Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy

SMLC is looking for a volunteer Board Treasurer who is enthusiastic about local land conservation. This position serves on the Board of Directors, is an Officer, and is the chair of the Finance Committee. Qualifications include a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance (MBA or CPA, preferred) and several years of professional accounting and finance experience (nonprofit board experiences is a plus). The estimated hours are 5-10 hours per month. This is a hybrid working arragement with some remote and some in-person required. If you are interested, please see the attached Job Posting and send a resume and statement of interest in land conservation / SMLC to Jill Lewis, Executive Director, at jlewis@smlcland.org. Position is open until filled.

Please join us THIS FRIDAY NIGHT at SMLC’s historic red barn on Conservancy Farm Nature Preserve to help count the big brown bats that live in the barn. The bats sleep during the day and emerge at dusk to fly through the Superior Greenway for their nightly insect hunt. The more eyes we have watching, the more accurate our count will be. This is a family-friendly event – your kids and friends will enjoy this fun outdoor outing. The event will start at 8pm and last until 10pm. The preserve has a parking lot, albeit with limited space, but parking along Vreeland Road in front of the farmhouse is also available. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and pillows if you like. Be prepared for mosquitoes and evening temperature drop. Please, no pets. Donations to support the Conservancy are accepted and welcome.

GREAT NEWS: West Prairie Nature Preserve is now open for hiking! The trails have been extraordinarily wet this year, but they are finally dry enough to allow foot traffic without causing excessive damage to flora and the trails themselves. While this year's closure has been slightly longer than in the past, a similar closure is something to be expected each year as spring rain and any snowmelt will inundate the wetlands at the preserve and put standing water onto parts of the trail. In turn, SMLC staff will close the trail system, generally from March until June, to preserve some of the endangered plants and trail quality that could be compromised by foot-traffic on wet ground.

The kind of skies a photographer dreams about at Conservancy Farm today. photo: Alan McTaggart

Volunteer Tree Watering Day Tomorrow: The trees SMLC volunteers planted on April 27th are doing well. However, we need to ensure that this remains the case. Due to the young age of the trees and their recent transplanting, they need a greater amount of water than what nature typically provides. This is how you can help! Bring your friends and family members along too (appropriate age range for school kids is 6th grade and up). Anyone under the age of 18 must be part of a group led by at least 1 adult (over 18). Dress to be outside in variable weather. SMLC will provide work gloves, drinking water, and know-how. When: Saturday, June 1st, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm Location: LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve, 2452N Prospect Rd., Superior Township, MI 48198. NOTE: use this address for mapping purposes only, as we are not parking at the public parking area located at this address. SEE BELOW for where to park. Parking: From Prospect Rd., turn east onto Vreeland Rd. and immediately look for the event signs on either side of Vreeland. If coming from the east, turn onto Vreeland Rd. and head past the Conservancy Farm (it will be on your right). Look for the event signs on either side of Vreeland before you come upon Prospect Rd. Park along Vreeland Rd. near the event signs and Vreeland Rd. trail entrance. A greeter will be there to meet you at least 15 minutes prior to the start. To register, please contact Alan McTaggart at 734-484-6565 or amctaggart@smlcland.org This event is part of the Forest-to-MiFaucet Initiative (photo by Naima Cleveland)

Come help SMLC get rid of some garlic mustard tomorrow! There is a sizeable patch of this problematic invasive plant at LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve, and it is now the best time of year to control its populations. The method of control is simple: just pull it out of the ground, roots and all, before it goes to seed, so anyone can help. Time: 10:30 am – 12:30 pm, meet at the main parking lot Location: LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve, 2452 N Prospect Rd. Superior Township, MI 48198. Details: Dress to be outside in variable weather. SMLC will provide work gloves, drinking water, and know-how. For more information, please contact Alan McTaggart at 734-484-6565 or amctaggart@smlcland.org photos courtesy of the Town of Michiana Shores & Iowa State University

This past Saturday saw an exceptional crew of volunteers plant 169 native trees and shrubs of varying sizes at LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve. SMLC would like to thank ALL of them with utmost sincerity! Pictured here are two Civilian Conservation Corps historical re-enactors planting some black willow. photo by Alan McTaggart

SMLC is honoring all of our awesome and amazing volunteers for everything you have contributed to planet Earth and SE MI nature. Thank you! #NVM #volunteersmakeadifference #SMLClands photo by Mark Even, Volunteers building the Bell Creek footbridge

Happy Earth Day from SMLC!! photo by Luke Tracy, Springhill Nature Preserve

We're Hiring! Summer Stewardship Intern Opportunity The Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy (SMLC) seeks to contract a motivated and experienced Nature Preserve Monitor to fulfill annual monitoring requirements for 12–14 of SMLC’s 18 nature preserves. This position will require travel to nature preserves for field work as well as office-based work at the Conservancy Farm in Superior Township. See attached Job Posting. If you are interested in applying, please send a cover letter, resume, and three (3) references to Alan McTaggart, Stewardship and Outreach Specialist, Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, amctaggart@smlcland.org no later than April 25th. The position is open until filled.