A Year of Memories: 2019 EDITION

​Every year the staff at Little Forks reflect on the closing year - our favorite moments, accomplishments, events and what we look forward to in the new year. Tab through these moments below and feel free to share your favorite memories (and pictures!!) experienced on our preserves in 2019!

• Greg
• Elan
• Andrea
• Sara
• Alyssa

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​It's a good problem to have: selecting one thing from a year with so many options! I'll select one that captures a lot about our work - the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational golf tournament. This was an opportunity for partnerships, outreach, and encouraging people to think about their surroundings. 

Yes, it was a golf tournament with food tents and prize money and the normal trappings. It was also a golf tournament that brought together dozens of leaders from environmental and conservation nonprofits to talk about how to continue connecting people to their impact on nature, whether as a landowner, a consumer, or - yes - a golf fan. 

Going to where people are is a big theme of our work at Little Forks.

I'm looking forward to spending more time in our preserves. I need to take better advantage of just how close we are here in Midland to quickly being alone with nature on a trail
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- Greg Yankee, Executive Director

All of these moments help strengthen our bonds within our community and will have a positive lasting impact on our natural resources.

​Looking back at 2019, there are so many memorable moments, but one thing that sticks out is the success of the partnerships we have been involved with to protect and restore land and waterways in our region. This past year, our work with Cedar River watershed partners completed some major projects including several habitat improvement projects on the branches of the Cedar River to improve fish passage, working with the Boardman Clean Sweep Group and Gladwin Conservation district to remove debris from the Cedar River, working with our volunteers to collect macroinvertebrate samples in the Cedar River, and reaching out to landowners and townships within the watershed. 

​In 2020, I look forward to finalizing two conservation easement projects protecting critical land and water habitat within our region. These projects will protect almost a mile of waterway, mature forestland and valuable wetlands. I am always so thankful that we have landowners within our area committed to permanently protecting the lands they treasure.

- Elan Lipschitz, Director of Land Conservation

​2019 was a great year! We have had so much excitement when it comes to our programming efforts. The growth opportunities have given us a chance to further shine as both an organization, and in our professional development as staff members. Some of my favorite moments included giving Windover High School’s commencement speech, and taking my Juvenile Care Center Day Treatment students kayaking! Watching the teens I am so honored to work with grow into young adults, stronger individuals and nature warriors over the past three years of Nature/Nurture has proven time and time again that Little Forks is on the right path. 

When we connect minds of all ages to the calm, serenity and adventure that the outdoors gives us, we are creating strong conservationists and community members.

This past fall I was able to meet a career benchmark that I would never have thought possible five years ago when I started. I gave a seminar at the Land Trust Alliance’s national conference about inclusion and diversity in youth programming. This sparked a landslide of new supporters of our work from other land trusts across the country. I hope I can help them in their future endeavors to begin and continue engaging those who need the joy of our natural resources the most.

As I think about what may come in 2020, I am filled with hope. I hope that we will see progress in gaining back the clean water restrictions that have been lifted so we can focus on protecting one of our nation’s most precious resources, the freshwater of the Great Lakes. I hope that we will continue to see a desire to protect and preserve nature from landowners and the communities we serve. I hope that we find the spaces we need that will give us room to continually grow as an organization. Last but not least, I hope that the people we serve and strive to inspire will continue to find the value in what we as supporters, board and staff members hold so dear. Our beautiful, beautiful state of Michigan.

- Andrea Foster, Director of Programs and Partnerships

In 2019, I am most proud of coordinating the construction of the two boardwalks at Riverview Natural Area. We were thankfully chosen by Trinseo as a part of their 5th annual Volunteer Days and they funded and built a 237-foot boardwalk. Which was followed up by another 237 feet of boardwalk constructed by Little Forks’ staff and volunteers funded by a Small Community Grant from Lowe's. 

Although we have nine more boardwalks to construct we have accomplished our two longest boardwalks for this project!

​In 2020 I’m looking forward to continuing our efforts to improve the trails at Riverview Natural Area and expanding our focus to improve trails at Forestview Natural Area and the George and Sue Lane Preserve.

- Sara Huetteman, Preserves & Volunteers Manager

Moments like this are irreplaceable; whether it’s trying to figure out how to strap snowshoes on, going for a hike with a group of individuals you may not know, or kayaking along the shoreline of the Tittabawassee River, we thrive on these experiences within these natural environments.

I hope in 2020 more people share their stories on trying an outdoor activity for the first or the millionth time. I hope to see our numbers rise with more event participants and volunteers. I look forward to getting outside more, encouraging others to do the same and reminding our community to explore the protected natural environments Little Forks works every year to maintain and provide access to.

​One of my favorite moments from 2019 was simple and maybe an hour and a half long, but easily a meaningful event. In February, Little Forks hosted a snowshoeing hike at Forestview Natural Area - this was the first time I’d ever experienced snowshoeing and not only was it a fun adventure but ultimately shed light on how valuable it is to have these resources and opportunities available right here, for everyone in our community! 

- Alyssa Walters, Outreach Coordinator