Land Conservancy of West Michigan

The LCWM office is moving! 📦 Beginning April 7, 2025, we will have a new office location and mailing address. You'll be able to find us at: 237 Steele St, Suite A, Grand Rapids, MI 49534. Please update your records.Thank you for your patience as we move!

The Land Conservancy of West Michigan is seeking Stewardship Interns to support the care of the natural lands we've protected this field season! Learn more and apply on our website: buff.ly/3Wxo54d

Clematis virginiana has some intriguing common names, including devil's darning needles, devil's hair, love vine, traveller's joy, virgin's bower, and Virginia virgin's bower. This native vine produces showy white flowers--and the seed heads make a statement, too.

We recently had the pleasure of joining staff from John Ball Zoo and Ottawa County Parks to mount kestrel nest boxes at Upper Macatawa Natural Area. You can learn more about the zoo's efforts to better understand kestrels and sign up to participate here: buff.ly/3C6UVlL

Due to forecasted severe cold weather, we have made the decision to postpone the Nighttime Hoot & Hike event scheduled for Tuesday, January 21. The event will now take place on Thursday, January 30, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. buff.ly/3Adwrm6

Sign up for this year's Burn Crew Training to become a part of the team of volunteers caring for our fire-dependent ecosystems. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required to attend. Learn more: buff.ly/3CfpLbF

The results are in! 🎀 We are excited to announce the winners of the 2024 Holiday Hike Challenge. See the results and the answers to the tree ID challenge on our website: buff.ly/4fKZzna

Join LCWM and local ecologist Joel Betts on a night hike! Joel will lead us as we listen and look for owls, and as we learn about the species that can be found in West Michigan, their migration patterns, and their habitats. Learn more: buff.ly/4h7xQ19

Ring in a new year of conservation with the Land Conservancy at our first Second Saturday Workday of 2025! We'll be back at Lamberton Lake Fen Nature Preserve removing invasive shrubs and caring for the rare prairie fen habitat the preserve protects. buff.ly/3DKoEkK

Views from Upriver Nature Preserve after a fresh snow. Upriver Nature Preserve protects 5,321 feet of frontage on the Little South Branch of the Pere Marquette River. Have you visited this beautiful preserve yet? Learn more: buff.ly/3IPO8Nc

Happy New Year from all of us at LCWM! Thank you for all the ways you joined us to support the conservation of West Michigan's natural land. Remember: Today is your last chance to make a tax-deductible donation in 2024! Make a gift on our website at buff.ly/47SibOi

Time is running out to participate in this year's Holiday Hike Challenge! ⏰ 🎀 For your chance to win an amazing prize, make sure you visit a nature preserve, find a bow, take a photo, and send us your entry before 11:59 p.m. on December 31! Learn more: buff.ly/40Mw9kJ

The Land Conservancy of West Michigan's offices will be closed Tuesday, December 24-Wednesday, January 1. If you need to reach us, please call (616) 451-9476 and leave a voicemail message. If there is an emergency situation at one of our preserves, please call 911. Thank you!

We want to thank D. Baker & Son Lumber Co. for their contributions to the the boardwalk at McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve! We are grateful for their support in making exploring the preserve safer and more sustainable. 🪚 🔨 🥾

There is still time to participate in the Holiday Hike Challenge, which runs through December 31! Visit one of the participating preserves, find a bow, and share a photo for a chance to win amazing prizes. Visit our website to learn more! buff.ly/40Mw9kJ

Thank you to all the Second Saturday Volunteers who joined us this weekend! They braved the cold to help care for The Highlands, our partnership project with @BlandfordNC. The final Second Saturday Workday of 2024 ended with a rainbow over our heads (photo courtesy Andrew Lidral)

We'd like to say thank you to the artists, businesses, and organizations who donated prizes to the 2024 Holiday Hike Challenge! Thank you for helping us connect people to the natural areas we've worked together to protect. 🎀 Learn more: buff.ly/40Mw9kJ

The experience of collecting seeds and sowing them in the prairie at Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve has enchanted volunteers for over 20 years. “Every handful of seeds we collect amounts to something,” said LCWM Volunteer Charles Kroll. Read more: buff.ly/4gcU2a8

Thank you to everyone who joined the Green Guardians and participated in our Giving Tuesday campaign by hosting a fundraiser or making a donation. Together, we raised $3,755 for the protection and care of West Michigan's natural lands!

Two more days remain to help us reach our $5,000 goal! Join Trail Blazer’s team and raise $250 to maintain the trail system at one of the Land Conservancy of West Michigan’s 20 nature preserves! Make a gift here: buff.ly/3OtAyl2