A Vision Coming to Life, Thanks to You!
We are now more than halfway through our current fiveyear strategic plan. We set ambitious goals across our three-headed mission which could be distilled to:
1) protect more land; 2) care for that land in perpetuity; and 3) provide even more amazing outdoor educational opportunities.
Of course, there is much strategic detail embedded in each of those categories. Examples of such details include developing land conservation priorities and more outreach to landowners; improving accessibility and experiences for all people visiting our preserves; and ensuring we are impacting our full five-county service area, particularly through our education programs.
But a plan isn’t strategic unless it provides for the capacity and financial stability to do all of this amazing work. In this plan, we recognized that the only way we could achieve our strategic goals would be to grow our capacity. We accounted for the unique obstacles that come with now having protected more than 83,000 acres — as well as the desire to protect even more.
When you break that down, many details must be accounted for such as appropriately scaled endowment funds (forever is a long time), a staff that grows in proportion to our obligations and ambitions, and an infrastructure that can make all of this hum efficiently.
To this last point, our strategic plan calls for investment in a larger office. If you have been to 3264 Powell Road in recent years, the need is obvious: we are sardines in a can.
When our predecessors created our current office in 1984, they were at the inflection point of moving from a volunteer organization to one with staff. The office was expanded 10 years later as LTC’s success and responsibilities grew. Few could argue that those weren’t wise investments, as our land conservation record since then will attest. It demonstrates that when you give a great team the right home, they can thrive.
Unfortunately, we don’t have options to add to the office here as we did in 1994. We can’t expand the footprint, and we can’t raise the ceiling. So, we had to problem solve.
Fortunately, we have both the opportunity and the obligation to view this problem as the potential for something bigger. Our board, staff, and members envisioned a place where our mission could thrive, not only by accounting for our capacity needs, but also by creating a welcoming space to enhance our interactions
by Kieran Fleming Executive Director
with our constituents and supporters. As luck would have it, the opportunity presented itself in 2020 when we acquired the Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve.
The opportunity cannot be understated. The Offield Family Viewlands is our most visited, perhaps most beloved property. Every day, people engage with that property in numerous ways via trails, the fishing pond, mountain biking, sledding, and the list goes on. With an existing building in place, the site offers a ready site, and so much more. The obligation is to maximize the use of that infrastructure to further our mission. Most of our stewardship operations are already run from the Viewlands’ barns. The existing buildings house a plethora of equipment, and our stewardship team regularly starts the day there. We are expanding on existing footprints.
Within these pages, we are unveiling our plans to re-purpose the old clubhouse at the Offield Family Viewlands. This represents an exciting and pivotal point in LTC’s trajectory. We are proud to introduce our plans for The Malcolm Center for Little Traverse Conservancy thanks to a lead gift from Mark and Patty Malcolm!
For some, this will be somewhat bittersweet. We love our little log cabin tucked in the woods here at the Round Lake Nature Preserve. It has served us well. But the mission is the driving force. To that point, it's important that you know that not one dime being put into The Malcolm Center will come from our mission. All of the funds have been specifically dedicated by donors (we would love to welcome you into that group if you want that too). Our land conservation mission, stewardship, and education programs will not stumble and, in fact, it will be quite the opposite: they are all taking a major leap forward.
All ships can rise at once, and they will. Why? Because people like Mark and Patty Malcolm, Mark and Michelle Melvin, and Jennifer Adderley know what it takes to fuel our work. You will read more about these amazing people on pages 12-13, but our gratitude looms large. We are still raising funds to round out the plan, but we are almost there. When this concept started to get legs, I was perhaps the biggest cynic. Our supporters have always been generous on major land projects, but buildings? We just don’t have the same experience or track record. Well, once again, I was proven wrong.
We view The Malcolm Center for Little Traverse Conservancy as a gift to the community. Please read on to learn more about why and how this vision is coming to life. And on behalf of the full LTC community, thank you for believing in and supporting this work of your Little Traverse Conservancy.
Photo by Jeff Moyer
Introducing the Diane Curtis Nature Preserve
(pronounced DEE-ON)
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You know the feeling of driving past an open stretch of farmland that is scenic and unchanged. On Quick Road in Harbor Springs, that feeling is there. LTC has already worked with three landowners to protect their land with conservation easements totaling 193 acres and more than a mile of road frontage. The 390-acre Offield Family Working Forest Reserve, one of LTC’s most enjoyed properties, can also be accessed along Quick Road and has over half a mile of road frontage and nearly four miles of trails to enjoy. Last year, this corridor protection expanded to what is now and forever known as the Diane Curtis Nature Preserve.
When members of the Shepherd family approached LTC to protect a portion of their multi-generation farm, they were thinking about their land’s future. They understood that their farm fit into something bigger because of the land already protected in this scenic corridor.
At the very same time, another kind of legacy was taking shape.
Diane Curtis spent nearly all her life in Harbor Springs. From birth to 89 years, Diane loved her summers immersed in this place, working in town at her mother’s shop, The Picket Fence, and enjoying the natural beauty that defines northern Michigan. Diane wrote histories of St. John’s Episcopal Church of Harbor Springs and of cottages in the Wequetonsing Association. Her great
niece, Caroline Barker, said, “Northern Michigan was her favorite place in the world. She loved nature, and she loved being outdoors. When I would visit her, we would walk the trails of LTC.”
Diane was left a significant gift from her late stepfather, John Strobridge, also a lifelong Harbor Springs resorter who trusted that it would be used to honor what they loved most about this place. When she passed, LTC worked closely with Diane’s family. It became clear that the Shepherd Farm offered something special as a tangible way to connect Diane’s love of the land with the protection of an enduring landscape.
