Land Conservancy to Host Paddle on Pere Marquette River

paddling the Pere Marquette (photo by jhy)

a news release of Land Conservancy of West Michigan

Over the past 50 years, LCWM has worked with private landowners, community organizations and governmental bodies to permanently protect and care for the land. From planting native species to applying prescribed fire, LCWM has been committed to our land from day one, with conservation work that bridges its past, present and future.

Today, that work spans 165 properties across eight counties, totaling over 13,000 acres. Among them are beloved Michigan destinations such as Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area, Upper Macatawa Natural Area and North Ottawa Dunes. Key to the success of these projects is a spirit of collaboration between multiple organizations, funders and the communities where these parks are established.

On June 6, The Land Conservancy of West Michigan (LCWM) celebrated its 50th anniversary with over 60 community members participating in bike rides exploring the "Eastern Glacial Corridor,” an ecologically unique region in Kent County, followed by a community celebration. The ride marked the second event of a three-part outdoor Exploration series honoring LCWM's conservation legacy and its ongoing mission to protect ecologically vital land across West Michigan.

“The second event of our Explorathon series exemplified our strategy of connecting people to nature and building a community of conservationists,” said Kim Karn, executive director of LCWM. “It was truly inspiring to celebrate the healthy habitats and protected lands along these trails with our community, and it is always exciting to see familiar faces return from previous events. We look forward to the next event in the series—a guided paddle on the Pere Marquette River later this summer.”

The final Explorathon event on Aug. 29 is set to include a guided paddle along the Pere Marquette River.

Register for the August 29 Paddle


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Indiana Dunes State Park Works to Reopen Trails

Indiana Dunes map (graphic from Indiana Dunes State Park)

from Indiana Dunes State Park

Although this is located in Indiana, it's just barely not southwest Michigan. Due to the storms of the past week, it would probably be a good idea to check before visiting any park in southwest Michigan with plans to hike a particular trail.

Indiana Dunes State Park staff worked to clear nearly 20 trees in the park on Friday. At this time, all roads and trails are open with the exception of one stretch on Trail 2 (see photo). This location is impassable and unsafe. We are asking guests to cooperate by refraining from hiking this section until our crews have cleared the debris. We expect to complete this by the end of the day Monday, June 15th

See Indiana Dunes


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Grand Rapids Extending Riverwalk

Riverwalk construction (photo by Matt Witkos)

from Fox 17

Grand Rapids, Michigan, officials say the primary goal of the Riverwalk is to build a connection throughout the community. This new section will complete trail from Riverside Park to Fulton Street providing non-motorized connections between many businesses, recreation and entertainment venues.

The original plan was for the trail to be partially completed this spring, but the timeline is now pushed to autumn. Custom playground equipment is on order, and an all-season pavilion is being added.

The trail will also serve as a flood buffer from the Grand River.

A future project could connect the trail to the new Acrisure Amphitheater. This would be a part of the proposed Three Towers downtown development.

See more about the Grand Rapids Riverwalk


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Ottaway Crossing Footbridge is Open

ribbon cutting on Ottaway bridge (photo from Grand Traverse Conservation District)

from the Grand Traverse Conservation District

The Ottaway Crossing Footbridge in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, is now open.

Spanning 160 feet across the Boardman-Ottaway River at the former Sabin Dam site, the bridge provides a vital connection between miles of popular recreational trails within the Natural Education Reserve and the broader regional trail network.

The footbridge connects the Boardman River Nature Center with the 24-mile Boardman/Ottaway River Trail, to a larger loop featuring the: Boardman Lake Loop Trail, the North Country Trail, the Vasa Pathway, and Brown Bridge Quiet Area Trails

Named Ottaway Crossing in recognition of the river’s original name and the region’s Indigenous heritage, the bridge represents an important milestone in the ongoing restoration of the Natural Education Reserve. It complements years of restoration work, including riverbank stabilization, habitat improvements, and the planting of thousands of native trees and shrubs, helping transform the property into one of Northern Michigan’s premier outdoor destinations. This project would not have been possible without the generosity, partnership, and dedication of countless supporters, funders, volunteers, and community partners. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped bring this vision to life and joined us in celebrating the bridge’s opening.

