Issue 61, Summer 2014

Issue 61 • Summer 2014
Explore Midland’s Newest Nature Preserve
Our Mission:
The Little Forks
Conservancy
permanently
protects and
preserves natural
lands that add to
the quality of life in
our mid-Michigan
community.
You’re invited to discover
the new Albert and
Virginia Szok Preserve at
a dedication ceremony
Saturday, July 12 at 11
a.m. Bring your hiking boots
to explore the property
following the dedication!
The 8-acre property
was donated to The Little
Forks Conservancy by
the children of Albert and
Virginia Szok in memory of
their parents. Nestled along
1,200 feet of the Salt River,
this new nature preserve
is located within the Pine
Haven Recreation Area at
the end of Maynard Road.
“The property has
been a privately owned
in-holding within Pine
Haven,” said Doug Koop,
executive director of the
Conservancy. “Because of
this gift, it will now be open
to the public to discover
and enjoy.” A short hiking
trail and a bench will be
added to the property for
users to enjoy the beauty
along the river’s edge.
Albert and Virginia’s son
Peter Szok recalled, “My
siblings and I often took
hikes on the property. It
was wonderful to walk
through the woods with
my father. He took great
joy in identifying trees,
mushrooms and animals.”
Albert Szok was a longtime Midland Public
Schools teacher, who not
only helped develop the
Albert and Virginia Szok Preserve Dedication
Saturday, July 12 • 11 a.m.
Within Pine Haven Recreation Area
1490 W Maynard Rd., Sanford, MI 48657
Discover our newest nature preserve located
along 1,200 feet of the Salt River within
Pine Haven Recreation Area.
environmental education
programs for the Chippewa
Nature Center during its
formation but also helped
develop the environmental
education standards for the
State of Michigan.
Peter Szok remembered,
“He was constantly taking
his students outdoors.
He felt that in the natural
world, one could find one’s
goodness and also see the
goodness in others.”
Virginia Szok met her
husband while teaching
in Indonesia. After her
marriage, she was primarily
a homemaker, but
remained very active in
the community. She later
took a job at Northwood
Gallery. Together they ran
a small fine arts business,
specializing in the sale of
Audubon prints.
Peter Szok said, “Both of
them were crazy about
birds and had, at least, ten
feeders in their backyard.”
Szok recalled that his father
“had an amazing talent
for bantering with birds. He
whistled back and forth with
them as we made our way
through the forest.”
Because none of the
family lives in the area, they
chose to donate the land
as a nature preserve.
See Szok Preserve, Page 2
From the Director: Our Board
–1999–
• Don Blades, 274 acres
–2000–
• Hugh & Eileen Starks,
40 acres
• Borys & Lubo Zura,
44 acres
–2001–
• William H. Meek, 75 acres
• Glenn & Carol Sanford,
20 acres
–2003–
• Ceo Bauer, 236 acres
• The Midland Area
Community Foundation,
41.5 acres
• Nancy Steiner, 9.8 acres
–2004–
• Phil & Janet Hehnlin,
5 acres
• Dr. Kyung-Sik Ahn,
31 acres
• Saginaw Basin Land
Conservancy, 39 acres
• George & Sue Lane,
191 acres
–2005–
• Ceo Bauer, 78 acres
• Scott & Kathyrn
Whalen, 119 acres
–2006–
• Blanche Stark, 79 acres
• Shellenbarger Land
Company, 80 acres
–2007–
• David & Anna Spencer,
154.5 acres
• Norman & Patricia
Engel, 190 acres
Like many non-profits,
our Board of Directors
plays a critical role in
being able to fulfill our
mission. Finding good
talent and enthusiastic
directors to help guide
the organization is vital.
This year we add Tim
Dyste, John Hill and Robyn
Sczepanski to our board
to help lead us forward.
I think we did a great job
at bringing in a good
mix of experience and
enthusiasm to this year’s
group and I look forward
to working with them.
Tim, John and Robyn
bring a diversity of age
and experience to our
board while sharing
the common vision of
helping to conserve
beautiful and significant
natural resources in our
community.
Tim is the recently
retired site manager
for Dow Corning’s
Midland plant. John is
an architect with Three
Rivers Corporation. Robyn
is an agent with Ieuter
Insurance Group and
holds a biology degree
from SVSU.
Projects such as the
creation of the Szok
Preserve represent our
promise to the family and
to the entire community
that we – as professional
staff, volunteers and
donors – are coming
together for a bigger
purpose.
There is great value in
protecting land now – not
just for our benefit, but
for generations to come.
I am truly grateful for
everyone who generously
commits their donations,
time and talent to make
it happen.
Doug Koop
Executive Director
Why Should My
Organization Volunteer?
It’s Fun!
No, we mean it! Getting out
and volunteering is a great
way to build teamwork. You
might be surprised by each
other’s skills. And, at least
it’s a break from routine to
enjoy our outdoors!
It’s Simple
Little Forks will plan all the
details with you in advance.