The Shepherds trusted LTC to ensure their land’s legacy. Diane’s family trusted LTC to ensure hers. Those two acts of trust have come together to protect farmland that strengthens an already conserved landscape while also creating a place to carry Diane’s story forward.
Diane’s family chose these 31 acres as a lasting, physical legacy. At the same time, the creation of the Diane Curtis Endowment recognized who Diane was. “She would appreciate how the endowment would last,” Caroline noted. “She would have wanted to leave a lasting impact on the Harbor Springs area.”
THE HUNDRED ACRE WOOD
Let’s Protect it for Generations
Some places feel special the moment you step into them. The Hundred Acre Wood: Ford Family and Friends Reserve is one of those places.
Rolling hardwood forest, quiet clearings, and the kind of natural beauty that invites exploration, this 180-acre landscape near Harbor Springs has long stood out as a place worth protecting. For years, LTC has recognized its significance: its proximity to town, remarkable size, and direct connection to public land make it a rare and exceptional opportunity.
Together, we have the chance to ensure it is protected forever. With your help, LTC is fundraising to protect 160 acres and—at the same time—longtime supporters Jeff and Karen Ford are generously donating an additional 20 acres adjacent to the property. Combined, these 180 acres will be forever known as The Hundred Acre Wood and will expand upon the neighboring 80-acre forest and trails owned by West Traverse Township.
The result will be something extraordinary: a publicly accessible, permanently protected forest for all to explore just minutes from Harbor Springs.
This project has always been about connection to land, to community, and to one another. That spirit is reflected in the leadership support from Stuart and Patty Bishop, lifelong summer residents of Harbor Springs, whose roots in this place run deep. Stuart worked alongside
Jeff Ford as a teenager at Irish Boat Shop under the leadership of Dave Irish, one of LTC’s founders.
The deeper history behind this land tells a story of evolution and connection to the early days before LTC. Dave Irish and our six other founders worked to protect northern Michigan by challenging development in court, an approach that proved to be unsustainable. Their final lawsuit was against the Birchwood Farms development in 1972. Later that same year, LTC was founded on a different approach to protect land, one that prioritized partnerships, vision, and community support rather than opposition.
In a remarkable twist of history, Jeff and Karen Ford purchased this property in 1986 from Birchwood’s developer. Decades later, that same land, and the relationships connected to it, are part of an effort that reflects everything LTC was built on. It is a powerful reminder that the places we protect today are shaped not only by the land itself but by the people, decisions, and lessons that came before us.
The campaign to protect The Hundred Acre Wood is ambitious. LTC is seeking to raise $3 million to secure, protect, and open this land to you by the end of the year. Thanks to early leadership and community support, $2.2 million has already been committed.
P hoto by Jeff Moyer
We are close. And this is the moment where you can make a difference.
Projects like this do not happen without people like you who believe in the future of northern Michigan. Protecting land today ensures that future generations will have the same opportunity to explore, to find stillness, and to fall in love with the natural world. The Hundred Acre Wood will be a place for families, for students, for longtime residents, and first-time visitors alike. It will be a place where connections are made between people and land, just as they have been for decades.
With your help, we can finish this work and protect The Hundred Acre Wood forever.
Visit www.landtrust.org/ hundredacrewood or scan the QR code to learn more or to donate to this project.
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HughstonRoad
A Resurgence of Nature through a conservation easement
Christine and Richard Riley recently donated a conservation easement to protect their land with the Conservancy. They love the diversity of their 20 acres in Cheboygan County which includes a wetland, fields, and forest, providing for an abundance of plant and wildlife species. Here they share their experience.
What made you consider protecting your land with a conservation easement?
We are so grateful to have this land and to preserve it for future generations and wildlife. It is truly a privilege to be able to coexist with the animals and have a small part in their lives. We have a new grandson and cannot wait to share this with him. So much to learn, appreciate, and be grateful for on the 20 acres of land.
What was the process like while working with LTC? Did everything go smoothly protecting your property?
Working with LTC has been fantastic. Every step of the process has been a positive experience. I have hiked and enjoyed property protected by LTC for years, and wanted to do the same for our property.
Do you have any plans for management on your property, or are you hoping nature will take back over?
We bought our land with the intention of letting nature do its thing. We spent several years cleaning up trash and removing old barbed wire fences. Now we wait!
When the beavers returned last year and restored the pond, we were thrilled. Watching the ecosystem return to health has been truly remarkable. The property has dozens of bird species, elk, deer, coyotes, and now the beavers. Capturing the beaver activity on the trail cameras has been incredible.
What species are you most excited for on your property?
Although it is not a large property, it is very important for the wildlife. We value every single species and its importance in maintaining balance.
We walk the property almost every day. Just this past weekend we saw a beaver kit on the bank of the pond. We also saw elk tracks, a partridge, sandhill cranes, a wood duck, mergansers, bluebirds, an eagle, and a garter snake. That is just one walk around the property. We are now seeing fish in the pond, aquatic vegetation is returning, and turtles as well. We are excited for them all!
A conservation easement helps you protect the land you love while still keeping ownership of it. It is a voluntary agreement. Every property and every landowner is different. Some people want to keep working forests or farmland in use. Others want to protect wildlife habitat, water quality, or a family legacy. We work with landowners to find the option that fits their goals.
Joining the LTC Team...
Jennie Suchewski Conservation Easement Technician
Elsa Martin Education Specialist
Elsa’s love for the natural world started early, exploring the forests, dunes, and waters of North Point in Charlevoix. She attended Michigan State University, married her high school sweetheart, and completed her Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education at Valdosta State University in Georgia.
