SWMLC Volunteer Workday
Saturday, May 6, 2023
9 am – 12 pm
Armintrout-Milbocker Nature Preserve
Have you tried pulling garlic mustard yet? Once you start, it’s hard to stop!
Pulling garlic mustard is a great way to improve habitat. Eliminating this invasive plant allows a wider diversity of spring plants to prosper, providing the food and nutrients that pollinating insects and other creatures need and are adapted to use.
Pulling garlic mustard is easy to do and can truly make a difference, while also giving families the perfect excuse to spend time together in nature.
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 Armintrout-Milbocker Nature 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 Armintrout-Milbocker Nature Preserve.
♦ Though leashed dogs are usually welcome on the preserve, please leave your four-footed friends home for their safety on this workday.
Directions to Armintrout-Milbocker Nature Preserve
137 Thomas St, Allegan, MI 49010
42.51501206033548, -85.84850571521254
FROM KALAMAZOO via US-131
♦ Go north on US-131 toward Plainwell.
♦ Take exit 49B (M-89 W/Allegan St.), and continue driving west on M-89 for another 12.4 miles, until you reach the city of Allegan.
♦ Turn left (south) onto Jenner Drive at the light that’s just past the bridge over the Kalamazoo River.
♦ Continue driving for another 0.7 miles, then turn left onto Thomas Street (just past the hospital). Go another 0.6 miles until you reach the preserve entrance at the end of the street.
FROM KALAMAZOO via M-43/M-40
♦ Go west on West Main Street (aka M-343 in Kalamazoo, turning into M-43 outside of town).
♦ Continue driving west until you reach the intersection with M-40 (approximately 19 miles from downtown Kalamazoo).
♦ Turn right (north) onto M-40 and continue drivimg for about 15.3 miles.
♦ Turn right onto Thomas Street, just outside of Allegan. Go another 0.6 miles until you reach the preserve entrance at the end of the street.
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, “Armintrout 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!
