Community Calendar

Join regional ceramic artist Phil Wilson, founder & instructor at Traverse City’s Clay Space, for an artistic exploration of the Walk of Art Sculpture Park. Focusing on local flora, students will study the natural materials that make this landscape unique.

Using observation and drawing skills, participants will translate the fine details of the forest into textured ceramic tiles. Each student will craft a multi-tile relief panel suitable for hanging.

Note: Completed panels will be available for pickup at the park pavilion two weeks after the workshop. Exact dates and times will be provided at camp completion.

Dates: June 23, 24 & 25

9am-12pm for ages 6-8 years

1-4pm for ages 9-15 years

Cost: $150 (SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE- please contact Becky Lancaster at 231-620-1633)

Enrollment deadline June 12 or until full

About This Event
Help us restore and protect the incredible ecosystems on our protected lands in Benzie and Manistee counties by aiding in invasive plant removal! Native wildflowers, mushrooms, trees, and shrubs that rely on these healthy habitats are currently under threat of being displaced by aggressive invasive plants.

The Basics:
GTRLC supplies all tools necessary for the work being done. We will teach you everything you need to know about tool use, safety, and the importance of the work you will be doing. No experience necessary - just come ready to learn something new! This activity is moderately strenuous, with volunteers often bending and kneeling to pull, cut or pile plants. Oftentimes we will be hiking for one to two miles to get to a worksite. Porta johns are available at some trailheads in this area, but not all. There is no drinking water available on site.

Directions:
This workbee will take place on a GTRLC-owned property in our Southwest region. Please check back closer to the workbee date or sign up ahead of time to be notified of our specific meeting location.

Registration is appreciated but is not required. Cancellations due to weather or any other reason will be communicated with registered participants via email.

Thank you for your interest in joining us! If you have any questions, please contact Erica DesJardins at edesjardins@gtrlc.org or 231-929-7911 (ext. 316).

About This Event
Help us build a brand new trail system at The Ridge! Join us for this work session and get a sneak peek of a property that’s not yet open to the public. Volunteers will help protect the valuable habitat on this property by constructing sustainable and strategically-planned sections of trail. This will create access and help guide future use on this property while protecting the most vulnerable parts of the special habitats found here.

The Basics:
GTRLC will supply gloves and tools. We will teach you everything you need to know about tool use, safety, and trail maintenance. No prior experience necessary! This will be a moderately strenuous work session, with volunteers carrying and using hefty trail tools. Participants will be hiking up to 2 miles of trail at a moderate pace. Lighter tasks such as vegetation trimming with loppers will be available.

Please meet us at the linked access point on Five Mile Rd. A link to our meeting location can be found here. https://maps.app.goo.gl/2jHsvgrAy4qkQWYw7

For more information about volunteer events, what to bring and locations, please visit our website here.

Celebrate 85 years of conservation during The Year of the River with the Grand Traverse Conservation District’s Speakers Series. Throughout the year, this series will feature engaging talks from professional speakers covering a wide range of topics, including the Boardman–Ottaway River, conservation efforts, GTCD history, natural resources, and more. Each program offers an opportunity to learn, reflect, and deepen our connection to the river and landscapes that shape our community.

Featured Speaker: Matthew Ross, The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park

For more information about events, please click here.

Find out about the Bone Wars from Steven and Elizabeth of Your Dinosaurs Are Wrong.

The early days of fossil hunting in America is marked by the competition between two paleontologists: Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. Determined to outdo one another, their feud led to theft, bribery, the destruction of fossils, and eventually personal ruin. It's the colorful and sometimes sordid story behind some of our most beloved dinosaurs, like Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus, and Triceratops.

About This Event
Help GTRLC and CAKE CISMA restore and protect the incredible ecosystems of Antrim Creek Natural Area through invasive plant removal! Native wildflowers, mushrooms, trees, and shrubs that rely on these healthy habitats are currently under threat of being displaced by aggressive invasive plants. For this work session we will focus on removing spotted knapweed, bladder campion, and baby’s breath from the beach and dunes.

The Basics:

GTRLC will supply gloves and any tools necessary for the work session. We will teach you everything you need to know about tool use, safety, healthy habitats, and the importance of the work you will be doing. No prior experience necessary - just come ready to learn something new! This activity is moderately strenuous, with volunteers often bending and kneeling to pull or dig out plants. Porta johns are available at the parking area.

Directions:
Please meet us at the South trailhead for Antrim Creek Natural Area.

Registration is appreciated but is not required. Cancellations due to weather or any other reason will be communicated with registered participants via email.

Thank you for your interest in joining us! If you have any questions, please contact Erica DesJardins at edesjardins@gtrlc.org or 231-929-7911 (ext. 316).

About This Event
Join GTRLC farm operations and sustainability coordinator, Sam Griffin, for a tour of Misty Acres Farm, a picturesque working farm that tests and demonstrates natural solutions to climate change. While walking the property, Sam will explain the sustainable agriculture practices and various forms of farm stewardship that she and Nick Eddy, Misty Acres farm manager, have implemented to improve the land’s resilience.

The farm is home to a small herd of sustainably managed Belted Galloway cattle and a herd of invasive-species eating goats. On the tour, you will learn about rotational cattle grazing, nutrient management designed to reduce greenhouse emissions, and innovative uses of farm equipment and goats for habitat restoration. All of these activities enhance soil health and increase carbon sequestration on the land.

The Basics

This tour will take about 2 hours on a mostly paved trail with occasional rough terrain on uneven surfaces. Although the trail does not pass through the woods or tall grasses, we recommend wearing long pants and closed-toe shoes. Please remember to also check for ticks at the journey's end.

For much more information, please visit our website:
https://www.gtrlc.org/recreation-events/events/

Join the Glen Lake Association's watershed biologists on a fun and educational hands-on tour of Glen Lake on our Discovery Boat (ages 8+). As you cruise along the water, you’ll learn how area lakes were formed, what influences water quality, how to keep the watershed healthy, and so much more.

Two-hour tours run twice per day at 10 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. on June 26, July 10, July 18, July 24, July 31, August 14.

We are proud to offer the Discovery Boat program now completely free of charge! (Registration is still required.)

The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum will be visiting with their Fur, Feathers, Scales program.

Join the Glen Lake Association's watershed biologists on a fun and educational hands-on tour of Glen Lake on our Discovery Boat (ages 8+). As you cruise along the water, you’ll learn how area lakes were formed, what influences water quality, how to keep the watershed healthy, and so much more.

Two-hour tours run twice per day at 10 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. on June 26, July 10, July 18, July 24, July 31, August 14.

We are proud to offer the Discovery Boat program now completely free of charge! (Registration is still required.)