Elsa and her husband, Josh, returned to northern Michigan, where she began a 25-year career as a middle school science and math teacher with Petoskey Public Schools. During her career as a teacher, her class would annually participate in LTC snowshoe programs at the Allan and Virginia McCune Nature Preserve. Now Elsa gets to lead school programs for kids of all ages!
Elsa is often found exploring the woods and waterways of northern Michigan with her dog, Bear. She draws inspiration from her time in nature for her gardening, painting, and pottery.
Jennie’s passion for conservation stems from growing up in the Finger Lakes region in New York and hiking the Adirondack Mountains. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) with a focus on wetland ecology and management. Then she pursued a Master of Professional Studies, a 5-year partnership between ESF and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to monitor Wetland Reserve Easements. This experience was a perfect introduction for monitoring LTC’s 357 easements.
Outside the office you will find Jennie and her dog, Willow, exploring the trails in their new home in northern Michigan!
CONSERVATION INVESTMENT PROGRAM
Beaugrand Township, Cheboygan County
FOR SALE: 77 acres of agricultural and forested land located west of Cheboygan is now available for purchase subject to a conservation easement. Free of buildings, this property includes 1,320 feet of the West Branch of the Little Black River with some associated wetlands. This beautiful part of the county is just minutes from the City of Cheboygan and less than 10 minutes to I-75 access from Levering Road. To learn more, please contact Dirk at 231.347.0991 or email dirk@landtrust.org.
Through the Conservation Investment Program, LTC purchases priority land, protects it with a conservation easement, and then sells it to a conservation-minded buyer for private ownership.
7,250 Trees Later...
The 2025 ice storm took out a significant number of trees in a pine plantation at the Offield Family Working Forest Reserve near Harbor Springs. Before the plantation was established by the prior landowners, this area was a field of corn. Before that, it would have been forested with a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees. The management plan for this property was to slowly transition the land to its original forest type. However, when the ice storm damaged most of the pine plantation, it sped up our timeline. In celebration of Earth Day, LTC Conservation Specialist Amy Lipson spent two weeks with 25 volunteers planting 7,250 white and pin oak, white pine, black walnut, and black cherry trees. Thanks to this effort, we hope to see the reforestation of this area lead to a wider range of species for this beloved reserve.
Norte Skills Camps at LTC Mountain Bike Trails
The local chapters of Norte—a youth biking organization that empowers riders with skills, confidence, and independence—used all three of LTC’s mountain bike trails for their skills camps this spring! We are so grateful for the community efforts that made these trails possible and are now enabling the next generation to get outside!
Tanton Family Working Forest Reserve
Melvin Family Hiking and Biking Trails
Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve
Hattie Eshelbrenner
Terry Jackson and Aurie Selph
Finding Hope in Nature
by Director of Environmental Education Dylan Klinesteker
On December 24, 1968, Apollo 8 astronaut Jim Lovell scrambled to hand Bill Anders a roll of color film as their spacecraft came around the moon. He loaded the film in time to capture a color photograph of the Earth, which seemed to rise above the lunar surface. The image showed a blue planet floating in an endless darkness of space. For the first time, humanity was able to see a new perspective of our planet, our home. Two years later, the first Earth Day was celebrated to bring attention to our role as stewards of this special place.
On Earth Day 2026, two weeks after the Artemis II crew photographed Earth from deep space for the first time in over 50 years, the Environmental Education Department at Little Traverse Conservancy hosted the second graders from Sheridan Elementary at the Sally and Jack Clark Nature Preserve in Petoskey. These young students participated in an act of caring for nature, building on their two prior programs exploring animal homes and habitats. Our focus on caring for animals was very intentional, particularly at this age. We wanted to avoid what David Sobel calls ecophobia, the anxiety and discouragement that can take root in young people when adults burden them with the scale of environmental harm.
To care for animals, the group built habitat brush piles, piles of sticks starting with large at the bottom to small at the top, where animals can find shelter. During the program, a student brought me a feather they found near the trail. This wasn’t part of the program, just a moment of their genuine joy and discovery. Looking at the small feather, only a few inches long, mostly blue with the occasional black stripe and a white tip, we shared a moment of excitement looking at this blue marvel. Together, we felt the weight on our fingertips. We brushed the barbs and barbules, the very fine material that extends from the main branch, or rachis, of the feather. If we brushed one way, the small velcro-like hooks kept the feather in order. If we brushed the other way it would send them into chaos. In our small way, we were building connections and relationships with this small patch of woods and wetland near their school.
With David Sobel’s ecophobia in mind, I did not bring up the idea that 150 years ago, that would likely have been a passenger pigeon rather than a blue jay feather we found in our woods. Once darkening our skies with their flocks of millions, they would migrate to our area to nest during the beech tree mast years (years of high beech nut production). The last great nesting of the passenger pigeons before their extinction was in our region in 1878. This is a reminder of the fact that we have not always been great stewards of this home.
The week this newsletter lands in your mailbox, Little Traverse Conservancy—along with the Petoskey Regional Audubon Society, Little Traverse Historical Society, Crooked Tree Arts Center, sculptor Todd McGrain, and the Danser family—are hosting several events to celebrate the history of the passenger pigeon in our community. This week will conclude with the installation of a bronze passenger pigeon monument in downtown Petoskey.
We have come a long way as a community, from shipping out 50,000 passenger pigeons a day on the trains from Petoskey, to spending time and money to make sure that as many second graders in our community get to make some connections and build relationships with the natural world around them. Fifty-eight years after Bill Anders’s Earthrise photo, a second grader held a blue jay feather in their hand and felt the weight of something worth caring for.
