In a reaffirmation of commitment towards conserving Michigan's verdant riches, the former Boys and Girls Club of Kalamazoo Camp has found a new purpose under the stewardship of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The 200-acre tract, nestled in Hastings, will burgeon the expanse of the Barry State Game Area, a move geared to amp up habitat connectivity and biodiversity across the region, according to WWJ Newsradio 950.
"We are thrilled to welcome this property into Barry State Game Area," said Mark Mills, regional supervisor for the DNR Wildlife Division, articulating his enthusiasm about reinforcing wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and hunting prospects, flanked by the Audubon Warner Sanctuary to the north and the adjacent Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy's Freese Preserve, this grows the contiguous conservation lands which now includes the sprawling nearly 17,000 acres of Barry State Game Area to the west. In a nod to its ecological value, the DNR heralds the camp's location in the Glass Creek Watershed, noting its "extent and quality of the surrounding 70-acre wetland complex, as well as its significant frontage on Podunk Creek and Glass Creek," a stone's throw from one of southern Lower Michigan's few trout streams, an assertion featured in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
There is an open invitation to the public to mark this conservation milestone, the DNR along with Southwest Michigan is hosting a festivity come July 15th from 2 to 4 p.m. at the campgrounds; the affair will feature brief orations complemented by guided tours of the now-preserved land. However, it's worth making a note to RSVP by July 12 to Rachel Lincoln at [email protected] and consider the environment before revving up your engines—parking is restricted to 20 vehicles, so carpooling is not just encouraged, it is downright sensible, as per the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy's munificence in this endeavor cannot be understated; having purchased and subsequently donated the former camp, they have cemented a legacy in land conservation, hard-wiring the region's ecological future for thriving wildlife and community recreation. "The addition of the property not only protects vital wetland ecosystems but also strengthens our commitment to conserving Michigan's natural resources for future generations," extolled Mills, his words a testament to the foundational purpose driving this grand gesture, a sentiment echoed in WWJ Newsradio 950.
