve will be restored for the weekend. The road will be paved at a later date.

Learn more about these parks on our website at naturenearby.org/explore or the link in our bio!

Image by Steve Jessmore

05/28/2026

Controlled burns are one of the most misunderstood tools in conservation.

A few weeks ago, our Burn Crew carried out a controlled burn at Wege Foundation Natural Area. It was planned, permitted, and carefully managed from start to finish, the way every controlled burn is.

Unlike wildfires, controlled burns are intentional. Land managers use them to clear out invasive species that crowd out native plants, return nutrients to the soil, and mimic the natural fire cycles that Michigan’s prairies and savannas evolved with over thousands of years.

Without periodic fire, these ecosystems don’t just change, they disappear.

We asked our crew how long they’d been doing this work and what they love most about it. If you want to get involved, LCWM offers a Burn Crew training open to new volunteers every spring; no experience required! Comment “good fire” if you want to learn more.

Address

237 Steele St, Suite A
Grand Rapids, MI
49534

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+16164519476

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