We are immensely grateful to you all for supporting our mission to protect these places in our community and the education programs that bring students there at no cost. I want to share one more moment from our Earth Day this year. As we were finishing up our brush piles, one of the students wanted to keep working, gathering more material for this project. As I convinced them to join the group and come back later and finish their task, the student told me that “this is the best day of my life!” Was that hyperbole? Yes. Did it make me feel hopeful? Yes.
Enhancing Northern Long-eared Bat Habitat through our ECAR Program
Sitting outside on a summer night in northern Michigan opens your eyes to the life that thrives from dusk to dawn, from observing moths drawn to the light to hearing a barred owl call in the distance. If you are lucky, bats will be present, keeping the mosquito population at bay.
Bats, including the Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis), are vital to nature’s food web. Their silhouettes against the sky at dusk are welcomed, even if some of us would prefer they not get too close. The number of insect pests that bats remove from the environment is astounding— one bat eats over 1,000 insects a night— and saves us countless dollars in crop damage.
Bats have recently suffered alarming declines from white-nose syndrome, a sickness that disrupts their hibernation. One bat species, the Northern Longeared Bat (below), was hit particularly hard by the disease. Although this species is often considered a “disturbance species,” meaning it can survive in areas that have been recently disrupted from their natural state, it prefers diverse, intact forests.
This work aims to create specific forest structures that benefit these bats. It also puts forests on a better course for developing the structural diversity so often absent from northern Michigan hardwood stands as they continue to return from the historical logging era.
LTC’s Ecological Conditions and Response (ECAR) program allows staff to collect data about LTC-owned lands and the species that live on them. This information helps us make more informed management decisions for the future.
At the Barb and Joe Traub Family Working Forest Reserve in northern Emmet County near Paradise Lake, stewardship staff are managing the forest to create Northern Long-eared Bat habitat. By removing invasive Scotch pine that has overtaken this property, food sources—such as insects—will become more abundant. Selectively thinning mature white pines and leaving the trees on the ground creates flight corridors for bats to forage mid-air. It also enhances wildlife habitat on the forest floor. While promoting conifer regrowth, staff also created roosting cavities (below) to maximize opportunities for bats to inhabit this land.
These forestry activities do not contain a timber sale component and are solely focused on optimizing ecological benefit. We hope to see a resurgence in the bat population as we continue surveys through ECAR.
This is why LTC is working to enhance the habitat for this unique species that lives on our lands. Habitat data from LTC’s ECAR program, combined with information gleaned from LTC bat surveys, allowed us to identify several preserves where we could successfully implement habitat improvements.
This program is possible because of members like you. If you are interested in learning more or donating to this rewarding work, please visit www.landtrust.org/ecar or scan the QR code.
CITIZEN SCIENCE
with Dan and Jan Reelitz
Longtime Conservancy members and volunteers, Dan and Jan Reelitz, placed a conservation easement on their 80-acre Clark Township property in the Upper Peninsula in 2022. Here we asked them what they love about their land that is now protected in perpetuity.
The Reelitzes speak fondly of the wildlife that visits their home on Lake Huron throughout the seasons, and they love the spring when the bats come to the Les Cheneaux area. “I like them because they eat those pesky bugs!” Dan said. Jan rolled her eyes at Dan and said, “I find them so interesting.” They both simply agreed, “We love it when the bats return.”
Dan started building bat boxes years ago after they noticed the little droppings bats left on their porch. Since then, the bats have moved their daytime roosting place to a bat box located on their garage. They hoped this would provide a safe place for the bats while getting them away from the house. However, after continuing to find droppings and observing the bats over the years, Dan and Jan have learned that bats take nighttime breaks, and their favorite place for this is still on the porch.
Scott Myers, or “bat man” as some know him, connected with the Reelitzes in 2020 as he was starting to do surveys of bats in the Les Cheneuax area. With white-nose syndrome causing a decline in bat populations, Scott wanted to show people that all life is connected. Since starting the surveys, Scott has documented Indiana, Northern Longeared, and Little Brown Bats at the Reelitz property.
Though they appreciate what the bats do for the bug population, at its root, Dan and Jan simply love connecting with the natural world. “We like doing what we can to maintain the balance of nature,” they said. “We kick ourselves every day with how lucky we are to live here. Nature rejuvenates us.”
“We hope our community sees what we are trying to do as beneficial,” the couple added. “We already protected our land from development, and now we are leaving it better than when we found it.”
Summer Education Programs with LTC are a great way to get outside with your little ones while learning about nature in northern Michigan!
Mondays
Ages 9-12, Petoskey/Harbor Springs/Charlevoix Tuesdays
Ages 6-8, Petoskey/Harbor Springs/Charlevoix Thursdays
Ages 3-5, Petoskey/Harbor Springs/Charlevoix (parents are required to stay)
Fridays
Ages 3-5, Cheboygan (parents are required to stay)
Visit www.landtrust.org/summer to see a full list of offerings and to register. Free education programs are made possible thanks to the Andreae-Brown Family Environmental Education Endowment Fund and Sowing the Seeds Education Endowment.
INTRODUCING...
The Malcolm Center for Little Traverse Conservancy
Something wonderful is taking root with your Little Traverse Conservancy: a new home for conservation!
This will be a home where toddlers can play and grandparents can comfortably wander; where landowners can discover the myriad tools available to them to protect their own land. It will be a haven where you can experience the breathtaking views of Little Traverse Bay from one of the Conservancy’s most beloved lands.
