Community Calendar

The Grand Traverse Audubon Club and Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy are collaborating to bring you this special winter field trip.

Join us to participate in the global Great Backyard Bird Count happening February 13th - 16th, an annual bird census conducted throughout the world by volunteers like you. You’ll help count birds and enter the data into the eBird app.

The Basics

We will start at Medalie Park on Boardman Lake from 9 am to 11:00 am, then move to Mitchell Creek Meadows: The Don and Jerry Oleson Nature Preserve (2846 3 Mile Rd) for a nature walk on the universally accessible Looyenga Family Trail from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.

What should I bring?
- Sturdy hiking shoes or snow boots are recommended
- Dress for the weather! Winter attire is a must. Always check the forecast in advance.
- Water bottle
- Consider bringing your camera or binoculars
- Download the eBird app in advance

Registration is required and limited to 20 attendees; updates or cancellations will be emailed to registered participants. If you're completing registration for multiple people, please register each individually. Thank you for your interest in joining us! If you have any questions, please contact us at (231) 929-7911 or info@gtrlc.org.

For more details and information, contact Leader Kathie Wiley - (dujour1@gmail.com)

Please click here to register!

Join a conversational tour of the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s current exhibits on February 14, 1 pm. GAAC Gallery Manager Sarah Bearup-Neal leads a Walk + Talk of INteriors, and Small Accomplishments.

INteriors brings to the GAAC Main Gallery work that explores interior spaces real and imagined, in the home and mind. In the GAAC’s Lobby Gallery is Small Accomplishments, a group of acrylic paintings by Leelanau County artist Harvey Gordon that capture unremarkable events with remarkable technique.

The February 14 Walk + Talk is free and open to the public. Read more about both exhibits, and look at the artwork online at GlenArborArt.org / EXHIBITS.

Intermediate/Advanced Beekeeping classes will begin on Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 1 PM at the Betsy Valley library in Thompsonville and will meet a minimum of every two weeks. Enrollment is limited to 15 beekeepers, with each student having a minimum of one year beekeeping experience. We will concentrate on bee biology, advanced methods of swarm control such as the Demeree, splits/divides, Snelgrove board use and others. We will also learn multiple ways of rearing queens, including cell grafting, although cell punch, the Miller method and others.

Each student will be able to keep the queens that they reared in class.

Classes at the Library at 14744 Thompson Ave., Thompsonville, MI 49683.

The fee is $75.00 for the entire course.

A syllabus will be available at the Library when you register.

Please call the library or stop in person to register.
Questions, please call 231-378-2716.

Join us for a special edition of Dead Poets Society, reflecting on devotion. Devotion to self, to others and beyond.

Details:
Date: Feb 14th and Every 2nd Saturday of the Month
Location: Blessed Be Tea and Apothecary 116 E Front St
Time: 6PM - 7 PM

Suggested Donation: $5-$10 (Donations help keep our community events going, but they are not required to attend.)

Upon arrival, we will gather in a circle and take turns reading poetry in a round-robin style. Poetry may come from poets dead or alive, and our favorites are your own original works! Participation is encouraged but not mandatory—you’re welcome to pass if you don’t have a poem to share. However, it’s always more fun to join in!

Dead Poets Society is a community-based, open-mic style poetry reading event. At Blessed Be, we believe in the power of words and the importance of creating a sacred space for expression. While our group focuses on poetry, we also welcome writers, musicians, and all performance artists to share both mainstream and original works.

Important Note: This event is not specifically geared for children. We ask that parents use discretion when bringing kids, as poetry can sometimes touch on sensitive topics. The event is recommended for ages 15 and up.

What to Expect: Led by Allie Robinson-Ollila, this gathering forms organically, and all are welcome! Walk-ins and tag-a-long friends are always welcome.

Come and be part of our poetic community, where words come alive and everyone’s voice is heard!

Free, peer-led mental health support groups:

*NAMI Family Support (Mondays at 6pm. Online and in-person at HBA, 3040 Sunset Ln. See website for zoom link.)

*NAMI Connection Group (Mondays at 6pm. Online, see website for zoom link)

Free, peer-led mental health support groups: NAMI Family Support and NAMI Connection Group.

Both held Wednesdays, 12pm at Christ Church, 430 Fair St. (See website for zoom link)

Free, peer-led mental health support: NAMI Connection Group. Held Wednesdays, 5pm Online (see website for zoom link) and at Child & Family Services, 3785 Veterans Dr.

Creative Wellness Monthly Gathering
Facilitators: Carol Hohle & Meridith Mulcahy

Time: 1:30 pm–3 pm

Registration Deadline: N/A

Location: Meet at the GAAC front desk, then follow the fun—we may head to locations like Pine Street Studio or Thoreson Farm Studio during the summer. (Reserve Pinestreet Classroom as permanent option)
Skill: All Skill Levels
Cost: $10 member/ $12 nonmember
Min/Max: N/A
Time to Set Up: 15 minutes
Time to Clean Up: 15 minutes

This group will gather once a month to share and learn more about the value of creativity in our daily lives. Over a warm mug of brewed tea/coffee (or ice tea/lemonade in the summer!), come connect with others, share ideas, find inspiration, and practical tips to lead a more creative and whole-hearted approach to life. Each month, in addition to checking in with one another, we will explore different practices (journaling, stitching, collaging, photography) that may pique your creative curiosity.

Each week the group will meet at the front desk of the Glen Arbor Art Center and will move to locations such as Pine Street Studio, the GAAC Classroom, the GAAC grove or Thoreson Farm.

Need a day to play and let go of those February blues? Join local artists Jessica Kovan and Lauren Everett Finn in this fun, collaborative, fast-paced day of art play and camaraderie, inspired by the INteriors exhibition (January 9–March 12, 2026), which explores inner spaces, both real and imagined.

Beyond the comedic routine of these two friends, you'll enjoy hands-on mixed media experiences, cookie eating (chocolate promised!), and a day of artful fun—all designed to beat those February blues. Using the exhibition’s theme as inspiration, we'll explore the “interiors” of our own minds and create playful, expressive artworks that reflect our inner landscapes.

If you joined us before, we have new projects up our paint-covered sleeves this year, so don’t hesitate to sign up! All supplies included.

A Guided Winter Trek, Hot Cocoa, and a Flavor of History in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Discover Port Oneida’s past on snow-covered paths with your history guide. Your adventure begins and ends at the historic Olsen House where after a gentle trek, you will gather in the kitchen for a hot cocoa bar with all the fixings, and warm cookies, using Hattie Olsen’s own recipe. Visit this cozy, charming home during the winter season and get a unique snowy view of the Olsen farmstead and surrounding landscapes.

If conditions do not allow for snowshoeing, we will take a winter hike. Bring your own snowshoes and a change of shoes for inside the Olsen House.

This event is for adults and children over 12. This is a free event and donations are welcome. Registration is requested so we can prepare enough cocoa and bake enough cookies!