SWMLC Earth Day
Volunteer Workday
Saturday, April 22, 2023
9 am – 12 pm
Bow in the Clouds Preserve
“Gratitude is most powerful as a response to the Earth because it provides an opening to reciprocity, to the act of giving back.”
— Robin Wall Kimmerer, from Returning the Gift
On Earth Day this year, give a little back to the planet that’s given everything to us by connecting with the land through volunteer stewardship of beautiful Bow in the Clouds Preserve.
There will be work to fit a variety of ages and abilities, including tackling invasive shrubs that crowd native plants and block the view, pulling garlic mustard, trail maintenance, and picking up trash.
It will be a morning of plain old grunt work requiring no special skills or strengths, just a willing attitude and a desire to give something back to nature and the community!
Expect extreme satisfaction at the end of the session when you see the difference you and your team have made!
Registration
We encourage you to let us know that you plan to come so we can be sure to have enough tools and snacks on hand. Please RSVP by filling out the form below or calling the office at 269-324-1600.
But if you decide to come at the last minute and you haven’t registered, no worries! We would still love for you to join us and you can fill in the sign-in sheet when you get there.
Dress
Please dress for the weather in layers of clothes that you can shed if you get hot, that will protect you from scratches, and that you don’t mind possibly getting dirty or torn. Sturdy shoes or boots are recommended.
Meet in the Bow in the Clouds Preserve parking lot at 9 am.
SWMLC will provide tools, beverages, and snacks. (Of course, you can bring your own if you prefer.)
Kids are welcome to help!
Volunteering helps children learn valuable lessons about community and sharing (read an interesting article on the topic at Parents.com).
Please note:
♦ There are no restrooms at Bow in the Clouds Preserve.
♦ Though leashed dogs are usually welcome on the preserve, please leave your four-footed friends home for their safety on this workday.
Directions
For GPS purposes, the address isapproximately:
3401 Nazareth Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49048
42.32750180578669, -85.52997386768028
The preserve is in Kalamazoo on Nazareth Road (about one mile west of Sprinkle Road), behind Nazareth Campus (home of the Sisters of St. Joseph, 3427 Gull Rd.). From Gull Road, turn north onto Nazareth Road. The preserve entrance is about half a mile ahead on the left side of the road. Look for our Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy sign and the old gray barn up off the road. The driveway is steep and is along a sharp curve, so be careful coming and leaving.
As a reminder: Due to continued COVID risk, we encourage all SWMLC volunteers – vaccinated or not – to do frequent self-checks and refrain from attending workdays if you have any symptoms or recent known exposures to anyone who has tested positive for COVID.
When filling out the registration form, please be sure to enter the name of the event (for example, “Earth Day Workday.”)
Be sure to prove your humanity by solving the simple math equation at the end of the form.
Workday Registration
Photography policy
Attendance at Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy programs and events constitutes consent to be photographed for use in print and electronic media. Images will not be identified using full names without written approval from the individual.
If you would prefer that your photo (or your children’s photo) not be used, please be sure to notify staff when you first arrive at the event. Thank you!