During the work day, Little
Forks team leaders will be
there to train and assist your
Group. No experience is
necessary.
It Makes A Difference
Little Forks depends on
volunteers to keep our
preserves healthy and
safe for visitors.
Call Today to Set Up
Your Group Project!
Szok Preserve, Continued
Szok said, “We wanted
to see the property remain
in a natural state. The
preserve means a great
deal to us, and we deeply
appreciate the willingness
of the Little Forks and
Chippewa Watershed
Conservancies to protect
the land.”
Chippewa Watershed
Conservancy will help
permanently protect
the preserve through a
conservation easement
donated to them by the
Szok family prior to gifting
the land to Little Forks
Conservancy.
To learn more about
the Conservancy’s nature
preserves, visit littleforks.org.
The New Albert & Virginia Szok Preserve
The 8-acre Albert and Virginia Szok Preserve is located
along 1,200 feet of the Salt River within Pine Haven
Recreation Area. The new preserve was donated
by the children of Albert & Virginia Szok in memory of
their parents.
Ravine Crossing Takes Big Step Forward
Thanks to a $10,000 grant
from the Consumers
Energy Foundation, the
Conservancy will begin
construction on a stairway
to cross the ravine at
Riverview Natural Area!
Currently, visitors can
enjoy a 1.3 mile trail
loop from the parking
area along Wheeler
Rd. in Homer Township.
However, the steep slope
of the ravine prevented
safe crossing to the
northern 200 acres.
The stairway will create
an easier path connecting
the two sides of the ravine.
Tom Begin, Consumers
Energy Public Affairs for
the Great Lakes Bay
Region, stated, “When
Consumers Energy sees a
great opportunity to help
our customers obtain
better access to nature
through projects such
as this, we are excited
to give our support and
funds to help make it
happen.”
By installing this stairway,
the Conservancy will
be able to expand
pedestrian access to
the entire property. “The
trail system on the north
200 acres,” said Doug
Koop, executive director
of the Conservancy, “will
take visitors through an
open field of wildflowers
and along a historic
Board President Bill Gebo
receives grant from Tom
Begin of Consumers Energy.
riverbank that is now part
of the interior forested
landscape.”
To visit Riverview Natural
Area, take N. Homer Rd.
two miles north of M-20.
Turn left on Wheeler Rd.
The parking area is a
quarter mile from the
corner on the right.
The Conservancy
received a $2,276
Michigan Clean Water
Corps (MiCorps) Program
grant to collect data
on macroinvertebrates
in order to measure the
water quality of the Cedar
River.
Elan Lipschitz, director
of land conservation,
said, “This grant will
further the work of the
Cedar River watershed
management plan which
was completed in 2011.”
The MiCorps Program
will provide one year
of support to develop
a macroinvertebrate
monitoring program in
the upper section of
the Cedar River, a blue
ribbon trout stream in the
Saginaw Bay Watershed.
Lipschitz added, “The
grant is a first step toward
the development of a
full proposal which would
fund the monitoring
program.”
For more information,
contact our office.
Help Monitor the Water Quality of the Cedar River!
THANK YOU 2014 BUSINESS SPONSORS!
East End • Dow Corning Corporation
SYM Financial Advisors • Lubrizol
Ieuter Insurance Group • Morley Companies
Warner Norcross & Judd LLP
AKT Peerless - Chippewa Nature Center - Coldwell Banker Professionals
ESPN 100.9 - JE Johnson - Members First Credit Union - Rider Type & Design
SPACE, Inc. - Wolverine Bank
• George & Sue Lane,
80 acres
• Robert & Susan Piesko,
140 acres
• Richard & Kathy Shellenbarger, 73.4 acres
• Jon & Elizabeth
Ringelberg, 70 acres
• Gerald & Pamela Schmiedicke, 80 acres
• Elizabeth Levi, 8.5 acres
–2008–
• Robin & Ardith Arbury,
219 acres
• L. Charles Christensen,
200 acres
–2010–
• Robert & Cheryl Duda,
24 acres
• Michael & Kathy
Helmick, 30 acres
–2011–
• The Hubert Family,
40 acres
–2012–
• James & Elizabeth
Wallace, 90 acres
• Richard and Kathy
Shellenbarger, 4 acres
• Robin and Ardith Arbury,
70 acres
• Kernie and Jackie
Gilliam, 31.5 acres
• The Guthrie Family,
40 acres
• Daniel Laur and Suzann
Barry-Laur, 26 acres
–2013–
• Bailey Farm, 72.2 acres
–2014–
• Szok Family, 8 acres
The Little Forks Conservancy
105 Post Street
Midland, MI 48640
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bill Gebo, President
Greg Dardas, Vice President
Jon DeGroot, Secretary
Dan Rader, Treasurer
Tim Dyste • Bethany Goodman
Jill Gushow • John Hill
Kristen Jones • George Lane
Chuck Martin • Robyn Sczepanski
Bill Thomson • Jerry Ziarno
Your Summer Membership Newsletter
989.835.4886
www.littleforks.org
[email protected]