You are invited to visit the Natural Education Reserve, explore the trails on both sides of the Boardman-Ottaway River, and experience the new Ottaway Crossing for yourself.

See Grand Traverse Conservation District


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FDA Expands Sunscreen Ingredient List

chemical structure of bemotrizinol (graphic by ChemDoc 2010)

compiled from several sources

For the first time in 20 years the list of ingredients allowed in sunscreen products in the United States has been expanded. Bemotrizinol has been sucessfully used in Europe, Australia, and part of Asia for many years. By the end of 2026, consumers in the US will be able to find products with this chemical.

All previously approved products here are effective against only UVA or UVB rays. Sunscreens typically contain a mixture of chemicals that will block both. UVA causes wrinkles and aging of the skin while UVB causes sunburn. However, bemotrizinol blocks across the UV spectrum.

Bemotrizinol shows low levels of absorption through the skin which has been a concern with some other sunscreen ingredients, although there has been no clear determination whether this causes harm. For example, oxybenzone, a currently approved chemical has been detected in blood at 515 times the FDA’s threshold of concern after a single weekend of application. It is also highly photostable, breaking down much more slowly than other products.

It has been approved in Europe for the past 26 years.

See an article from NBC


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Nunica Junction Ribbon Cutting June 16

poster from Friends of the North Bank Trail

from Friends of the North Bank Trail

The Friends of the North Bank Trail are folks dedicated to developing a non-motorized rail trail from Grand Haven/Spring Lake to Grand Rapids. They invite the public to a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 16, 2026 at 4:00 pm. This is in Nunica, Michigan at 16980 N. Main St, at the North Bank Trail Junction Trailhead. There will be brief remarks by various people.

In 2025, the Friends group provided a $250,000 grant to Crockery Township to assist in funding the restoration of two railroad trestles over Crockery Creek. The grant was made possible through private donations from generous donors that have supported the North Bank Trail for many years. These two historic trestles one mile east of Nunica were once part of the Grand Trunk Railroad line that ran from Grand Haven to Detroit.

The trestles have been improved to allow pedestrian and bicycle access over the creek offering wonderful views of the flowing water and surrounding forest. The pathway to the trestles will remain a natural surface at this time.

See North Bank Trail


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Superior Maximus: Live Dive

freshwater hydra (photo from Inspired Planet Productions)

from watching the video

Just a few days ago, the Superior Maximus: Live expedition had weather conditions which allowed the team to send a tethered robot to the deepest place in Lake Superior- in all the Great Lakes. It is 1300 feet below the surface of Lake Superior, and had not been visited for 40 years when a small research submersible traveled to the depths. The site is about 35 miles north of Munising, Michigan.

The video is not edited, but is recorded in real time, so what you see is what they saw. A few kinds of fish and other wildlife were found. At those depths, there are no plant materials because of the lack of light.

Although this was not like seeing a tropical reef, it's fascinating because so little is known about life at the depths where the temperature hovers just above freezing, and the pressure is about 40 times what it is at the surface.

Other expeditions have been recorded and can be found at the Hidden Depths channel on YouTube.

See Superior Maximus: Live


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Plainfield Charter Township's Strategy for Trail Funding

Plainfield Township trails (graphic from Plainfield Charter Township)

from Plainfield Charter Township

Non-motorized trails in Plainfield Charter Township, Kent County, Michigan have been funded since 2016 by a tax millage. This includes the Jericho Trail, Rockford Trail, South Rogue River Trail, Jupiter Trail, Township Hall Connector, and the Rogue River Meadows Connector to the White Pine Trail. These trails give residents safe, convenient ways to walk, bike, and explore close to home. In the past ten years this millage has resulted in $6.4 million spent on trails.

This August, Plainfield Charter Township voters will be asked to decide whether to renew the Non-Motorized Public Trails and Recreation Areas Millage—the same millage that helped create these nearly nine miles of paved trails connecting the community.

The proposal keeps the millage at its current rate. There is no increase in the amount taxpayers would pay. The renewal would help protect and maintain the trails the community has already built together.

