SHARES
The nearly mile-long boardwalk at Arcadia Marsh built by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. Image: Nate Richardson
By Jim DuFresne
At some point in our lives, we all can use a little help down the trail aging baby boomers, a toddler, a parent pushing a stroller, an expectant mother, somebody who walks with a cane, somebody else who suffers from asthma.
The days of covering 20 miles with a 30-pound pack on our back might be a thing of the past, but not the desire to spend an afternoon in the woods seeing where this winding footpath takes us.
9 & 10 News
April 20, 2021
The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy is looking for volunteers to help this year’s stewardship efforts.
The organization looking for people who love the outdoors and want to help preserve nature for future generations, with a variety of volunteer roles for all abilities, including trail maintenance and invasive species control.
The conservancy’s ongoing Campaign for Generations project has added to this year’s workload as they hope to gather enough volunteers to construct three new nature preserves.
“By far our volunteers are purely motivated because they believe in our mission,” said GTRLC volunteer and event program manager Jon Throop. “These are folks that care about outdoor recreation, they care about the environment, and they want toi spend their time doing something to have a positive impact on what they care about.”
Northern Michigan conservancy seeks volunteers to help build trails, open new preserves
Updated Apr 14, 10:51 AM;
Posted Apr 14, 10:51 AM
The Mount Minnie Nature Preserve, between Platte and Little Platte lakes in Benzie County, will open to the public later this year. | Photo by Noah Jurik, used with permission
Facebook Share
TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. Love Northern Michigan’s great outdoors and want to keep it pristine? You might be just the kind of volunteer that a Traverse City-based conservation organization is seeking.
The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy is putting out a call for volunteers to pitch in on upcoming and ongoing work, including multiple trail building projects, invasive species removal efforts, the opening of new nature preserves, and maintaining the care for more than 10,000 acres of land.
Special to the Record-Eagle/GTRLC
The tallest ridge on the northern shore of Lake Skegemog, seen here from M-72, will be forever protected as part of a nature preserve with hiking trails.
Special to the Record-Eagle/GTRLC
This is one of the existing trails at the new Torch River nature preserve that has been fully funded through a $1 million donation.
Special to the Record-Eagle/GTRLC
TORCH RIVER â A beautiful stretch of shoreline property within the regionâs Chain of Lakes will be forever protected by a local conservation group.
A large donation to nonprofit Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy will be used to preserve a 290-acre tract alongside the Torch River in Antrim County. The land includes 1,700 feet along the riverbank flanked by wetlands and a steep ridge visible from miles away.
Photo(s) by Noah Jurik courtesy of GTRLC
2020 was a big year for land conservation in Northern Michigan fragile wildlife habitats were preserved, forests were fortified and trails were blazed. We touched base with five regional conservancies to hear about their accomplishments and to see what’s in store for 2021.
Note: Acreage numbers were collected in November 2020, prior to publication, and may have increased since then.
Acres Protected in 2020: As of November, Leelanau Conservancy had protected 888 acres, with another 89 expected by year-end. That adds up to a total of more than 15,000 acres since the conservancy’s inception in 1988.
Goals for 2021: “Our 2021 goals are to focus on farmland protection, in addition to protecting forests and wildlife habitat. We’re also looking forward to working on our goal to establish up to 40 miles of recreational trails for public enjoyment at our 1,000-acre Palmer Woods Forest Reserve after having completed the fundraising for purc