We are honored and excited to introduce you to our future home: The Malcolm Center for Little Traverse Conservancy.
Our current office has served our mission and, within it, our land conservation has eclipsed 83,000 acres. It is now time for our capacity to match that responsibility. The Malcolm Center will allow us to bring our team of staff, volunteers, and board members together to expand our vision, and create a lasting home for conservation. It will open our doors even wider for our community in a new and exciting way.
Located at the Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve near Harbor Springs, this conservation hub will grow from an existing footprint of buildings. It will expand what is already the most-visited property in our care. It will create welcoming indoor and outdoor spaces designed for education, exploration, and inspiration.
At its core, The Malcolm Center is about strengthening our ability to serve you and this community for generations to come.
This dream is becoming a reality because of people like you: members, neighbors, and friends who care deeply
about this place. Together, alongside the leadership of those who have stepped forward early, we can build something lasting for this entire community. We are honored to introduce you to The Malcolm Center’s lead supporters.
Mark and Patty Malcolm have been coming to Harbor Springs for nearly 30 years. “While we had enjoyed some trails in LTC nature preserves through the years,” said the Malcolms, “it really wasn’t until a visit in early August 2024 to the Offield Family Viewlands that we began to understand and appreciate the magnitude of LTC’s scope and positive impact on the environment and the quality of people’s lives.” Mark and Patty see The Malcolm Center as a “force multiplier,” expanding the reach of conservation by drawing more people in to learn, connect, and care for the land for generations.
Mark Melvin has been coming to Burt Lake since the summer he was born. He and his wife Michelle have been members of LTC for 31 years. They have dedicated themselves to doing an exceptional amount of good in the communities where they live. Time and again, they have shown their dedication to LTC’s mission, from protecting the Harris-Melvin Family Nature Preserve— the last undeveloped shoreline on Burt Lake—to establishing the 150-acre Melvin Family Hiking and Biking Trails. Now, through their support of The Malcolm Center, they are ensuring that stewardship remains at the heart of LTC’s future. By naming the main hall the Stewardship Hall, Mark and Michelle are placing the care of our lands at the center of our future home.
Jennifer Adderley loves northern Michigan in beautiful ways, just as her late husband, Terry, did. When Jennifer was preparing to make her most significant gift from the Terence and Jennifer Adderley Foundation, the power of
education through LTC stood out. Terry’s late daughter was a teacher, and both Terry and Jennifer deeply valued education. To honor his memory, Jennifer has dedicated the Terence E. Adderley Conservation Classroom. This will be a space where young people can play, learn, and build a lifelong connection to the land.
If the idea of The Malcolm Center inspires you, we hope you will join Mark and Patty, Mark and Michelle, and Jennifer by making a gift to bring this vision to life. We
and Jennifer Adderley Foundation, every dollar donated to The Malcolm Center will be matched until our goal is reached. You can learn more at www.landtrust.org/ malcolmcenter or by scanning the QR code.
We hope you will join us at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for The Malcolm Center for Little Traverse Conservancy at the Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve on
The Malcolm Center for Little Traverse Conservancy
The Stewardship Hall and Terence E. Adderley Conservation Classroom
Thank You to Our Volunteers & Community!
Grain Train Co-op for providing wonderful, yummy goodies and hot cocoa for an event.
Harbor Springs Excavating for keeping everyone in our parking lot safe by sanding our driveway throughout the winter.
Lisa Morris, the president of the Five Mile Creek Community Association, for her gracious help during our snowman building community event and use of the Five Mile Creek Schoolhouse.
Glen and Pat from Firman Irrigation and Tree Service for sharing their skills and time at a chainsaw training.
Polly Cheney for Kilwin’s chocolate treats!
Cheboygan Brewing Co. for hosting the Pints North event.
Larry Liebler and Tip of Mitt Whitetails for assisting with the apple pruning workshop.
Pat Alguire, John Baker, Mary Campbell, John Larch, Pat and Julie Dougherty, Dan Dueweke, Doug Engler, Richard Jenkins, Tim Morley, and Jennifer Reynolds for clearing trees across trails throughout our service area.
North Central Michigan College Sustainable Living Skills students Michael Boik and Connor Checks who helped with stewardship tasks and event photography.
John Baker and Richard Jenkins for miscellaneous tasks including maintaining bird and bat houses and building benches.
Earth Day tree planting volunteers Frank Hawthorne, Ted Newcomb, Roger Eger, Ed Tenkel, Chris Reyes, Owen Beckley, Connor Checks, Mason Checks, Phil DuJardin, Hattie Eshelbrenner, Terry Jackson, Tim Leeper, Sam and Kai Malleis, Sheila Malleis, Glen and Diane Matthews, Mary Merrill, Jake Myers, Kenzie Paul, Julia Rotherford, Stan Royalty, Chris Rush, Sandra Sampson, Aurie Selph, Siah Shiels, Abram Smith, Sarah Sevener, Kyle Volp, Alice Wright, Vince and Cheryl Zueling.
The Lyric Theatre and Charlevoix Cinema III for hosting LTC and the Fresh Coast Film Festival.
Sue Kurtz for stunning photography!
Dianne Litzenburger, Charlie McLravey, and Marty Richardson for editing publications.
John Baker and Pat Alguire for more logo sign repairs and many hours of painting.
Kelly Jo Kitchen for assisting the education staff at a vernal pool monitoring field trip with Inland Lakes students.
George Baker for helping maintain and repair the fence at the Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve.
John Baker and Stan Royalty for helping open up the Vermilion Preserve for summer use.
