As Midland continues to serve as spaces for recreation, the Little Forks Conservancy is making it easier for locals to take an active role in protecting the land they love.
The non-profit launched its
2025 Stewardship Series, a collection of public workshops aimed at teaching hands-on conservation techniques. The workshops are free, open to all ages, and designed for anyone curious about how to enhance wildlife habitats, manage invasive plants, or support pollinators in their backyard.
“A lot of these topics have to do with things that people can easily take part in, but they might not know because it might not be general knowledge,” Outreach Coordinator Lily Kelsey says. “I love them, and it gets people to do real actionable things, right? Instead of just talking about it, they can literally go home and get started.”
The first workshop in the series was held July 16 at the Averill Preserve in Midland. The evening activities educated participants on the role of insect habitats in supporting local biodiversity.
In addition to learning how to build and maintain insect homes, attendees were guided along the 800-foot paved trail at
Averill Preserve to view examples on the property.
“We're not only sitting and listening in a lecture style, but we're actually walking and we're visually seeing,” Kelsey says. “We're able to show people what it looks like when you remove invasive species and restore them to native species.”
Workshops in the series are structured to be interactive and rooted in local relevance. Each event is hosted at one of the Conservancy’s nature preserves, offering participants a connection to the landscapes Little Forks is working to protect.
The series continues this summer and fall with two additional all-ages workshops.
The second event will address the growing challenge of invasive species. Participants will learn to identify common invasive plants and explore safe methods for removing them to help protect local ecosystems. This workshop will take place at the Forestview Natural Area on Aug. 12, beginning at 6 p.m.
The final event in the series takes place at
Nelson Woods, located just three miles upstream of downtown Midland. The property is 106 acres of undeveloped land along the Tittabawassee River and marks a significant milestone in the Conservancy’s mission.
The event will take place on Sep. 30, beginning at 5:30 p.m., and focuses on native seed collection.
“We'll be developing a parking lot and then an accessible trail that gets folks to the end of the river,” Executive Director of Little Forks Conservancy Elan Lipschitz says.
“It helps to build more support for conservation in our community. The more people that love what we do leads to more people looking at what resources we offer, how they can work with us, how they can support us, and how we can continue to protect these lands that make Midland pretty amazing.”
When completed, Nelson Woods will become the Conservancy’s fourth preserve along the Tittabawassee River, joining Averill Preserve, Forestview Natural Area, and Riverview Natural Area.
The long-term vision for Nelson Woods includes accessible walking trails, educational programming, and partnerships with local organizations to expand its community impact. Fundraising is currently underway to support development costs, trail construction, and long-term improvements that will make the preserve accessible to all. “The aim of it is to try to connect people with conservation,” Kelsey says.
“How they can get involved in their local conservation efforts that help protect the environment as a whole. I think the more people that know about us and know about this work, the better we all are for future generations.”
The seed collection workshop not only provides a chance to learn but also offers a preview of what’s to come at Nelson Woods.
For more information or to register for the Stewardship Series, visit
www.littleforks.org, contact Lily at 989.835.4886 ext. 105 or email
lkelsey@littleforks.org.
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