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APRIL
4/26
Vernal Pool Patrol Field Training
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Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Meeting at the Benzie Conservation District office, with a field trip to Platte River Park. Free! Registration and prior training is required (see details below) |
About:
Volunteers needed! We’re teaming up with Michigan Vernal Pools Patrol to run a field training session for anyone interested in helping track our area’s vernal pools. Vernal pools, sometimes called the “coral reefs of Northeastern forests,” are shallow pools of water that fill during spring and usually vanish by summertime. They provide habitat for fairy shrimp, blue spotted salamander, and other species, but are vulnerable to many threats and are currently under-studied. We need your help to monitor vernal pools around Benzie County.
On April 26, please join us to gain field experience with the Michigan Vernal Pool Patrol monitoring protocol. Training will begin at 10am at our office. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in. We’ll then go to Platte River Park and hike to a vernal pool to begin our exploration! After monitoring the pool, we’ll return to our office for lunch and a data collection discussion. We’ll wrap up by 2pm. Please bring your own lunch and water, and be prepared for the weather and outdoor conditions.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Note: before this event, attendees must complete the free, 3-part Michigan Vernal Pool Virtual Training Series. You may register for this series or view recordings, slides, homework, etc. at this link.
Volunteers needed! We’re teaming up with Michigan Vernal Pools Patrol to run a field training session for anyone interested in helping track our area’s vernal pools. Vernal pools, sometimes called the “coral reefs of Northeastern forests,” are shallow pools of water that fill during spring and usually vanish by summertime. They provide habitat for fairy shrimp, blue spotted salamander, and other species, but are vulnerable to many threats and are currently under-studied. We need your help to monitor vernal pools around Benzie County.
On April 26, please join us to gain field experience with the Michigan Vernal Pool Patrol monitoring protocol. Training will begin at 10am at our office. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in. We’ll then go to Platte River Park and hike to a vernal pool to begin our exploration! After monitoring the pool, we’ll return to our office for lunch and a data collection discussion. We’ll wrap up by 2pm. Please bring your own lunch and water, and be prepared for the weather and outdoor conditions.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Note: before this event, attendees must complete the free, 3-part Michigan Vernal Pool Virtual Training Series. You may register for this series or view recordings, slides, homework, etc. at this link.
MAY
5/1
Spring ephemeral wildflower hike
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Thursday, May 1, 2025 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Railroad Point Natural Area (map) Free! Registration is required and will be capped at 20 people. Hosted in partnership with Plant It Wild. |
About:
Our hike at Railroad Point, led by Plant It Wild president Cheryl A. Gross, will highlight the woodland spring plants that emerge from the forest floor and some fun facts about what we see. We will talk about trees, shrubs, sedges, and invasive plants along the way. Please come prepared for outdoor hiking conditions: it is recommended that you bring a water bottle, bugspray, and sun protection.
Guest hike leader:
Cheryl A. Gross is the president of Plant It Wild, a Michigan native plant group based in Benzie and Manistee Counties, holds an Advanced Master Gardener certification, and is passionate about Michigan native plants. She hikes natural areas to identify plants and enjoys discovering what is growing and living along the trail. Her native landscaping practices include: less lawn, full sun, woodland shade, trees, shrubs, clump forming grasses, and an abundance of wildflowers.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED and will be capped at 20 people due to the nature of this event. Please register at the link above.
Our hike at Railroad Point, led by Plant It Wild president Cheryl A. Gross, will highlight the woodland spring plants that emerge from the forest floor and some fun facts about what we see. We will talk about trees, shrubs, sedges, and invasive plants along the way. Please come prepared for outdoor hiking conditions: it is recommended that you bring a water bottle, bugspray, and sun protection.
Guest hike leader:
Cheryl A. Gross is the president of Plant It Wild, a Michigan native plant group based in Benzie and Manistee Counties, holds an Advanced Master Gardener certification, and is passionate about Michigan native plants. She hikes natural areas to identify plants and enjoys discovering what is growing and living along the trail. Her native landscaping practices include: less lawn, full sun, woodland shade, trees, shrubs, clump forming grasses, and an abundance of wildflowers.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED and will be capped at 20 people due to the nature of this event. Please register at the link above.
5/2 and 5/3
Native Seedling Sale order pickup
Friday, May 2, 2025 from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday, May 3, 2025 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Beulah Village Park Pavilion
Saturday, May 3, 2025 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Beulah Village Park Pavilion
About:
Orders placed during our Spring Native Seedling Sale will be ready for pickup in the Beulah Village Park Pavilion. For questions or concerns about our pickup times, please contact us at 231-882-4391 or [email protected].
Orders placed during our Spring Native Seedling Sale will be ready for pickup in the Beulah Village Park Pavilion. For questions or concerns about our pickup times, please contact us at 231-882-4391 or [email protected].
