Volunteer conservationists across the region play a pivotal role in helping nonprofit organizations preserve, protect, and manage the natural resources of Northwest Lower Michigan. Working alone, in small groups and among the crowds at work bees, these people plant trees and shrubs, count birds, collect water samples, pick up trash and a host of other activities that can help to improve wildlife habitat and sustain natural ecosystems.
During this time of great change, volunteer conservationists are also helping to improve the odds for the rare and endangered plants and animals that live in our region. By preserving the best of what’s left – streams, woods, wetlands – they help increase the resilience of ecosystems against the continuing threats of development, invasive species and climate change.
These short multimedia stories reveal and celebrate some of the many ways volunteer conservationists answer the question: How can we help conserve, preserve and protect the beautiful plants, animals and landscapes in Northwest Lower Michigan?