The program will consist of a series of seven classes, with topics such as aquatic and wetland habitats, sand dune environments, trees, wildflowers, ecology, and geology. Classes and will meet one Saturday a month. The class sessions are approximately four hours long, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The first hour of each class will be in a classroom style meeting, with the remainder of class time spent in the field.
The cost of the program will be $195.00, which will include all education materials.
The Conservation District is be taking requests for the 2012 Naturalist Program and space is limited.
For more information, please contact Joe Hill at joe.hill@macd.org.
| Program Schedule & Registration Form |
West Michigan Parks
&
Recreation Inventory
- The eight-county West Michigan region is home
to more than 123,000 acres of park and recreation areas located within the eight-county
region that includes Allegan, Barry, Kent, Ionia, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Ottawa
counties. Now, the West Michigan Strategic Alliance (WMSA) is offering a database
inventory of all that land for use by government leaders, businesses, residents and
visitors. The inventory was completed this past summer by Susie Matteson, an intern
working with WMSA's Green Infrastructure Initiative.
The West Michigan Parks and Recreation Inventory lists parkland by county, city, or township with links to online information where available. The database lists the acreage, address, and various recreational uses for each property. Uses range from sports fields to hiking trails and water access.
"West Michigan is fortunate to have so much land designated for recreation," said Elaine Sterrett Isely, WMSA's Green Infrastructure Project Manager. "These parks attract visitors and encourage residents to move throughout the eight-county region, both of which contribute to the local economy."
For this database, visit their website at:
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West Michigan Parks & Recreation Inventory |
White Lake Community
Native Landscape
Initiative
- Native landscaping at Alcoa Howmet, plus several
other native landscape projects in the White Lake area, are all part of the White Lake
Community Native Landscape Initiative, developed to increase the awareness of the
benefits of native landscaping and green infrastructure, promote the linkage of
White Lake area green infrastructure, and stimulate similar private and public
native landscaping projects in West Michigan.
For more information, please click on the following link:
 |
Islands of Life:
A Biodiversity and Conservation Atlas
of the Great Lakes Islands
- With over 32,000 islands, the North American
Great Lakes contain the largest collection of freshwater islands in the world. Ranging
in size from small rocky knolls to the largest freshwater island in the world, these
special places are globally unique and rich in biodiversity. But these islands are
dynamic, undergoing many changes that threaten the islands' flora and fauna, including
climate change, habitat degradation, invasive species and some natural processes,
according to a new report published by scientists from leading conservation organizations
in the United States and Canada.
By their very nature, islands are isolated and sensitive to change. The attributes that make them refuges for natural heritage and biological diversity, also makes many of them relatively unknown and understudied. They make a significant contribution to the physical and biological diversity of the Great Lakes and surrounding basin.
For the full report, please click on the following link:
| Islands of Life Report |
Environment & Conservation Reference Websites
| Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
Michigan DNR Wildlife & Habitat – Plant Species The Michigan site for information on native plants, trees, shrubs, grasses, and INVASIVE plants to Michigan |
| Michigan DNR Fire Management |
"FireWise" Program Wildfire Survivable Landscaping |
| Michigan Department of Environmental Quality | Michigan Department of Agriculture |
|
US EPA Green Landscaping with Native Plants The Wild Ones Handbook |
Enhancing Beneficial Insects with Native Plants |
| Bat Conservation International | Midwest Invasive Plant Network |
| USDA – Soil Survey | Michigan Association of Conservation Districts |
| National Wildlife Federation | Ottawa County Conservation District |
|
Monarch Watch Dedicated to education, conservation, and research of the Monarch Butterfly |
Kent County Conservation District |
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