Category Archives: Land Trusts (& other private land conservation)

Costa Rica in the Dry Season, February 2010

By rbrewer | Published: March 3, 2010

Katy and I just returned from two weeks in Costa Rica.  As part of an Elderhostel–though the program is now called Exploritas–we visited five sites ranging from mangrove forest along the Pacific Coast to the rather chaparral-like vegetation called paramo around 11,000 feet above sea level on Cerro de la Muerte.  Included were visits to [...]

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Colony Farm Orchard: A Time for Knowledge, Wisdom, Conscience

By rbrewer | Published: February 14, 2010

The Kalamazoo Gazette for Sunday 14 February carried a Viewpoint I wrote which they titled WMU can keep orchard in natural state.  It had been altered slightly, improving the message in some ways.  Nevertheless, I prefer the version below. Posting it here may also be useful to those who missed the piece in the Sunday [...]

Also posted in Conservation, Michigan (including Kalamazoo) | Leave a comment

Colony Farm Orchard: Can The Land Abide?

By rbrewer | Published: January 17, 2010

I sent a slightly different version of this essay to Western Michigan University’s student newspaper, the Western Herald on 17 January 2010 [Published 20 January with title Reps. Jones, George could have protected Colony Farm Orchard.] The Herald correctly reported on 10 January 2010 (online, 11 January print) that Governor Granholm signed HB 5207 recently.  [...]

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Probably the last review of Conservancy: The Land Trust Movement in America

By rbrewer | Published: January 7, 2010

In the earlier version of my website, I had a page where I posted reviews of Conservancy: The Land Trust Movement In America, or links to them.  The last count was a dozen.  Posted here for the sake of completeness is the last one, as far as I know. It appeared in 2006, by which [...]

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Senate Passes HB 5207; Governor next step

By rbrewer | Published: December 22, 2009

Friday night, 18 December 2009, between 10:30 and 11:00 PM, not long before adjournment, the Michigan Senate passed HB 5207, which would strip the open space/public use restrictions from the Colony Farm Orchard land, allowing Western Michigan University to put it to any use. Most of the senators voting yes probably bought WMU’s claim that [...]

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Conservation Values of the Colony Farm Orchard, Kalamazoo County, Michigan

By rbrewer | Published: December 16, 2009

The following is approximately what I said in my brief remarks at the Save the Colony Farm Orchard Rally last Tuesday night, 8 December 2009.  I have, however, expanded on my thoughts under point 3, adding a consideration of conservation easements. We need to recognize three aspects to the conservation value of this piece of [...]

Also posted in Birds, Conservation, Michigan (including Kalamazoo), Plants and Plant Communities | 1 Comment

Save the Enchanted Forest (aka Colony Farm Orchard)!

By rbrewer | Published: October 31, 2009

About a week ago, a group of students opposing the demolition of Western Michigan University’s Enchanted Forest, invited me to one of their meetings. The Enchanted Forest is what they call the land that is sometimes known as the Colony Farm Orchard. Enchanted Forest is a much better name. This was a Thursday night and [...]

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The Colony Farm Orchard is Not Trade Land

By rbrewer | Published: October 27, 2009

I’ve always wondered if there was one fundamental difference between conservationists and those other people whose disposition is exactly opposite–the  exploiters, polluters, clear-cutters, mountaintop blasters, and all the other ill-users and abusers of the land and waters. In recent experiences with the case of the Colony Farm Orchard, I think I have an inkling of [...]

Also posted in Conservation, Michigan (including Kalamazoo) | 2 Comments

Private Options: The Leading Edge in Conservation Today

By rbrewer | Published: October 10, 2009

This review was published in 2005 as the second entry in my Land Trust Reading List on the earlier version of this website.  Slightly revised and updated, it’s republished here on the occasion of the 2009 Land Trust Alliance Rally. Private Options: Tools and Concepts for Land Conservation. Barbara Rusmore, Alexandra Swaney, and Allan D. [...]

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Colony Farm Orchard: New documentary film and a response to John Dunn Viewpoint

By rbrewer | Published: September 28, 2009

Matt Clysdale, a local film-maker (Animals Among Us), will be screening the first part of a two or more part film about Western Michigan University’s planned conversion of the Colony Farm Orchard open space to Business Park annex.  Here is his announcement. Greetings everyone, Please join me this Tuesday at 9 pm on Channel 19 [...]

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