Chipman Preserve

The Chipman Preserve is one of the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy's largest preserves.  It was donated to the SWMLC by the Chipman family, founders of Landscape Forms, in 2002.  I worked with some of my students on a service-learning project at the preserve years ago but I hadn't visited since.  Earlier this week, my daughter and I took an enjoyable walk on the preserve's trails.

The preserve has about four miles of trails through oak woods and grasslands.  The conservancy is working to establish prairie and savannah plants in the open areas and to restore wildflowers in the forest.  The Butterfly Milkweed were in full flower on our visit, along with Bergamot and Black-eyed Susan.

 

The Chipman Preserve is located a few miles east of Kalamazoo on E. Main Street between 30th and 33rd, fairly close to the McLinden Nature Trails.

Chipman Preserve
8555 East Main Street
Comstock, MI

(address is approximate.)

Sarett Nature Center

The Sarett Nature Center is a great outing, not far from Kalamazoo, with trails, wildlife, water, and woods, but somehow it had been a few years since my last visit. Last week, on the way to Chicago, I couldn't resist a quick side-trip, particularly since Sarett is only 5 minutes from the I-94 + I-196 junction. (Exit 1 on I-196, then west on Red Arrow; Benton Center Road is the first right.)

The nature center had built several new structures recently: an expanded visitor center, a butterfly house, and an impressive elevated boardwalk on a trestle high in the forest.

Of course, the original attractions of the nature center were still in place: a series of trails and boardwalks through woods, marshes, fens, swamps, and fields along Cowslip creek and the St Joseph River. The habitat is great for birds and other wildlife. It's one of the few places where I've seen a Massasauga Rattlesnake. On my short walk this time, I saw plenty of birds, a leopard frog, and a couple of deer. I'd hoped to see some fringed gentian but the one plant I saw had already flowered.

Sarett Nature Center
2300 Benton Center Rd.
Benton Harbor, MI 49022

Admission $3
Free for members
Also free admission for members of the Kalamazoo Nature Center, DeGraff Nature Center, Blandford Nature Center and many others. See the ANCA Membership Reciprocal List [pdf].

Giving Thanks

In my family, we've been trying to establish a holiday tradition of giving. Michigan's quality-of-life depends on a large number of non-profit groups. These local nature organizations could use your support:

Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy

Kalamazoo Nature Center

Kalamazoo River Valley Trail

Michigan Nature Association

Nature Conservancy (Michigan)

Michigan Audubon Society

Happy Thanksgiving!