See more at Plainfield Charter Township


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Teamwork Reopens Manistee River Loop Trail

Spirit of the Woods volunteers (photo by Berny Barnes)

from the Manistee News Advocate

Heavy flooding this spring closed the Manistee River Side of the popular Manistee River Trail/ North Country Trail loop. This 23-mile loop is heavily hiked, being a perfect length for weekend backpackers. The MRT is on the east side of the Manistee River, while the NCT section is on the west.

Both sides were affected by many downed trees from a snowy winter and spring wind storms.

Forest Service staff worked hard to reroute severely damaged portions of the MRT side while Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the North Country Trail Association volunteers removed the obstacles on the NCT side. The complete loop is now open.

Read the full article at the link above.


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Method May Be Effective against Japanese Knotweed

Japanese knotweed trying to grow through hardware cloth (photo from Japanese Knotweed Solutions, Ltd.)

from Vermont Invasives

Vermont Invasives suggests a non-chemical way to kill small stands of Japanese Knotweed, Fallopia japonica. Japanese Knotweed aggresively forms dense mats of vegetation that crowds out any other plant, stealing nutrients and diversity. (the editor of GOTC calls it the "Kudzu of the north.")

If you don't have acres of knotweed to eradicate, this method has proved effective in Great Britain.

Buy hardware cloth (metal mesh) with half-inch squares. In early spring, clear off the dead stalks and detritus from previous years. Lay the hardware cloth over the growth area and stake it down firmly.

As the new shoots push up through the metal mesh, they will grow and soon be girdled and die. The plant will attempt to send up new shoots. Same result. Eventually, the carbohydrate stores in the rhizomes will be depleted and the plant will die.

Total control can still take multiple years, and you have to make sure new shoots don't escape the sides of the mesh, but it is a low-risk, and safe method of treatment.


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Brown Bridge Quiet Area to Expand

Brown Bridge Quiet Area (photo from GTRLC)

from Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy

We are delighted to share exciting news that has been years in the making: Last week, the City of Traverse City officially closed on the acquisition of 528 acres adjacent to the Brown Bridge Quiet Area.

The conservation value of this property is extraordinary, with high-quality dry-mesic forest and riparian wetlands that provide critical habitat for rare and state-threatened species, including the Trumpeter Swan, Bald Eagle, Common Loon, Osprey, and Red-shouldered Hawk. It safeguards water quality within the Boardman/Ottaway River watershed, expands passive outdoor recreation, and provides future trail connections.

Traverse City voters overwhelmingly supported using the Brown Bridge Trust Fund to support the project, and the city was awarded a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant in 2023. After navigating the appropriations process, we're excited to say the finish line has finally been crossed, and it was worth every step. None of this would have been possible without the residents of Traverse City, who have shown time and again their commitment to protecting the places that make this region extraordinary — and without supporters like you, whose dedication to conservation makes this work possible.

While the property is now publicly owned, additional work must occur before the site can safely support regular public access. Stay tuned for updates on the City of Traverse City website.

See GTRLC Active Projects


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Mason County Multi-Use Trail Seeking Input

map of the proposed route (from MCMUT)

from Ludington Economic Development

Mason County, Michigan, has recently revived their county-wide trail plan. Priorities would be to connect Ludington State Park with downtown, downtown to Consumers Pumped Storage property, then on to Pentwater, and finally from Ludington to Scottville. This concept has been broken into these four segments.

The first section likely to be completed combines part of “Segment 1” (Ludington State Park to Downtown Ludington) with a section of “Segment 2” (Downtown Ludington to Mason County Campground), making a fundable section that connects two recreation assets (parks) and largely follows existing US Bike Routes. There are features to this segment that could be attractive to granting agencies.

Norm Cox of Greenway Collaborative has created a survey to solicit the community’s input on this first trail section. Feedback from this survey can help with grant writing in the fall to support funding of this initial section.

This all-ages-and-abilities route will enhance US Bicycle Routes 35 and 20. Please take a look at the Draft Plan for more details and then complete a brief Survey to share your thoughts and help shape the final plan.

Read the Draft Plan

Take the Survey


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