5/10
Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program
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Saturday, May 10, 2025 from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Meeting at the Benzie Conservation District office Free! Registration is required. |
About:
Volunteers needed! Join us to collect samples of aquatic insects, snails, and algae from local rivers, and learn what they reveal about water quality. When you participate in our biannual Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program, you’ll spend a morning “in the field” as a community scientist by gathering indicator species (insects that help us study water quality) and looking for invasive species like New Zealand Mudsnails and Didymo. No experience required! You may volunteer from the shore or in the stream, and we can provide waders if needed.
To prepare: please arrive at our office a few minutes early, bring your own water, and be prepared to work outdoors in or around water. If you need to borrow waders, please let us know what boot size. Lunch is provided!
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Please register at the link above, or contact John Ransom at [email protected] or 231-882-4391 x 13.
Volunteers needed! Join us to collect samples of aquatic insects, snails, and algae from local rivers, and learn what they reveal about water quality. When you participate in our biannual Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program, you’ll spend a morning “in the field” as a community scientist by gathering indicator species (insects that help us study water quality) and looking for invasive species like New Zealand Mudsnails and Didymo. No experience required! You may volunteer from the shore or in the stream, and we can provide waders if needed.
To prepare: please arrive at our office a few minutes early, bring your own water, and be prepared to work outdoors in or around water. If you need to borrow waders, please let us know what boot size. Lunch is provided!
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Please register at the link above, or contact John Ransom at [email protected] or 231-882-4391 x 13.
5/10
Nature Journaling with Judy Kelly
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Saturday, May 10, 2025 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ransom Creek Trail (within Ransom Lake Natural Area. The creek trail is located directly off of Lake Ann Road. View map.) Free! Registration is required and will be capped at 15 people. |
About:
Nature Journaling is collecting and organizing your observations, questions, connections, and explanations on the pages of a notebook using words, pictures, and numbers. You do not need to be an artist or a naturalist to begin! We’ll explore how to keep a nature journal and record observations in one. Nature Journaling is creative and playful, easy to begin and learn, and will grow and mature over a lifetime. Children are welcome as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Attendees are encouraged to bring a sketchbook, graphite pencil, colored pencils, hat, water, and bug spray. Journaling kits will be available to borrow for the event, that contain a magnifying glass, colored pencils, graphite pencil & a clipboard.
Guest leader:
Judy Kelly is a multifaceted artist, educator, and naturalist. Her passion for drawing began in high school, and as a former biology teacher, she specialized in subjects like Botany, Microbiology, and Environmental Science, where she encouraged her students to express their observations through art. Judy has also led nature journaling workshops for various organizations, including the Glen Arbor Arts Center, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, and the Botanical Society of America. You can reach her at [email protected].
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED and will be capped at 15 people due to the nature of this event. Please register at the link above.
Nature Journaling is collecting and organizing your observations, questions, connections, and explanations on the pages of a notebook using words, pictures, and numbers. You do not need to be an artist or a naturalist to begin! We’ll explore how to keep a nature journal and record observations in one. Nature Journaling is creative and playful, easy to begin and learn, and will grow and mature over a lifetime. Children are welcome as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Attendees are encouraged to bring a sketchbook, graphite pencil, colored pencils, hat, water, and bug spray. Journaling kits will be available to borrow for the event, that contain a magnifying glass, colored pencils, graphite pencil & a clipboard.
Guest leader:
Judy Kelly is a multifaceted artist, educator, and naturalist. Her passion for drawing began in high school, and as a former biology teacher, she specialized in subjects like Botany, Microbiology, and Environmental Science, where she encouraged her students to express their observations through art. Judy has also led nature journaling workshops for various organizations, including the Glen Arbor Arts Center, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, and the Botanical Society of America. You can reach her at [email protected].
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED and will be capped at 15 people due to the nature of this event. Please register at the link above.
5/22
Garlic mustard workbee
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Thursday, May 22, 2025 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Railroad Point Natural Area (map) Free! Registration is appreciated. Hosted in partnership with Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network and Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. |
About:
Volunteers needed! Help remove invasive garlic mustard, a top 12 invasive species, from the beautiful Railroad Point Natural Area. Garlic mustard crowds out native plants, limits food sources for wildlife, and releases chemicals into the ground that make it difficult for other plants to grow. Help protect our forests, flowers, and wildlife by pulling garlic mustard with us this May. Please bring your own water and come prepared for working outdoors.
Registration is appreciated (at the link above or by contacting [email protected] or 231-882-4391.
Volunteers needed! Help remove invasive garlic mustard, a top 12 invasive species, from the beautiful Railroad Point Natural Area. Garlic mustard crowds out native plants, limits food sources for wildlife, and releases chemicals into the ground that make it difficult for other plants to grow. Help protect our forests, flowers, and wildlife by pulling garlic mustard with us this May. Please bring your own water and come prepared for working outdoors.
Registration is appreciated (at the link above or by contacting [email protected] or 231-882-4391.