Kelly Davis for helping manage data and welcome new volunteers to the American Kestrel Monitoring Program.
VOLUNTEER PROFILE:
Firman Irrigation and Tree Service
Dave Firman and Firman Irrigation and Tree Service have worked with LTC over the last four years to teach our staff and volunteers how to operate a chainsaw safely. This is invaluable knowledge, especially with the 2025 ice storm bringing on a lot of chainsaw work to keep our trails safe and open to the public.
Dave started the business 20 years ago and it is built on core values learned from his parents. They raised him with the Christian values of helping and loving others and serving the community, which is woven into Dave’s work. One of the ways he does this is by donating his time and holding fundraisers for charities, locally and in Africa.
In the past, he has donated the chainsaw training to LTC and paid his staff for their time. This year two of his employees, Glen Harvey and Patrick Antonides, decided to follow Dave’s lead and volunteered their time on a Saturday to provide this training to us. This partnership to ensure that our community members stay safe on trails and on their own land is paramount. We look forward to the next training with Firman and hearing about their next good deed in the community. Thank you so much!
They Walked the Talk
In recent months, we have lost some good friends who were deeply dedicated to LTC’s mission and were simply extraordinary humans.
Ray Gaynor
Ray Gaynor came to LTC at a pivotal moment, offering a gift that was both timely and meaningful. After we secured an option to purchase the Little Traverse Bay Golf Club, Ray began sharing stunning photographs that conveyed the land’s beauty and significance. His photos played a key role in our fundraising efforts for this land that ultimately became the Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve. Ray’s work moved others to value and protect this remarkable place, and his photographs remain central to how we tell its story.
During a field trip in 2021 Ray shared how deeply the Viewlands had inspired his photography. There is a wonderful reciprocity in that the gift he gave to the community was, in his eyes, also a gift given to him. His perspective reflects humility and gratitude, qualities that defined Ray and inspire us all. We mourn Ray’s passing and will remember him with a named trail and bench at the Viewlands.
– Executive Director Kieran Fleming
Beth Kost
Whenever Beth Kost visited the Conservancy office, our staff felt her warmth, down to earth nature, and the sense that a true friend was in the house.
Beth embodied the community spirit of going above and beyond to protect northern Michigan for everyone. As a long-standing LTC member and previous co-chair of Save the Trees, she rallied LTC supporters around this fun and impactful event. Beth also served as an LTC Membership Ambassador to her neighbors in Menonaqua. Beth and her husband Steve passed on their deep love of northern Michigan to their son, Charlie, with a spirit of gratitude.
And Beth had a great smile. We recently spent more time with her as she and Steve ushered the wishes after the passing of their beloved Mike Cameron. It was an enormous amount of energy commitment to the Conservancy. Beth left far too soon. We miss her dearly and feel gratitude for her lasting legacy at LTC. – Chief Development Officer Emily Hughes
Bonnie Stewart Mikkelsen
In 2003, Bonnie fulfilled a promise she made to her mother to do everything in her power to protect their cherished Marquette Island property, Windswept. She worked with LTC to create the 192-acre Catherine Seiberling Stewart Nature Preserve.
Bonnie had seen and experienced much of the world throughout her lifetime, yet after the death of her husband Lars in 2006, she moved back to Hessel, the place of her heart. In addition to her fierce love and protection of the land, she was a primary force behind the Great Lakes Boat Building School, the Les Cheneaux Culinary School, and the Hessel Schoolhouse/Avery Arts & Nature Learning Center. She was also owner of the Pickle Point Publishing Company and its associated business and community space in Hessel.
The song of the White-throated Sparrow was particularly special to Bonnie because it was the way her father would call to her mother at Windswept. Bonnie was a special role model and friend to several of us at the Conservancy. We greatly feel this loss.
– Director of Communications and Community Outreach Anne Fleming
IN HONOR OF
Stephanie Baker
Emily Hughes
Richard Hodge
Karen Nigg and William J. Lorne
IN MEMORY OF
Thomas Ankofski
Greg Ankofski
Ginny Coon Brown
Menonaqua Beach Cottage Owners Association
Albert Couch
Richard and Denise Arnos
Ms. Gina C. Howard
Gina and Bill Keough
Elisabeth Lane
Kevin and Claire Morton
Schulte and Lindsay Families
Scott and Lynn Veil
Claudia Gilmore Cummings
Debbie and Rich Oliver
Chip Pipper
Tom and Joan Roddy
Patricia Smitson
Clint Etienne
Julie Foust
Arthur Forth
Rock and Nancy Ringold
Raymond Gaynor
Cliff and Pat Baker
Carl Bellman and Susan Baker
Sally and Ian Bund
Jack and Mimi Crotty
Mike and Debbie Cumming
Bob and Reje Eberhardt
William Emrich
Douglass and Kristina Hargett
Honorariums AND Memorials
gifted between February 16 and May 6, 2026
Jacqueline Winkelbauer and Melvin Hawks
Ian Hogg and Family
Mrs. Carolyn Jones
Dutch and Leslie Jones
Don and Nancy Kaegi
Thomas and Kerry Kievit
Alan Kortesoja
Michael and Phyllis
Korybalski
Mike and April Lehr
Roger Lundberg
Maureen and Doug
MacDougall
Dawn and James Meyer
Dawn and Ken Morris
Rich Pauli
Ronald and Colleen
Rapson
Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Risby
Bob and Gayle Ryan
James Ryan
Mark and Linda Slater
Andy and Susie Spence
John and Jennifer Stinson
Jeff and Kristen Stirling
Alex, Alison, Johnny and Fran Teeter
James Vincke
Jill Stefani Wagner
Peter and Denise Wardrope
Jac Winkelbauer
Jeff and Sue Wortman
Rosemary Geist
Sara Smith
Joe Gibson
Holland Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Jeff and Chris Tyner
Dannie Bea Hightower
Mrs. Walter L. Ross, II
Karen “Katie” Kanine
Dave Kring Chevrolet
JP Kloss
Dave Kring Chevrolet
Beth Kost
Amy Andrews
Margaret, Lou, and Elizabeth Beasley
Tracy and Owen Beckley
Mr. and Mrs. Neil T. Bidwell
The Couch, Brown and Lawrence Families
Julie, Elizabeth and David Brown
The Cherry Family
Mary Lee and Mike Duff
Sadie Gorley
Gary and Meg (Truog) Grandcolas
Emily Griffin
Gurney’s Harbor Bottle Shop
Julie Hoffman-Hoxie
Dana Hokin and Robert Garvey
Claire and Mitchell
Hoppenworth and Family
Ms. Gina C. Howard
The Howards
Mr. Anthony Huffman
Emily Hughes and Joe, Ada and Ember Graham
Merritt Keffer
Gina and Bill Keough
Beth and Bill Kies
Lael and Gordon Kiesling, Sr.
