Post Image: Welcome Back!
Details
  • Author
  • 1 Jan 2025
  • Naturalist Corner
Share

Welcome Back!

As this post is being written, snow is falling gently throughout the property, blanketing the grounds in a calming, serene white. Campers busily construct shelters in the pine forest, eagerly attempting to practice shielding themselves from the elements. Inside, the office is quiet as staff type away at their desks, preparing for the months to come. It is a peaceful, rejuvenating step into 2025. 


Though 2024 has come to an end, we’d be remiss not to look back at all of the accomplishments that have been made. Thanks to staff, volunteers, and the generosity of the Lansing community, Woldumar Nature Center had yet another successful year educating the public about the natural environment. 

While no year is without its challenges, in the spirit of optimism, this article will only touch on positive impacts made at WNC throughout the past couple of months– after all– positivity is more enjoyable to read about.


Taking a step back into the early months of spring, Woldumar was able to host a long overdue prescribed burn for its prairie habitat. On the 10th of April the trail systems around the prairie were closed, and the burn took place. This was a monumental step in preserving native habitats here in Michigan. As we stand here in 2025, less than 1% of Michigan's historical prairie systems remain intact. By maintaining the prairies here at Woldumar, we are not only preserving native species of grasses and wildflowers, but providing habitat for the many species of birds, insects, and mammals that rely on them. Prescribed burns help return nutrients to the soil, and halt the natural progression of grasslands into forest.

After the prescribed burn was held, WNC was lucky enough to receive a grant from Emergent Biosolutions  which funded the addition of two chronologs to the property, one of which now monitors the growth progression of the prairie. 


These chronologs are unique tools that can be used by staff and guests alike to monitor the natural progression of not only the prairie, but the banks of the Grand River, as well. You’ve hopefully seen these small but mighty tools on hikes around the property. By employing what we call ‘citizen science’, any who decide to use the Chronologs have had photos uploaded into an online album, accessible to all! With these photos, we can witness firsthand ecological progression at its finest!
Though fascinating to watch, wildflowers and shrubs weren’t the only thing that grew as the seasons progressed. In fact, as spring sprung and summer blossomed, Woldumar made way into its largest year of Camp Discovery yet! 


With a bolstered staff team thanks to a grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential in partnership with the Michigan Department of Education, WNC was able to boost capacity for each of its summer camp weeks, one of which allowed us to host nearly 100 campers! Though the range fluctuated throughout the summer, most weeks were met with anywhere from 50-80 campers, with at least one councilor per every 10 kids! It was a busy and exciting summer, full of fun crafts, games, boating, and more. Every week was a new adventure, and it was absolutely thrilling to watch camp unfold. Of course, we still managed to find time to host regular community events, as well.

With camp in full swing during the week, weekends and nights were left for the community to come out and enjoy the property at a number of exciting events. From firefly walks to Naturally Curious Day, we’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the community members that came out to spend some time outside with us here at Woldumar. 


And don’t think we’ve forgotten about our hardworking and vigilant volunteers that have made it their mission to maintain and protect the property. These volunteers had a busy year fighting invasives, gathering and planting native seeds, and doing general maintenance around the property. They’ve kept our gardens full, and our habitats clean. Volunteers are a backbone to the organization, and we cannot thank them enough. None of their hard work would have been possible without the dedication of our volunteer coordinator, Judy Gigante. Judy is responsible for planning and organizing all of the volunteer work here at Woldumar, and is instrumental in keeping things running smoothly.


Still, even when people weren’t at the property, many continued to contribute toward making a difference here at Woldumar. Not only were we stunned by community engagement and volunteer support, but we were absolutely blown away by our fundraising campaigns. For both our Rainy Day and End of the Year Campaigns, the community came together in an attempt to meet our goals and – in the case of the Rainy day fund– surpass it!

All of this is to say that we wouldn’t be where we are today without countless years of love and support from those around us. While we look back at all the amazing support from the year prior, it fills us with optimism for the year to come. We the staff hope to bring even more energy into 2025, so keep an eye out for exciting events and opportunities to come.

Stay Curious,

Ashley

Naturalist