Paula, Bob, and James Kinard
Amy and Craig Korte
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kost
Tom Lagerstrom and Mary Anne Griffin
Kimberley Murphy Lew
Josephine Malecek
Menonaqua Beach Cottage Owners Association
Kevin and Claire Morton
Alexandra Ollinger
The Jay L. Owen, Jr. Family
Ken and Claire Perry
The Mark Pierce Family
Yvonne Ralsky
Carol Ann and Warren Rose
Emily Rupp
Mrs. William G. Rupp
Laura and Kent Salveson
Petra Schmidt
Jon and Jill Schram
Patrick and Susan Schulte
Lisa Hunt Stevens
The Patricia Miller Anton and William Conrad Anton Foundation
Sally Mauger Veil
Scott and Lynn Veil
Shay and Elizabeth Williams
Regina Wootton
Bonnie Mikkelsen
Tim DeWick
Cindy Mom
Tom Price
Fred and Edie Kaufmann
Richard and Amy Price
Lee Sachnoff
Cinda and Stuart Zemel
Robert Schaefer
Menonaqua Beach Cottage Owners Association
Russell Secrest
Dwayne and Becky Evans
George Sharpe
Dave Kring Chevrolet
Edward Terrill
Everett and Barbara Landen
G. Sheldon Veil
Menonaqua Beach Cottage Owners Association
Schulte and Lindsay Families
Partnership Profile: Points North Podcast
On March 19, Conservancy staff joined Dan Wanschura of the Points North podcast with Interlochen Public Radio to visit a few Emmet County nature preserves in the hopes of calling in an owl. The crew was rewarded when they visited the Zebewaing River Basin Nature Preserve northwest of Harbor Springs. “Two Barred Owls were caterwauling with each other,” said Quinn Sommer, LTC Conservation Technician. Owl caterwauling is described as a loud, chaotic, and high-energy duet performed by Barred Owls, often sounding like screaming monkeys, human laughter, or cackling.
Listen now at www.interlochenpublicradio.org/points-north-1.
Welcome, New Members!
who joined between February 16 and May 6, 2026.
Ray Aldrich
Sarah and Richard Anderson
Debbie and John Ashley
Rosemary Austgen
Mitch Billeaud
Jane Bohne
Vicki Boyce
Leslie Chapman
Suzanne Delmerico
Kimberly Doyle
Dwayne and Becky Evans
Wayne Goddard
Geoffrey Gonzalez
Peter and Christine Hagen
Nicholas Heary, III
Brendan Hunter
Sue Lamkin Iltis
Elsa and Josh Martin
Ray W. and Kristi Mathews
Robert McKinley
Mrs. Donna Olson
Diana and Gregg Piland
Paul Roberts
Jake Myers and Liv Rollinger
George and Sally Stanhope
Taber Family
Mr. and Mrs. Ward Veldman
Former LTC Executive Director Receives Honor
Longtime Conservancy Executive Director Tom Bailey was recently awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Lake Superior State University (LSSU). He was also the commencement speaker for this year’s graduating class. Bailey (left) is shown here with LSSU President David Travis.
by Sue
Photo
Kurtz
celebrate, connect, and protect an evening to
Thursday, July 23, 2026
6:00 - 7:30pm
Celebratory Toast at 7:00pm
Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve in Harbor Springs
To purchase tickets and learn more visit www.landtrust.org/trees
2026 Annual Meeting
Tuesday, August 4, 2026 | 4pm
Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve
Join LTC as we dive into our successes of the last year and look toward our exciting future. This year we will host you at the Viewlands to look out over Little Traverse Bay. Little nibbles will be catered by Crow’s Nest
4:00pm nibbles, cocktails, and mingling 4:30pm presentations by staff and board
This event is open to the public! Members will receive an invitation in the mail. Please call 231.347.0991 for more information or visit our website at www.landtrust.org/events.
Photo by Sue Kurtz
Summer Community Events
Unless otherwise noted, community field trips with LTC are offered at no charge! Visit www.landtrust.org/events, or scan the QR code to see full descriptions. Registration is required.
Summer Solstice Silent Sunrise
William B. Derby Nature Preserve Sunday, June 21 | 5-6am
Moss and Lichen Walk with Brad Von Blon
Oden Island Nature Preserve Wednesday, June 24 | 2-3:30pm
Wild Wednesday: Dunes and Northern Michigan Beach Habitats
Charlevoix Public Library
Wednesday, July 1 | 6:30-7:30pm
The Malcolm Center for Little Traverse Conservancy Groundbreaking Ceremony
Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve
Wednesday, July 8 | 5-6pm
Moth Night with Brad Von Blon Seberon “Boo” Litzenburger Nature Preserve Friday, July 10 | 10-11pm
Dragonfly Walk with Quinn Sommer
Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve
Thursday, July 16 | 2-3:30pm
Mushrooming with Amy and Joe Lipson
Hoogland Nature Preserve
Sunday, July 19 | Noon-2pm
Save the Trees Annual Fundraiser
Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve Thursday, July 23 | 6-7:30pm
Dedication of Chigiidaaki: Place of the Big Hill Working Forest Reserve Wednesday, July 29 | 4pm
Family Art is Science Day at the Hindle-Ross Property
Cross Village
Saturday, August 1 | 1-4pm
University of Michigan Biological Station Artist
Residency Walk: Eric Jackson
Chaboiganing Nature Preserve and Indian Point
Memorial Forest
Sunday, August 2 | 2-4pm
Thorne Swift Nature Preserve is hosting unique events throughout the summer. Visit www.westtraversetownship.gov for more details and to register.
Annual Meeting
Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve
Tuesday, August 4 | 4pm
Lope for Loons: 6k and Fun Run
Start at Mt. McSauba ski hill parking lot
Saturday, August 8 | 9am
Grasshopper Walk with Brad Von Blon
Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve
Thursday, August 13 | 1-2:30pm
Paddle the Same Waters as Aldo Leopold with Woods & Waters in Cedarville
Les Cheneaux Island Area
Friday, August 14 | 9:30am
Storywalk at Enji-minozhiiyaamigak with Charlevoix
Public Library
Enji-minozhiiyaamigak: The Place of Peacefulness
Nature Preserve
Wednesday, August 19 | 10am-2pm
Tunnel of Trees Art Trail
Scenic M-119/Tunnel of Trees
Saturday, August 22 | 10am-5pm
Wild Wednesday: Goldenrod and Asters
Charlevoix Public Library
Wednesday, September 9 | 6:30-7:30pm
Tree ID Hike with Brad Von Blon
Sally and Art Hailand, Jr. and Helstrom Family
Nature Preserves
Friday, September 11 | Noon-1:30pm
Tap into Trails Festival
Cheboygan County
Saturday, September 19 | All Day
Mushrooming with Amy and Joe Lipson
Chaboiganing Nature Preserve
Sunday, September 20 | Noon-2pm
Warbler Walk with Quinn Sommer
Waldron Fen Nature Preserve
Wednesday, September 23 | 8-10am
Tip of Mitt Trail Hike and Full Moon Walk at The Headlands International Dark Sky Park
Hathaway Family Regina Caeli
Nature Preserve
Friday, September 25 | 6:30–9:30pm
Find a trail near you:
Your Little Traverse Conservancy Team
YOU, our members and volunteers
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Phil Porter, Chair
Susan I. Stewart, Vice Chair Jon Lyons, Treasurer Richard M. Bolton, Secretary
Josh Baker
Lisa Blanchard Erin
ENDOWMENT FUNDS MAKE OUR MISSION POSSIBLE
Adderley Infrastructure Endowment
Andreae-Brown Family Environmental Education Endowment Fund
Bolton Family Endowment Fund
Martha and Michael Cameron
Endowment Fund
Conservation Easement Endowment Fund
Diane Curtis Endowment
Jerry and Eileen Fhaner Endowment
Delia Fritz Endowment for Accessibility
Patricia and Thomas Jeffs Family Fund
Les Cheneaux Endowment Fund
Jinny McCoy Endowment
Liesel Litzenburger Meijer Endowment
Liesel Litzenburger Meijer Land
Protection Director Endowment
AND A TRIBUTE TO OUR FOUNDERS
John
Dave
Earl
Seberon “Boo” Litzenburger
The mission of the Little Traverse Conservancy is to protect the natural diversity and beauty of northern Michigan by preserving significant land and scenic areas, and fostering appreciation and understanding of the environment.
Anne T. Melvin Executive Director
Discretionary Endowment
Neihsl Family Endowment Fund
Marty and Jerry Richardson Endowment
Roney Family Endowment
Sowing the Seeds Education Endowment
Stark Family Endowment
Stewardship Endowment Fund
Joan R. and Charles M. Taylor II
Memorial Endowment Fund
Vermilion Endowment Fund
STAFF
STEWARDSHIP
Derek Shiels, Director
Vail Carruthers
Benjamin Cheney
Charles Dawley
Nate Dionne
Cacia Lesh
Amy Lipson
Mike Lynch
Brian Paul
Pigford
Quinn Sommer
Brad Von Blon
Keegan Butler, Cameron Stewardship Technician
Ava Walsh, Bishop Stewardship Technician
LAND PROTECTION
Caitlin Donnelly, Liesel Litzenburger Meijer Land
Protection Director
Melissa Hansen, Director of Conservation Easements
Dirk Ruff Jennie Suchewski
EDUCATION
Dylan Klinesteker, Director
Elsa Martin
COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH
Anne Fleming, Director Taylor Sobczak
ADMINISTRATION
Kieran Fleming, Executive Director
Joe Graham, Chief Financial Officer
Sarah Gurney
Thomas Lagerstom
DEVELOPMENT
Emily Hughes, Chief Development Officer
Lindsay Hall
Liv Rollinger